Trail = Home

The AT dragged me over a rocky washboard, making sure to thoroughly scrub away at the insecurities, physical ailments, mental blocks, and emotional instabilities that made this adventure feel like a dream and making it to Katahdin seem like a distant, unobtainable goal. But as I begin New Jersey, I feel these old stains fading. I feel at home on the trail and at home in my own skin. I feel open and excited about this new leg of my journey. I cant wat to see what the AT has in store for me!

Here are some shots of the trail in lovely PA!

Rollin' in Style!!!

Check out the place I'm staying tonight! Its called The Allenberry Inn and Playhouse in Boiling Springs, PA, and IT IS AWESOME!!!

This place is dotted with cottages and filled in with 60s architecture, creating a sort of unique vibe I'm having trouble describing. The 'lodge' where we are staying has floor to ceiling windows and a fiteplace in the foyer!

They have a killer deal for hikers, laundry facilities, a swimming pool, tennis courts, picnic pavilions, restaurant and bar etc... Its right on the river and the grounds are immaculately kept; I pretty much can't believe we are staying in a place this nice!

Wednesday through Sunday you can see a play here (hence the 'playhouse' in the name), but we missed the Sunday showtime :( sad day.

I pretty much sound like a radio ad for this place right now. But, do you want to know the best part?

IT'S GIRL'S NIGHT!!!

Bunny and I are sharing a room, a whole room for just the two of us! AND NO BOYS ARE ALLOWED!!! For the first time all summer, its just us girls :)

FROM MELANCHOLY MARYLAND TO PICTURESQUE PENNSYLVANIA

Upon leaving Harpers Ferry I was feeling generally disheartened.

I walked out of Harpers Ferry alone at 5:30pm in the 90+ heat. In Maryland I had to adjust to 'flying solo' and a new bubble of hikers. Two Pair and Hammer went the New Jersey to attend family reunions and tend to their 'real world affairs,' Sacajawea, Chatty Kathy, Birdman, and Shine went to Baltimore for a few days surrounding the 4th of July, Gerber, Onkelz, and Windmills didn't show up in Harpers while I was there (so I'm unsure what happened to them), and although most of them will be returning to the trail, they will be hiking in a new and different bubble as well.

Did I mention that its hot out? I mean H.O.T, hot! Really though, the entire time I was in MD I did not go a day without hearing someone say: it's hot as balls outside! The heat, and humidity may have dragged down my mood with my physical condition.

But since  I crossed the line into PA, I have begun feeling more a part of this new bubble, more in touch with the beautiful, natural world I have the pleasure of hiking in everday, reaquainted with my reasons for being out here, and happier over all.

Plus, I'm absolutely sure I've crossed the half-way point! After leaving Harper's Ferry (the psychological midpoint), I made it to the actual, calculated halfway point, the midpoint sign, the 1/2 way spring, witnessed the half gallon challenge, and visited the historical center point (center point knob). There is nothing better for lifting the mood than a concrete milestone like 'half way!' Jeepers!

HALF WAY

Half way is located just south of Pine Grove Furnace State Park in PA, which was a PERFECT place to sleep away the hottest hours of the day! I watched a few folks join the 1/2 Gallon Club (down a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting) and got a free shower at the park bathroom.

I'm sure I will grow to hate PA when we get to the rocky section up north, but so far I've loved it!

I've also included pics from the PA/MD line.

Harper's Ferry

Here are a few pics from my time in Harper's Ferry! Dubbed 'the mental half way point' by many, this historic town is home to the ATC's headquarters. They take your picture by their sign and put it in a book with everyone else who has come through Harper's Ferry, EVER!

The trail passes through some historic sites as it goes through town, too! I've tried to include a few photos of those as well!

Oh, and look who I got to celebrate 1000mi with! ATOM BOMB!!!

1000 miles!

Here are a few photos from/near the 1000 mile mark!

I really can't believe I've come so far!

IT'S HOT!

I don't know what the highs have been the last couple days, but I do know that it's been EXTREMELY HOT!

When you splash down your whole body in a stream and achieve only a few seconds relief, when you are drenched in sweat while standing still at 8AM, when you sweat from all the awkward parts of your body you didn't know had sweat glands (such as neck, bottom of chin, top of shoulders, behind ears etc.), and when you consume 6 liters of water before lunch time, YOU KNOW IT'S REALLY F'ING HOT!!!

Sometimes I miss air conditioning and ice cubes in my drink, but then I rinse off a cold creek, take a mid-day siesta in my hammock and I'm reminded of just how much I love life on the Appalachian Trail.

I'm not sure if you can see it in the photo, but I'm dripping as I take a breather about 18mi South of Harper's Ferry, WV.

Aqua blazing photos!

Here are a few photos from the trip! We adorned ourselves with war paint and made pirate flags for each boat. Then the armada (7 boats in total) set sail on the irrigation ditch of the Shenandoah region, i mean, the South Fork of the Shenandoah River!!!

Pictured with me is Windmills and Gerber

Alone Time

This is an entry I've wanted to post for a long time but I have really struggled to write. I've started it over and over, but have been unable to complete it.

Maybe it's because I don't get enough time alone to get my thoughts down!

Ha ha!

Honestly, I think I havent written it because its a complex thing to explain. You see, I'm not entirely sure if the low level of alone time I get is because I'm social or because I'm female.

As it is, hikers complain about not getting enough down time. Generally, you get up in the morning, tear down camp and eat breakfast. You hike all day, taking a few breaks to eat, collect water, or rest your feet before pressing on. You get into camp an hour or two before sunset, reconstruct camp, collect water, make food and go to bed with the sun. If there are cool people in camp you might choose to sit around a fire and chat for a bit in place of reading, making a journal entry, or planning out the next day of hiking like you normally do before exhaustion pushes you off to sleep. It's a schedule that doesn't leave you with too much time for yourself, especially if you hike with friends during the day and/or sleep in shelters with other hikers at night.

Add being female into the mix and you have a real recipe for ZERO time to yourself. It is a strikingly obvious fact that there are not many women on the trail (maybe one gal for every six guys), even fewer of which are single (maybe one in ten females), meaning just about every male hiker out here wants to jump your bones, i mean, hike WITH you instead of pass you or leave camp WITH you instead of before/after you; they all want to 'chat' with you on your break, at dinner, while you set up camp, while you tear down camp, on your way to and from the privy...

Okay so its not THAT bad, it just feels like I have no time for myself sometimes. And even when I am alone (say in the privy, collecting water, or visiting my hammock for a forgotten item) everyone in camp seems to know where I am and what I'm doing, ESPECIALLY if I'm the only female in camp (most nights I am).

It's a difficult thing to get used to, even after 3 months on the trail. I've recently put some space between me the guys I was hiking with, we'll see if I get sick of the alone time it gives me!