6/12/01
The first full day in PA was very enjoyable. It was a warm sunny morning when I left Tumbling Run shelter. The five miles to the road to South Mountain, PA flew by, and soon I was walking on pavement heading for the post office to pick up my food drop. I soon encountered a roadblock as a road crew was doing some construction (destruction?). Since the cars were all stopped, I wasn't sure if I was allowed to pass the stop sign held by the worker, but he waved me through (my vivid imagination was thinking "dynamite" as I entered the work zone). Once the cars were released to pass slowly through the single lane, they slowly passed me. The second car's driver rolled down his window as he passed, and he asked me if I wanted a ride to town. Two minutes later I was at the tiny countryside post office picking up my food. After some sorting and mailing back out, I walked across the street to the convenience store. Surprise! They had a full deli/grille inside so it took only a minute to decide to order a cheeseburger deluxe and a large chocolate shake. Not satisfied, I then retrieved a 20 oz. coke from the cooler and popped the top . . . jackpot, the soda was free (under the cap was a freebie). I stopped back by the post office to retrieve my pack, then crossed the road and stuck out my thumb as a car was leaving the P.O. parking lot. Sure enough, the woman pulled over and I hopped in for a quick 1.5-mile ride back to the trail.
Back on the trail after a total of 90 minutes off, I soon caught up to Gypsy. She and I hiked together for a few miles and we caught up to Green Light at the busy U.S. 30 highway crossing. He lives only 10 miles from the road crossing and was waiting for his aunt to return from the pizza restaurant just down the road. She had seen him waiting on the side of the highway for his sister to pick him up and very kindly went to get him lunch while he waited. As we were talking, she pulled up with a hot N.Y. style pizza that Green Light very kindly shared with Gypsy and me. Ten minutes after we said goodbye (Green Light was going home for a couple of days), we were outside the Caledonia State Park swimming pool which was packed full of kids. Reader, Ziti, Sundial, Trail Dancer, Terry and Laura, Honkey, Deadwood, Thru-Thinker and The King were all at the pool area. I was anxious to get in so I got in line to pay the $2.50 entrance fee. I was chagrined to learn that the pool was closed for an hour when I got to the lifeguard collecting the fee. She informed me that the pool was closed for an hour. I asked her if it was because a shark was sighted in the pool, to which she replied that actually a turd was discovered floating in the pool! It instantly reminded me of the scene in the Caddyshack with the Baby Ruth candy bar thrown in the country club pool. We got a lot of laughs sitting around waiting for the pool to reopen. It was time to hit the snack bar for an ice cream cone and a soda, then the pool reopened for business after the all-clear signal was sounded. It was great to get a shower and swim on a hot day, but the pool water was still cold for this Southern boy.
It was only 2.4 miles to the next shelter, Quarry Gap, and a bunch of us arrived at 5 p.m. It was decision time as the next shelter was 7.5 miles farther and thunder was rumbling in the distance. Everyone but me decided to push on while I sat at the Quarry Gap shelter lamenting the decision. Finally I decided to stay put. It ended up being a good decision because a thunderstorm with lots of lightning up on the ridge set in at 7:30, which meant that those who went most likely got caught before making the next shelter. Tonight Terry and Lori as well as Deadwood, Lollipop, and Angry Jack are here. It's 9:30 p.m. and all are asleep except me as I write. I want to share a story from Green Light, so here is a guest entry from his experience with a bear in the Shenandoah's last week. This is an excerpt, dated May 31st, day 72 for Green Light on the AT. "...so, I'm walking down the trail, and I hear this rustle up the hill to my right. I think it's the usual squirrel or deer, but this time a bear cub emerges, followed by another bear cub. This stopped me in my tracks as I said to myself, 'Hey, bears, where's your momma?' So, they proceeded to climb the tree until they were both perched on a branch way up high to watch the show below. Then I saw Momma bear, and she was waiting to see what I was going to do. She caught my scent and started downhill. The cubs watched me shake in my boots. Momma Bear came closer, so close I could hear her breathe and see her eyelashes. I said my prayers and stuck to the strategy - just stand still and try to look friendly. She stood up and hugged a tree - I guess to show me that she was friendly. Then she walked back up the hill. What a thrill!" Thanks to Green Light from Chambersburg, PA for sharing that story with me. From the dry picnic table, under the dry roof of the Quarry Gap shelter, here are today's stats: low 65, high 89. Sunny, then PM thunderstorm. Today's mileage 12.2; cumulative mileage 1,065.0.
