Monday, 6/22
AT Miles = 17.4 / 1154.7
Other Miles = 0.1 / 41.7
Total Miles = 17.5 / 1195.4
Tuesday, 6/23
AT Miles = 24.7 / 1179.4
Other Miles = 0.8 / 42.5
Total Miles = 25.5 / 1220.9
Wednesday, 6/24
AT Miles = 19.2 / 1198.6
Other Miles = 0.6 / 43.1
Total Miles = 19.8 /1240.7
I'm not going to try to journal each of the last three days in detail, that would be too hard and I am basically a lazy guy. I'll just summarize the three days.
I had a great time in Duncannon. The Doyle is really quite a dump, but in a comfortable sort of way. It was fun hanging out, eating Ben & Jerry's and drinking Yuengling.
On Monday morning I headed out, and as promised the trail north of Duncannon starts to get rocky. The further north you get, the rockier it gets. It was slow going on Monday and it took me nearly 8 hours to cover 17.4 miles, where I camped by a spring.
On Tuesday the logistics worked out strangely. I could either hike 11.2 miles or 24.7 miles, but nothing in between as there was no water between. Thus, I ended up hiking the 24.7, which with a bit of blue blazing sidetrails ended up being 25.5 miles; my longest day yet. With all the rocks added in, it made for some really, really sore feet.
When I woke up this morning my feet still hurt. That's discouraging, as of course the feet just get worse and worse as the day goes on.
I hiked with Sir Richard today, and we did "only" 19.2 miles today. I've been camping with Sir Richard since the night before Duncannon, but today is the first day we hiked together since probably back in the Smokies or just after. It was good to have long, rambling conversations to pass the time and get my attention away from how bad my feet hurt.
We are only 9 miles out of Port Clinton, and tomorrow I will stop there and get my food drop at the post office. I also have a box of something my daughter Anju sent me for Father's Day there. I am excited to see what she has sent me.
Once I've finished sorting through my food drop, I'll push on out of town to the first shelter north, which will make for a ~15 mile day.
I have passed the point where the miles to go are less than 1000. I remember when I had hiked more than 178 miles and there were only 2000 miles left; now I've hiked another 1000 miles and there are less than 1000 to go. Wow, that seems like I am almost there! ;-)
So the PA rocks are making me crazy. I really have no idea what the country around here looks like, because I can't take my eyes off the trail right in front of me to look around. Hiking all day picking each footstep is both exhausting and time consuming. I am looking forward to getting out of Pennsylvania. I should be in Delaware Water Gap in 5 or 6 days, That will put me in New Jersey by the 1st of July.
--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"
Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com
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