Pennsylvania

Another state and many more miles under my belt. Out here, some people talk about the trail not being about the trail miles, but more the S-miles. There have been many smiles lately as well as tears. I have been doing some good reflecting and learning about myself as I approached the halfway point and gone on by! There is an odd sense of accomplishment having made it this far! "Spice Rack" and I were talking the other day as we sat on a stone bench and looked out at the valley below about how it took us 3 months to get this far and yet will take us only 2 months to do the other half of the trail! It seems odd, but we are more fit now than in the beginning. Another thing about the trail is the passage of time. Some feel the time has passed slowly, while I feel like it is flying by. I do not feel as though I have been on the trail for 3 months. Every day there is something new to see and experience. Sure the walking gets old sometimes, but then you crest a hill and see a view or you decide to check out the trail in the dark for a night hike. Every day is an adventure. New people to meet as they come from behind and leave you in the dust. I just met a guy, "Teach," who began on April 27 (a month after me) and has caught me at this point. He is a teacher, thus the trail name, and needs to be done by school time. Great group of people in my general vicinity these days! Have run into "Three Cats" again as he was off enjoying his wife and daughter's visit.
So far, Pennsylvania has proven to be a very beautiful state. Sure the heat and humidity have been hard at times, but the terrain has been great. We have gone from a nice graded trail to rocks to fields of wheat and corn. The terrain varies so much in one day it keeps me from getting bored! I have encountered many snakes as well. Most of the snakes have not been poisonous, but some have been. In the Shenandoahs, I passed a timber rattlesnake. That was exciting. "Spice Rack" was leading and the snake only began rattling after I had gone by him. It was crazy! We stopped and took photos of the snake before he decided we were bothering him and he moved into the woods. Then, between Bears Den Hostel and Harpers Ferry, I almost stepped on a Copperhead. He seemed unphased by our presence. "Spice Rack" and I waited for "Mongrel" to make sure he saw the snake and we all took photos before the snake moved off the trail. There have been many black snakes along the trail as well as little baby snakes. It has been interesting to see so many snakes. Good thing the snakes do not scare me.
Currently, I am in Duncannon, PA waiting for Renee and David to come in for the night before hiking with me tomorrow. "Spice Rack" and I are looking for a good game of Eucre tonight if Renee and David are up for it when they get in! I think the shock of the Doyle Hotel here in Duncannon will make things interesting. Here is what has been written about the Doyle Hotel: "The 4-story brick building was one of 1200hotels built by the Anheuser Busch Brewing Co. to market their beer. It replaced the National Hotel, known by some as the Johnson Hotel that had occupied the same lot. The flag topped turret can be seen for long distance. The building had 30 guest rooms and is an Italianate design with arched windows and doorways. It was sold in 1932 to John Lukens. New laws had made it impossible for a brewing company to own a retail business. This building is known to most hikers passing as a respite from the trail." The hotel is an old building and would best be described as a boarding house setting. No air-conditioning, but there is a ceiling fan and luckily the nights have been cool lately as well as the days! Glad to be taking a day off today and looking forward to seeing Renee & David.
Today, a hiker had his daughters arrive to surprise him. It made me wish Mike and I lived closer to the trail so I could see him. "Teach" had his girlfriend come down from Jersey last night and again I wished Mike was closer to the trail. It is hard to make do with just talking on the phone, but it is a reprieve to know he will be out this way in a month and a half. He is always on my mind and forever in my heart! Those are the 2 pieces of my body and soul which drive me along the trail. I love you my darling! Not long now and I will be with you again forever.