Day 93-Will Road Walk for Food...

June 19-19.6 trail miles + .5 road walk-Tumbling Run Shelter to Birch Run Shelter-AT mile 1094.9

...Even if it makes a 20+ mile day. Believe it or not, I was the first one on the trail this morning, at 6:15! It started with a climb that was over a mile long. Getting the sweat going nice and early!

There was a side trail to a chimney rocks. 

The view

Photo of me by Dusty

Dusty coming up

Flat Will  getting to see the view too. 

Except for one rather hairy rocky section, the trail was pretty easy today. Dusty, Sure Foot, and I arrived at PA 30 at 11:00. A quarter mile west in Fayetteville, there was a place called The Bonfire. They had burgers, hotdogs, and ice cream. We walked there. They were supposed to be open at 11:00, but the guy was late. There was another hiker who had been waiting since 10:00. Braids timed it perfectly by showing up just as the guy opened up. I had a hotdog and fries and ice cream (I picked up some lactose pills at Walmart yesterday). We all had a good rest and food, then walked back to the trail. 


We hiked through Caledonia State Park where we were able to use the restrooms, and get water (we’d already dumped our trash at the restaurant).

There was a steep climb out of the park, but then mostly ridge walking. 

The beginning of the climb

Then easy trail. 

Quarry Run Shelter, which we had originally planned to stay at, was really nice. The only bad thing was that they had wooden tent platforms, which doesn’t work with non-freestanding tents. No worries, though, because we weren’t staying there anyway. 

Another double shelter 

The “caretakers”.

From Quarry Run, it was 7.4 more miles to the next shelter. At a creek not long after Quarry Run, I stopped and rinsed the sweat off my arms and face. I decided not to get water, as I figured I had enough. 

Back up to the ridge, and nice trail. 

Walking through tons of Mountain Laurel. 

Then there was this little fella. Didn’t seem the slightest bit afraid. 

The trail crossed a number of gravel roads. At one, I stopped to take a little break and grab my jelly beans out of my pack. I looked down at my pant leg and saw this. 

Yep, that is a tick on my pant leg. I flicked it off, even though I was kind of curious to see what it would do (I had my pants Insect Shielded).

A bit later I came to a cabin that people can reserve. At the creek by the cabin I spied this in the water. 

TRAIL MAGIC!

I sucked down a Gatorade in nothing flat! It gave me the energy to finish the last 2.4 miles in 45 minutes (I was also trying to beat the rain...that never came)! I arrived at the shelter feeling pretty good (feet were ready to be done, but that’s partly because I practically ran the last section).

Today was three months since Sure Foot and I left Amicalola in Georgia. We are nearly to the halfway point (except without the Smokies, of course). Our average miles per day is up to 11.6 now. Still not the 12 it needs to be to finish in 6 months (and we still have to go back to do the Smokies), but it’s getting closer. While today was a great day, I’m still not convinced this thru-hiking thing is all that wonderful. However, I will stick with it, as I know I would regret it if I quit. Besides, I’ve got the rocks of “Rocksylvania” coming up soon! Who’d want to miss out on that???

Here’s a parting shot for today. 

This butterfly (or moth?) was coming out of its cocoon in the parking lot of the Bonfire! It eventually flew off. 








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