Day 9: The game’s a-foot… (and a-shins, and a-shoulders…)

Summary:
May 4th

Antietam Shelter to RT 30 (Trail of Hope Hostel, Fayetteville, PA)

NOBO mile 1082.5

Today’s miles 10.8

Tom’s total miles 58.8

It was cold last night. Had a weird time discombobulation. The revelors at the fire seemed to go on and on. I looked at my watch and it said 4:30am, and I heard the breaking up of branches, and smelled the smoke (lucky me, I was downwind! :^P). I got up to do my business, a little shocked that I had slept through most of the night. Got back into bed, and had some trouble getting myself situated (my pillow had fallen out of the hammock). By the time I was settled, I was as pretty much wide awake. But I was warm, and just let myself settle, dozed, and came aware, wondering why it wasn’t lighter. Checked my watch again: 1:34am… came awake hard!! I have no clue how I misread the time that first time… no way to make 4:30 out of 12 something… funny…

When I got up at 6am, my fire friends were gone. They must have been locals, but who is out like that on a Wednesday night?

So I packed up (takes nearly an hour to set up and break down), and hit the trail around 7:30. 

And again, time and/or distances seemed distorted. The first hour or so this morning seemed compressed: there was supposed to be a picnic area with a water tap at .5 miles of which I came upon immediately, and the Tumble Run shelter, which was supposed to be 2-3 miles on, came up fast, too. There I met Scotty (now called ‘Highlander’) cleaning up after breakfast, as well as flip-flopper ‘Meeko’. Off on a tent pad away from the shelter was the girl from Pen Mar Park, Jackie. I chatted for a few minutes, then headed off to find the Chimney Rocks overlook. Ah, this is where the trail gains some height; it took a real push to get up. Highlander caught me up, and together we blue blazed to the cliffs. A reward for that uphill climb!Highlander

We were joined by Jackie, and just reveled in the beauty (and the chilly wind).

Will we have a ‘Marilyn Monroe’ moment? Sadly, no…

I probably won’t see Highlander again, but who knows? “See you up the trail…”

We had talked some on Chimney Rocks about plans, and I was chewing on whether to stay at Rocky Mountain shelter, at 7 miles, or push on to Fayetteville. When I saw I would probably get to the shelter at noon, it seemed clear I should push on the additional 3 miles.

Jackie was at the shelter trail junction when I got there; she was checking the weather for tomorrow. Apparently there are supposed to be severe thunderstorms during the day. She said she had re-thought her plan of staying at the shelter, and intended to go to Trail of Hope Hostel, as well. So I decided to go on, since it was an “easy gentle downhill” all the way to RT 30.

Off again! To find this:

And this:

This was the point where I started to feel like my relationship with the trail was on the rocks. (Ba-dum-bum!)

Stop. Breathe. Let go of goals. <sigh>

Eventually, the trail moved down off the ridge, and I found myself on RT 30. The hostel was just a road-walk away, during which I would pass the restaurant, Timber, to which I would return…

So I’m showered and laundered and have had a cheeseburger and a sundae. In town. Let’s see what tomorrow brings (hint: severe thunderstorms; could be a zero day)