Knots, Billy Bob, Lulu and I were all at the breakfast table this morning and the topic was the half gallon challenge. Everyone just started at Harper’s Ferry and isn’t hungry for a hiker yet.
The short walk (<4 miles) to the Pine Furnace store was smooth and quick. The Pine Furnace store was not open and the sign said they are only open Friday through Sunday in May. However, the electricity and water were on and there was a shaded porch. Even early in the day it was hot.
Leaving the Pine Furnace store, the trail winds through the park and stays gentle with only a short climb past Fullers Lake. On PA 34, there is a deli where you can do the half-gallon challenge if Pine Furnace is closed. I noticed that they are used to hikers. They didn’t even blink when I ordered a foot-long sub to go with my half-gallon. Yes, I ate it all: half a gallon in just over 18 minutes and the sub an hour later.
After the challenge, I took it very easy. Overheating would make me sick and I can’t afford to get sick again right now. There was a short easy stretch, followed by a short, steep climb up to the rock maze. The rock maze was super fun. You traverse cracks, climb and turn with just a little bit of bouldering. I didn’t have the «if I slip, this hike is done» feeling that I had coming down from Dragon’s Tooth.
The short, steep climbs and descents continued past the Alec Kennedy Shelter until I reached the cornfields. At 6pm I continued past the backpacker camp towards Boiling Springs. The visitor center no longer exists, but the water still worked. One gazebo had a power outlet, so I ate dinner at a nearby picnic table and charged my phone before heading back to camp.
Ducklings at the Mirador Pond in Boiling Springs Park.
Tomorrow looks very flat except for two small climbs. I hope to be able to cover some easy miles and spend a relaxing afternoon in Duncannon.
- Breakfast: cereals
- Dinner: cheese and crackers.
- Snacks: Fig Bars x2, Kind Bar, Oatmeal Squares x2, Honey Rolls x2, Whole Grain Crackers
- Bonus: foot-long roast beef sandwich, half-gallon ice cream
- Known today: Iceman, sweet pea
- Days without a ramen bomb: 67
- Today I give thanks for: The birds that sing me to sleep.
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