One Hundred Steps at a Time - My Appalachian Trail Adventure: May 16 to May 20

I'm going to start posting a new page about once a week now.

It takes too much time and too much cell phone battery power to do it every day.
In any case most followers who are more interested are already following me every day through our GroupMe messaging.

My AT Summary to date: Rockfish Gap VA to Pine Grove PA: 331.8 of 2189.1 miles (15.2%).

FYI: There are 229.2 miles in PA, leaving only 99.7 miles from Pine Grove to the Delaware Water Gap and the NJ boarder.

I'm trying to do 10 miles per day now.

May 16th (10.6 miles)

This week began with my good friend Manny dropping me off at the Red Carpet Inn in Duncannon PA on Sunday May 15th. I thought it was really funny when he took one look at the place and said "At least one murder has happened here." The next morning the owner of the hotel drove me to the AT where I restarted my AT trek.

Hiked up to the ridge from Duncannon. A few thru hikers passed me but no one was willing to chat for long. Stayed at Peter's Mtn Shelter in my tent there were 3 occupants but non one willing to chat other than exchanging names. One woman who was also tenting exchanged greeting with me, she was pleasant. There was a very difficult 0.2 mile trek down many stairs to the spring and then back up again.

May 17th (12.4 miles)

Otis was one of the men in the shelter and on his way out in the morning stopped to talk for a few minutes. He turned out to be quite nice. He started the AT in GA back in January and told me about finally getting his trail legs after about 30 days on the trail.

During the day I met Flash52, a section hiker, we thought we might see each other again since he's leap frogging the AT with one car and shuttle services.

I also me Quick at thru hiker (quick to talk and quick to start going again) had a nice beard and looked like Ben Affleck.

I camped alone along the AT after completing my planned mileage for the day.

May 18th (10.2 miles)

During the day I met Santa and Wonder (man and woman) hiking together. They started their thru at the end of February.

I camped along the AT with Tim another flop flopper (started in Harpers Ferry) I met during the day. We had light rain so went into our tents early but talked for almost two hours before falling asleep. He's a mechanical engineer.

May 19 (10.7 miles)

I woke to Tim rushing out of his tent to vomit. Luckily it was a false alarm. He had made some unusual freeze dried bean soup for dinner last night. That may have been the problem. He left early and I did not see him again (yet).

Hiked the day chatting with everyone on GroupMe and trying to save battery power. I finally stumbled to the William Penn Shelter side trail. I left my pack there and walked down to the privy and shelter. The shelter wash empty! I was told that it was very popular. I went back up to my pack, descended the opposite side of the ridge to fill up on water then took everything back down to my private shelter for the night.

May 20 (4.4)

(arrived in Pine Grove PA for a day of R&R

The Red Carpet Inn