Pooch and Grand Sire were both up when I left camp at 7:10, but Echo was still asleep in her hammock. She and Pooch mostly hike apart because she’s faster, and I suspect he woke early to get a head start. I said “See you uptrail” and Grand Sire smirked anf saidc”I doubt it.”
Today my legs felt fine but my feet hurt from slamming into so many rocks, so where a step had a choice between rock or hardpack and soil or leaf litter, I chose the latter.
My goal was to reach a hostel, Stay-AT-Swatara, by 3pm so I could shower, do laundry, resupply a bit, and pick up stuff I’d ordered online (Permethrin as a tick repellent for my clothes, Picaridin as a tick repellent for my skin, granola). I moved quickly and covered 18 miles in 8 hours including a lunch break.
Along the way I met Tip, a section hiker I had briefly said hi to at the spring by the campsite, and he was very friendly and we chatted for a quarter hour. Later I met another ridge runner, and two women section hikers heading south. Other than that, nobody.
At one point I passed a sign that explained that a town of over 1000 people with active mining and forestry was once right where I was standing in the middle of the forest. There was nothing left to suggest anyone had ever lived here.
Eric, the host at the hostel, showed me briefly around, then headed into the house. The hostel is very much a work in progress but it had everything I needed. I spent about two hours there cleaning, organizing, spraying Permethrin on my clothes. At five I had high hopes of getting to a shelter 6 miles up trail but at 6:30 after a tiring rock garden climb I spotted a small tentsite and called it a day.
I heard from Listener today. He is 101 miles south of me at Quarry Shelter in PA. He will be in Boiling Springs then Duncannon then he’s heading home to meet his wife since she has returned from Hong Kong for some minor surgery. She got a posting in Sri Lanka so I guess Ed will move there with her in the fall or spring.
Mile 1168.2 to mile 1190.3 = 22.1 miles
Walking across a very old beaver dam felt a bit like home
Perhaps overengineered for pedestrians
See lock behind sign about lock