10-16-12

AT miles hiked today: 8
Total AT miles hiked: 1638.3
Miles to complete my thruhike: 545.9

I took pictures from Eagle Rock once I climbed out of Duncannon. I was hoping for some stunning fall foliage and I just haven't gotten it. I didn't get it today, either, but I tried. I finally got a large landscape view, but the color of the foliage in this area just isn't that impressive. I'll have to stick with individual trees or small groupings.

Before we left town we had breakfast with Nomad and let Stonewall sleep in. He did finally show up for breakfast at Goodies, which has fantastically huge pancakes. Dinner plate sized, inch tall pancakes! They also have Texas toast, which is french toast coated with pancake batter, and is amazingly yummy. Thank goodness because the omelet was not good. Eagle Eye got scrapple as the meat with her breakfast. I had never beard of it before Pennsylvania. I'm not really a fan. It's leftover pork or beef mush shaped into a patty and pan fried. It's not crispy at all. Maybe if it was deep fried it would be better. Probably it's something you had to be raised on if even a hungry hiker doesn't want to finish it. Get the pancakes or the Texas Toast and I highly recommend Goodies.

I fell today, after my ankle rolled on a loose rock. My pack is heavy with resupply and even though Eagle Eye and I mailed some food and other things ahead to Harpers Ferry, my pack is still heavy. So I am less agile and as I leapt off the rolling rock to save my ankle, my heavy pack pulled me off balance and threw me face first to the ground. My knees and hands took most of the impact before I rolled onto my side, but my back started hurting in camp tonight. I was still "walking it off" to see if I was hurt when my left foot slid down a rock and another rock stabbed my big toe through the soft side of my shoe. Ouch! I thought I might be bleeding, but it will be a bruise instead. A boot would have saved me from that injury.

We said goodbye to Nomad at the last shelter. We were aiming for the next shelter, but this spot is near the stream, and it is at least three miles beyond this steam to the next shelter, but a sign posted said to get our water here for that shelter, so we'd have to carry enough water for dinner and breakfast the next three miles. Instead we stayed near the stream in this campsite. AWOL warned of lots of rocks between here and Duncannon, the part I just hiked. I don't think they are any worse than what I have already done in Pennsylvania so I'm not sure what AWOL is talking about.

Eagle Eye made a nice fire to boil water and keep the cold away. I appreciate that she likes to build fires. I really enjoy them, but I'm too lazy. I would climb in my tent and write my blog rather than build and maintain a fire, but a fire sure does make everything better. So you can blame her nice fires and the cold for me getting further behind on my blog. Just kidding. Kind of.

The cotton long johns, from Shrek, kept me warm along with the wool socks Eagle Eye found in the hiker box. We each got a pair. But I can't find my gloves! I think I just put them in a different spot than usual, but I hope I didn't leave them behind!

I loved the Doyle! It was hard to leave, and Vickey made me teary with her hug and concern for our well being. Stonewall stayed to wait for his package. I think we are back on our own. It's pretty quiet on the AT these days, unless it's a weekend, or a fast moving SOBO flying by. Most of the other hikers I see are hiking sections.