Waynesboro PA with friends – The Trek

Some days we wake up on the road with very few «real life» comforts. Just the firm ground of a shelter or perhaps the buzz of a hungry mosquito to say good morning. But not this day! No, that day we woke up in the cushioned embrace of a duvet on a queen-sized bed. The sound of friends and family filled the downstairs because we had a late night’s sleep! As much as I love walking, I love the hard-earned zero days!

A zero with friends

As we walked down the stairs, the house was already full of smiling faces! Vivienne was the first to say good morning and combined her greeting with a big hug. There are few children as loving as this one and I simply love her for it! Louise offered me a cup of coffee, which I immediately accepted. There are very few days that I don’t have a cup of coffee in the morning, even on the road. We sat on the terrace with James and Kate to talk about our plans for the day. «The only thing we really need to do today is resupply,» Cody announced. «That’s perfect, we need to shop too,» Kate replied, and we all made plans to run to the grocery store. Vivienne asked to accompany her.

Waynesboro Resupply

At the store, we got the usual stuff: pepperoni/salami, chips, granola bars, protein bars, crackers, dried fruit, meat sticks, candy, hydration packs, etc. But I also grabbed the largest fruit tray from the deli. We had the pleasure of staying with our friends for three days and I had plans to snack on this tray all weekend! We also splurged on a mini deodorant stick. I’ll be honest, I still haven’t gotten used to the hiker funk. I don’t smell other people, but I always smell myself!

When we met up with Kate again, my eyes widened at the feast she was preparing for dinner that night! She placed her purchases on the conveyor belt and I could already imagine the steak, salad, and twice-baked potatoes I was going to devour that night. Did I mention our friends went to culinary school?

A relaxing afternoon

That afternoon we enjoyed a relaxing day lying on the couch, eating fresh fruit and catching up with friends. At some point, Cody decided to run to Taco Bell and of course Vivienne offered to go with him. Later, our friends suggested we could walk to a nearby farmers market. I grabbed a bottle of chocolate milk and a large amount of boiled corn! It was nice to walk on a beautiful day! The exceptionally relaxing day culminated in the delicious steak dinner I had been thinking about all day! Let me tell you, that was the best meal I’ve had on this entire hike!

A PA backpack

The next morning we decided to pack a loose bag. They offered to take us back to the trail at mile 1058 and pick us up at 1076. They even lent us a small backpack (more of a laptop bag), but it was just what we needed. With a light load and an early start, we finished the 18 mile hike at 2:30. The weather was also perfect that day, we stopped at Pen Mar Park for lunch. It is a great luxury to have a flushing toilet and a tap to drink water while walking. Plus, the views there made our quick lunch very enjoyable. This was also the day we crossed the Mason Dixon Line. We are getting closer and closer to that middle point! It seems like we’ve been saying we’re «almost» halfway there for weeks.

When James picked us up, Vivienne had volunteered to join him. She helped us load our backpacks into the back and competed for Cody’s attention in the back seat on the way home. I looked at James and asked, «Is there any chance there’s a Starbucks in town?» Vivienne lit up at these words! «Of course,» he replied and we left. We texted Kate and Ash to see what they wanted to order, and somehow Vivienne convinced Cody to order a handful of cake pops. Honestly, it didn’t take much to convince him.

Our last night in Waynesboro PA

That afternoon we sat on the porch enjoying our Starbucks drinks and each other’s company. Vivienne lured Cody into a game of passing a volleyball. When he took a break, I went with him but I didn’t last as long as he did. He was already stiff from having walked so many miles.

Dinner was at the local Mexican restaurant. James’ sister Erica made a surprise appearance while we ate! He had given us a goody bag with some lotion and sunscreen for the trail. I’m glad I got to see her again before we left. After dinner, we all sat in the living room to watch my favorite show of the moment: The Pitt. Ash lay next to me on the couch and reminded me how much I’ll miss them this summer. I hope you have an amazing summer at the NOC, even if we’re not there!

walk again

It was the last morning I woke up to a house full of friends. A bittersweet start to a long day. We woke up early and double-checked our backpacks that we had left by the door the night before. A quick cup of coffee and lots of goodbye hugs that we shared in the kitchen. We got in the car and headed to the trail. It was another beautiful day, perhaps a little hot for Cody’s preferences. But I didn’t mind at all, even with a runny nose. Was it a cold or allergies? I wasn’t sure, but it didn’t bother me too much, just blowing my nose a lot while walking, which I already do anyway.

As we walked, we passed one bag with another that was still «a magical hiker’s trail.» The bag had a ton of snacks! Cody said he grabbed a twizzler, which was the fuel needed for our 20 mile hike that day!

Even though we had done a resupply, we still had a box we needed to pick up. It’s a box we sent to ourselves that had food for Turkenna and homemade dehydrated meals for us. Cody made the half-mile hike off the trail to grab this box and we met up again at Caledonia State Park for lunch.

Caledonia State Park Magic Trail

The park was beautiful and many people enjoyed their weekend in the park. We sat in a pavilion at the edge of the park for lunch. That lunch break turned into a nap break. I can take a nap anywhere any day here on the trail, but I was surprised when Cody joined me for a nap. He doesn’t usually take naps. I love them!

Find a campsite

Before leaving the park, we ran towards a large group of hikers at another pavilion enjoying a really nice magical trail. Cold drinks, snacks, hot dogs and charging station. It was a great spread! We had a cold drink and asked a few people where they planned to walk that night. They all said it was the same shelter we were also going to. We decided to head out before everyone else and see if we could find a campsite near Birch Run Shelter. And boy did our efforts pay off! We pass the shelter and cross the stream. There we found the best creekside campsite, hidden behind a maze of mountain laurels. We could hear the large group of hikers in the distance, but we enjoyed our privacy and seclusion that night. I used the bench at the edge of the stream to soak my sore feet in cold water. Cody found a large flat area to set up the tent. And I used the benches around the stove to prepare dinner. It was a lovely end to a long day of hiking the AT.

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