Note: As of this posting, Gavin and I have decided to end our trip early and come home. We’ve been out for almost six months and have covered 1323.8 miles into New Jersey. We have 868.2 miles remaining, and we figure that will take another couple of months at our current pace. We are sad to leave the trail with miles left to go, but we believe that this is the best decision for us right now. We do plan to go back out in the next summer or two to complete our journey all the way to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. I will have one more day-to-day post coming out later this week, and I also have a reflection post which will be online soon.
On Wednesday, July 17 we left the Pine Grove Furnace State Park en route to Mt. Holly Springs, about 10.5 miles up the trail. Angel and Bullfrog set out fairly early and I didn’t hear my alarm go off, so Gavin and I didn’t leave the campsite until 9:30 or so. As we left the state park, we walked around the lake there and then up a dirt road that paralleled a stream for a distance. The sunlight was phenomenal the way it streaked through the lifting fog and hit the green ferns on the forest floor. It was one of the most beautiful “sunlight” days we have encountered on the trail.
We were able to slackpack again today. Shepherd, the trail missionary we met the day before, agreed to take our packs northward to the Holly Inn in Mt. Holly Springs. We caught up to Angel and Bullfrog later in the day. When we all got to the trailhead, we called Cindy, the owner of the inn, to shuttle us to the hotel. The Holly Inn is an older hotel, but it has been renovated and is well taken care of. Adjacent to the inn is a restaurant and tavern where we had an excellent supper. Mt. Holly is one of those towns I’d love to come back to and explore when I had a car at my disposal. Unfortunately, all we got to see of the town was the laundromat next door and the Family Dollar in the next building.
We woke Thursday morning and had breakfast in our rooms since there was no continental breakfast at the hotel. Thankfully, the Family Dollar had the huge iced honey buns and powdered donuts that we have long since deemed either too heavy or too messy to carry on the trail. We loaded our packs in the back of Cindy’s car to be dropped in Carlisle, PA. We got out at the trailhead for another day of slackpacking. By carrying only water and a few lunch items in our bags, we can travel faster and farther than we can when we carry our complete packs. This has been a special treat as we trek our way through Rocksylvania. Pennsylvania has the reputation for being the rockiest state along the trail, and to this point, it hasn’t done anything to make us think otherwise. We have had boulder scrambles, a few hand-over-hand climbs, and miles of our favorite kind of rocks: the sharp edged, pointy ankle-breakers.
In order to make it to Carlisle, we passed through the town of Boiling Springs. In the center of the town is a large pond with geese and ducks galore. The town is also home to the Appalachian Trail Conference Mid-Atlantic office. We were fortunate to hit town at lunchtime, so we stopped at a local cafe and feasted. As a courtesy to the other diners, we decided to sit at an outside table under an umbrella. Just as we were finishing our meal it started raining. Though we could all have fit under the umbrella, we migrated to a canopy that was erected over a neighboring table and waited it out. Thankfully the rain didn’t last long and we were soon underway again.
We had quite a bit of walking through
Close to
Now the experienced pro at car rental, on Friday morning I called Enterprise to come to pick me up at the hotel. Bullfrog had a package shipped to Duncannon, PA that we needed to go pick up, and there were some other things that made renting a cheaper option than using Lyft or Uber. By midday, we had arrived at the post office in Duncannon. Even though we wouldn’t be hiking to this town until the next day, we did spend some time looking around. We visited the hiker lounge at Kind of Outdoorsy, a local outfitter. We met several hikers there whom we’d not yet crossed paths with. From there, we walked up to The Doyle, a 100-year-old hotel that has an AT reputation as being a major dive. A single bed, iron frame, light bulb hanging from the ceiling, with a common bathroom at the end of the hall kind of a place. We had no intention of lodging there, but they are equally renowned for having great cheeseburgers, so we decided to check it out. To our surprise, Pringles was at the bar having lunch, so we grabbed a table together and chatted for a bit. Both the food and the companionship were excellent. Pringles headed on up the trail, and we made our way back to Carlisle.
Carlisle, PA is home to the US Army War College, which is the home of the Army Heritage Museum. This side trip was the other reason we decided that a car rental would be more cost effective. We had a great time touring this mostly outdoors museum. They had tanks, guns, helicopters, and other items from wars predating the Civil War. The first exhibit showed how HESCO barriers (sort of a cross between a sand bag and the cages you put rocks in to stop erosion) are used to create defensive positions. My favorite exhibit was a huge area of reconstructed WWI trenches. We walked around in that area for quite a while. As we made our way around, we visited areas devoted to WWII, Korea, the Civil War, and Vietnam. There was an inside part to this museum as well which we found quite interesting. My favorite items were the helmet and binoculars used by Gen. Omar Bradley during WWII.
On Saturday morning, our goal was to make it to Duncannon, PA. The hotel in Carlisle offered us a shuttle back to the trailhead to save us the treacherous 0.4 mile walk down the major highway, which we accepted. We called Trail Angel Mary, a wonderful lady who was listed in our guide, to come get our packs and ferry them to Duncannon. She had planned to leave them at a church in town.
Our trip for the day was 17.6 miles, and was generally pleasant, walking through both farmland and mountain tops. One highlight of the trip was the view down into the riverbed and valley from Hawk Rock. I remember it being a hot day, and we had to contend with quite a few bugs along the day. This was the first day where the mosquitos and gnats were terrifically annoying for me. As we were about to leave Hawk Rock, an older gentleman, probably in his 70’s hiked up the trail. He was wearing a fedora, a button-up long sleeved shirt, and khaki pants. It was odd that he wasn’t carrying any water and we offered him some of ours. He declined and explained that he lived just down the mountain by the river. He even pointed out his dock, which was partially obscured by the trees. He explained that he usually sits there and looks up at Hawk Rock, but decided it would be worth the trip to climb up and look back down. We bade him farewell and started our descent. The trail quickly became rocky to a point of annoyance. As we climbed down, I couldn’t help but wonder how he made it up, and worried that he didn’t have any water or climbing partners. I hope he made it back down safely.
When we reached the roadway at the bottom, we crossed a bridge over the river where the man lived and stopped at a gas station for drinks. They had a 3 for $4 deal on Gatorades, and I loaded up. I drank two in the store and saved one for Gavin, who was quite a bit ahead of us. It turns out that he had also stopped at the gas station, and having no money, they offered him some water to drink. I thought it was generous of them, and they were impressed that he had hiked so far ahead of us. We hiked the rest of the way into town and found him in the hiker lounge at Kind of Outdoorsy.
We rested and chatted in the lounge for a little while before deciding that we needed to get some food, so we walked back to The Doyle. I had another cheeseburger, which was wonderful, and we set about finding lodging for the night. We had no idea that the hotels in the area would be full, but after calling four or five, we realized that we were going to have to go back to Carlisle for the night. We called Trail Angel Mary and met her to get our packs, and then got an Uber back to Carlisle. It wasn’t exactly our original plan, but we made it work. Plus, it gave us the opportunity to go back to the Middlesex Diner for more meatloaf.
We decided to take a zero day in Duncannon on Sunday. The temperatures were supposed to be in the high 90’s and were expecting a surprise, so it made sense. We called Mary and she hauled us from Carlisle back to the Red Carpet Inn just outside of town. We settled in and walked about a half mile to Burger King for lunch. In the early afternoon, the surprise was upon us. Our friends, the Muscarellis, were heading to Philadelphia to visit family and had texted me about a meet-up. I didn’t tell Gavin, but Angel and Bullfrog knew they were coming.
I cannot tell you how overjoyed Gavin was to see his friends. He, Corin, and Sophia went out into the yard of the hotel and threw his frisbee around while Ted, Jennifer, and I visited a bit. We decided that dinner was in order, so we unloaded the luggage from their van so they could haul the whole lot of us. It was only a mile or so to a great pizza place and we had a great time. We are truly blessed to have such great friends!
On Monday, we had arranged for Mary to shuttle us to the trail for a SOBO slackpack back to the hotel. We covered 17.7 miles that day. As I’ve mentioned before, it has been a blessing to be able to slackpack so much of Pennsylvania. Because we are only carrying a few liters of water and some snacks, the rocky trail is much easier on our feet and knees, and we’re able to make bigger miles than if we were carrying full packs. It is also nice to know that you’re hiking to some indoor location, whether it is a hotel or a hostel.
As has become usual, Gavin hiked ahead of us quite a ways. We stopped at a shelter for a snack and visited with some other hikers who had hiked into the night and hadn’t gotten going for the day yet. They had a beautiful dog which Gavin adored. He really misses Joy. Since we were hiking south, we met quite a few hikers during the day. Some were new to us, and some were folks we’d met before. One lady whom we passed asked if one of us was Hawkeye’s dad. I said that I was, and she related that he was
As has become the case, the trail became very rocky when we reached the top of the ridgeline. It also began to drizzle, and then to rain. Thankfully, the storm passed quickly and with the warm temperatures, we dried out fairly quickly. On our way down into town we had great views of the Susquehanna River.
When we got to the roadway at the bottom, Gavin was waiting on us. A quick check of the map helped us reorient ourselves to determine which direction the trail went- across the river on a bridge. I’m not sure how long the bridge was, but it took us a while to cross. We stopped at a truck stop/Subway and called to the hotel for a ride back to our rooms. The gentleman on the phone who spoke broken English said that it would be $5 each way, which we thought meant that he would charge us once for picking us up, and once for taking us back to the trail. In fact, it turns out that one way was him leaving the hotel to come get us, and the other was him driving us back. At any rate, after a long day of hiking, $10 wasn’t too much to spend to ferry four smelly hikers to the comfort of a shower and a bed.
We had a second surprise at the hotel. Angel’s mom had posted a photo of a Southwestern Meatloaf that she had made and Bullfrog and I both had commented on it. Using her Pampered Chef connections, she arranged for a local agent to make the meal and deliver it to us. It was wonderful! She also brought boiled potatoes, green beans, and chocolate chip cookies. I wish I could remember her name to thank her publically, but at any rate, it was a rare treat to have a home-cooked meal.
Trail Angel Mary picked us up for the final time on Tuesday morning and put us back on the trail. This day was the first in a while that we had carried our full packs. The trail features for the day were water, mud, and more rocks. Though the terrain was mostly flat all day, the flat trail was ideal for holding water and mud. It seemed that every few hundred feet, we were dodging huge mud holes. Thankfully, most had solid ground around the sides, but that meant brushing against the laurel bushes and scratching our legs. There were also places where the sides of the puddles were steep enough that our feet would slip down into the mud anyway. We all agreed that the mud holes were the perfect places for all of the rocks we’d been tripping over, because they’d make great steps. Then we got our wish. The trail literally turned into a rock-laden stream for about 200’. It was such a great stream that we stopped for lunch and to refill our water before trudging on. I set out in front because I wanted to get on past the rocks and out of the water. I say, “in front,” but actually, Gavin left out several minutes before we did and he was long gone.
It wasn’t long before we met back up. Gavin had stopped at a side path to the Rausch Gap Shelter. The trail had been following Rousch Creek for quite a ways, and this was the perfect place to stop, eat, and wait on Angel and Bullfrog. After they arrived and rested a few minutes, we were off together for our next adventure.
Just after the trail crossed over the creek on a bridge, we came to a decision point. The guide said that the trail ahead was now blocked by a beaver pond, and that we’d have to wade to get through. An alternative trail was marked and said to rejoin the AT in 1.3 miles. The problem is, we didn’t know which route would be longer. After discussing it for a few minutes, I suggested that we proceed on the trail and pull out our Crocs and sandals to cross the beaver dam if needed. They were. Gavin and I started walking across the top of the dam and were sinking ankle deep in the mud, leaves, and sticks. Then we were forced off the dam into the mud and muck below. In places, it was nearly knee deep. I almost fell once, and bent my trekking pole a bit trying to save myself. Just before emerging onto dryer, firmer ground, Gavin lost both Crocs in shin deep mud. They were rescued and we washed our feet off in the pond before putting our hiking shoes back on to head up the trail.
Thankfully, the rest of the day was pretty easy hiking. We did come across one thing in the woods that made us say, “Hummmm…” We were aware that search and rescue personnel were looking for a missing hiker and that there was a fugitive who was rumored to have taken to the trail to avoid capture. Both those folks ran through our minds when we passed a coat, a pair of pants, and boots, laid out beside the trail. The coat had its shoulders pinned in place by a couple of rocks. It was almost as if the clothing was on display. We decided that the clothing had been there for a while, because it was all heavy, winter wear, and that it probably didn’t belong to either of the folks where were being looked for.
The final part of our day included two difficult stream crossings. The first was about 20’ across first a 1” x 6” board which was wobbling precariously on top of some small fallen trees, and then across a slick, larger tree. The second crossing was a bit easier, but still involved some balancing. I remember thinking that it was odd that the trail maintainers hadn’t constructed a safer way across, especially since both were in easy walking distance from a road. I suppose that project must be down their list somewhere, along with digging some trenches to drain the mudholes we fought with earlier in the day. Once across the creeks, we came to the roadway which had been planted with beautiful purple coneflowers. Truly, they were gorgeous. We waited at the parking area by the trail and were eventually able to get an Uber to take us to our hotel.
Our day Wednesday started with a bit of problem-solving. We had arranged for a shuttle driver to pick us up, drop us off at the trailhead, and take our packs to our hotel in Pine Grove where we had reservations. I had called ahead the night before and made arrangements for our packs to be stored until we got there and the lady said, “No problem.” Our driver had a pick-up at the same hotel that morning, so he went in to double check, and this clerk told him that they had nowhere to put the packs. He called me, and then I called back to the hotel to see what was up. The lady explained that there was nowhere to put the packs, and I suggested the manager’s office, which the lady the night before had offered, and she said no. Then I asked about a side room, or perhaps the laundry room, and she was not budging. Finally I told her that we had reserved two rooms for three nights and asked if there was another hotel nearby. That is when she finally capitulated and said they’d find somewhere to store our packs. Problem solved.
The driver picked us up around 8:00 and we set out for the day. We had planned to hike only 11.4 miles that day, so we figured we’d be done in the early afternoon. We started our day by crossing over an old, retired iron bridge. The trail continued on the other side along an old roadway that had been converted into a well-used hiking trail. We did have a climb of about 1,000’ which was strenuous, but once we got to the top, we hiked the ridgeline for the rest of the day.
The day’s hike was punctuated by views, helicopters, and of course, rocks. When we stopped for lunch at the side trail to the William Penn Shelter, a couple of other hikers told us that the helicopters were out searching for a missing person. Law enforcement officers had even visited some nearby shelters the night before in hopes of finding the man. We never did find out whether they found him or not. We did learn, however, that the fugitive I mentioned above was found, deceased by his own hand, on the trail somewhere. I really believe that 2019 is an abnormal year for oddities on the trail.
When we got about a mile away from the end of our hike, we called our driver to give him an ETA for the trailhead. We continued on, ending our day in a rocky patch, which has become usual. When we got to the parking area, the shuttle driver was there, but Gavin was not. We were perplexed, because he knew where were ending up for the day. Bullfrog went down a path to the shelter and Angel walked on up trail, both searching for Gavin, while I tried to raise him on the phone. Eventually, he came back out of the woods with Angel not far behind. It turns out that he had been told there was trail magic about 0.5 on up the trail and he had gone to explore.
I didn’t mention above why we had rooms booked for three nights. Beth, Griffin, and Joy were due to arrive to visit for a few days. When we got to the hotel we found that our bags had been placed in a room, but upon checking in, and letting them know we had a dog coming, they had to change the rooms. Eventually we got everything sorted out and we headed into our rooms to shower. Beth and Griffin arrived in the late afternoon and it was great to see them. Our family drove to a nearby town for dinner and we came back to the hotel and crashed for the night.
Beth had agreed to slackpack us for the few days she was going to be there, so we headed back to the trail Thursday morning for a 9.3 mile hike. It was a short day for us, and a fairly uneventful hike. Needless to say, Gavin hiked quickly so that he could reunite with Beth, Griffin, and Joy at the road crossing. Angel, Bullfrog, and I arrived 20-30 minutes after him to find Beth and Griff and another couple had set up trail magic at the road crossing.
The night before we had visited Walmart and picked up trail magic supplies. Beth deferred to our judgment of what would be appropriate food and drink for the occasion. I suggested Gatorade, jugs of water to replenish supplies since this stretch of the trail is fairly dry, and fruit. One of my favorite treats is fruit, especially clementines. We got those, apples, and bananas. Needless to say, they were a hit. One hiker in particular ate two or three clementines and took as many with her. Fruit is a luxury item on the trail because of its weight. Hikers are also responsible for hiking out peelings or cores because those don’t belong on the trail. After returning to the hotel for showers, we all rode back to the nearby Golden Corral with the hope of doing more damage that I was able to at the one in Waynesboro, VA.
We got up earlyish on Friday and Beth drove us back to the trailhead. Our plan was to hike to Port Clinton, PA, 14.8 miles up the trail. Today’s hike was a combination of tree-riding, more mud and rocks, and stuffed animals. On the way to the trail, we passed the Vraj Hindu Temple, something we didn’t expect to see plopped down in the middle of Pennsylvania farmland. It was a gorgeous building where they hold daily services and also host youth camps during the summer. We slowed down to take pictures, but they were still a bit blurry. Once on trail, it was hiking as usual.
A couple of places we came across trees that had fallen across the trail. Angel climbed up on one of them and laid down on it, pretending to swim. A bit later on we passed a tree that came up about 3’, bent over, and then turned back upward. Needless to say, Bullfrog had to climb on and “ride” it like a carousel horse. The slickened bark made it evident that he wasn’t the first hiker to do so. We slogged around and sometimes through more mud holes on the trail, and of course there were more rocks to traverse. All in all, though, the hike was fairly easy. We did come across more clothes in the woods that gave us pause. This time, the shirt and pants were clipped onto a tree limb with a spring clamp. There was also a pair of worn out patent leather dress shoes hanging on another limb. It really made us wonder who had left them and why, because the shoes definitely weren’t hiking shoes. Maybe someone just left them there to confuse people.
The last mile or so of the hike was down a steep downhill with lots of loose dirt and rock. It was really treacherous and it slowed us quite a bit. At the bottom, we crossed through a rail yard and found Beth and Griffin set up once again offering goodies to hikers. There were a couple of folks there who had passed us earlier, and we knew of at least a few other folks who would be coming in behind us. We all visited and chatted for a while before heading for the next adventure of the day.
We were only a mile or two from the largest Cabela’s store in the country and it was fantastic. Though we didn’t need to buy anything much, it was fun looking around the store. They had an aquarium and more mounted animals than you could shake a gun at. The animals were grouped by type and habitat, including an African exhibit with lions and an elephant. Each of the specimens on display had been taken by hunters and represented prize varieties of each species. There was a whole room set aside for trophy deer. After the tour through Cabela’s, we took the whole crowd to Red Robin for lunch and headed back to the hotel for the evening.
Saturday was planned as a zero day, and a day of relocation. After having breakfast at the hotel, we loaded up in Beth’s van and drove back to Port Clinton. Just off the trail was an old hotel and tavern where we planned to stay the night. I’m not sure if Gavin realized how old the place was or not. It was the sort of place with 10-12 rooms upstairs with a bed in each with a common bathroom down the hall. Rather than central air, each room had its own window AC unit. There was an older TV in our room but no fridge. Despite the lack of the usual hotel conveniences, it was a good place to stay. We had a good supper in the restaurant downstairs and turned in for the night. At this stage of the game, we had just over 76 miles left in Pennsylvania, where we hoped to leave the rocky terrain behind.
As always, thanks for your interest in our trip and for the prayers and support you have provided. Please stay tuned for the last of the day-by-day post, coming later this week. I have also prepared a reflection post that will also be online this week. After having lived “homeless” for the past six months, Gavin and I are both excited to discover what our Next Steps will be.
Think of what you’ve done as amazing together and a great accomplishment; think of finishing the AT later as “the next step.”
I cannot tell you how much it means to me to have had you following along. I really hope that sometime when you’re down this way you will give me a call. You have no idea how much of an influence on me you were when I was in my teens and I’d love to catch up with you sometime. Thanks for following along!
You guys did very well. Ever since April, the math nerd in me felt that at your pace, and with your original goal of hoping to finish before the end of August, that you’d stop somewhere between Pennsylvania and Massachusetts for this year before it became too cold in New Hampshire and Maine in October. and you did which is fine. Having climbed Katahdin back in 1978, I can tell you those northern mountains don’t need snow or ice on them when you walk them. I am very proud of what you two have accomplished and hope that you do pick back up and finish it either in one summer or two , or three. Maybe I can even drive up in a summer or two and help y’all slack pack a section or two in Vermont or New Hampshire or Mahoosac Notch. This may be the trip of a lifetime but it may also only be just two thirds of that trip. That is only for y’all to detemine. I have been a big fan checking your GPS data on “Where we are” about 10 times a day since I found your map. Like I posted earlier, many people have lived vicariously through your trek and you have inspired those you don’t even know. Don’t get burnt out on hiking and backpacking. I’m 62 and hiked a few miles yesterday up near Boone. Y’all have been in my prayers and in my adventures ( that vicariously through you thing) since late February and will be in the future.
I am really sad that we didn’t make it to Mahoosac Notch because I know that Gavin will enjoy that thoroughly. Now that we’re back in town, we need to get together and do some hiking. I haven’t done Grandfather since I was in school. Give me a call sometime when you’re heading out.
Please don’t be sad but rejoicing for what you have accomplished. A friend of mine tried to hike North to South and didn’t make it over 100 miles. With October so very close, you might not have been able to enjoy the trip as much as worrying about the close of the mountain.
Blessings and Thanks for sharing your journey with us all.
Suzanne
I agree completely- if we continued on, by the time we got to the Whites, it would be miserably cold. Same with Katahdin. We look forward to finishing up in two or three long section hikes in the next summer or two. Thank you so much for following along.
So so so proud of your hike! I read every post and anticipated the next one. Live long and every next step will be an adventure! Oh…and…stop eating like you’re burning 5000 calories a day. Curious…starting weight and ending weight? (I lost 25 pounds in my first 35 days.) –Plodding Bison. Class of 2016
I lost about 50 pounds by Damascus. I haven’t weighed since I returned home, but I’d like to think I was holding at around 190. I started at 238. Thanks for checking in, and we both look forward to finishing our journey in the next couple of summers.
What a great hike you guys did! Congratulations! My wife and I live in PA and section hiked Pennsylvania so have some idea what that can do to a hiker’s legs and feet. You were amazing and your updates were just wonderful. Thank you for sharing your trip with us.
It has been excellent sharing your journey, thanks Rob. I hope this trip has brought you and Gavin closer and helped set your paths for the future.
Though this was a difficult decision to make, I know that you prayed over it and will finish it later. Thank you for the many months you provided documentation of your journey. I am certain we will meet sometime in the future.
Thanks for sharing your stories Rob. It’s been fun following you on the map. Places and things you mention in this one are particularly familiar to me as while driving to Vermont I usually stop in Carlisle to break up my drive and ALWAYS eat at the Middlesex Diner. I’ve done this now for at least 20 years. The military museum thing is something I’ve seen a zillion times but never visited. I will make an effort now to do that. My last return trip from New England included a well deserved (of course I’m driving) at that same Cabela’s. It is a bit surreal to say the least! thanks again
I have continued to think of you and pray often for you and Gavin. I am thankful Alex and Gavin have been able to connect by phone and Facetime so often while y’all have been hiking. I think it’s been good for both of them. We are so proud of all you guys have accomplished. We look forward to seeing you soon.
I have thoroughly enjoyed following your adventures with Gavin. You bring it to life with your descriptions. I feel like I am there with you. Thank you so very much!!
I was surprised to see you at our Roundtable meeting last night. I didn’t realize you had came off the trail. I felt a little star struck! 🙂 I’ve been reading all of these adventures and watching the videos, and there you were in real life!!
I’m glad you are both doing well. And, thank you for sharing your adventures with us!
Paula