Wonderful sleep and up early to a great breakfast & coffee prepared by Paul and enjoyed on the deck on a cool sunny morning. Can this really be July?
After breakfast we finished packing and readied ourselves to leave the land of hot food, cold drinks, soft beds and clean people for the land where wild things are. (Thanks John for giving up your room so the three of us could have our own rooms).
After a pleasant drive through the countryside with Anne & Paul we arrived back at the ATC office in Boiling Springs where we picked up where we left off yesterday. Thanks again Anne & Paul for taking such good care of us.
The day was perfect and the hike pretty easy, much of it through big open wheat and corn fields. At times we passed long hand laid stone walls, old building foundations and even a graveyard all buried in the woods.
At lunch time we stopped at an ATC maintenance facility called Scott Farm. There was a picnic table, water and a port-a-John...all the comforts of home. Shortly Circuit Rider and Sherlock hiked in. We hadn't seen them in quite a while. If you remember, they both are ministering to AT hikers. Unfortunately they had to leave the trail for some time to assist the families of 4 young people who died suddenly. Now they're back on the trail and hiking some long days.
We arrived at our destination for today about 3:00PM. Guardian confirmed there was some water still flowing at the water source so we pitched our tents and started to settle in.
For a bit it was only the three of us here, but as happens every day hikers come out of the woodwork late in the day. We now have a full shelter and tents everywhere.
A Trail Runner, Jessica, arrived and let us know that (a) there's a black bear about and (b) water is at a premium for the rest of Pennsylvania, so we should get water wherever it turns up. Some stretches are as long as 18 miles without water.
I had a great conversation with Jessica about her thru hike last year. She basically said the best is yet to come but first we have to get over the rocks in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Her comments really energized me for the rest of this hike.
In addition to being the 1st of July, today begins my 14th week on the trail. Time seems to be flying by.
Love,
Trolley Stop
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| The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - cleaned, pressed, and ready to get back on the trail |
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| Anne and Paul prepare to bring the League back to the trail |
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| Circuit Rider & Sherlock at Scott Farm |
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