10-20-12

Days since my thruhike began: 185
AT miles hiked today: 7.6
Total AT miles hiked: 1675.5
Miles to complete my thruhike: 508.7

Eagle Eye, Stonewall and I hiked into the Pine Grove Furnace Fall Festival today. All the northbound hikers were telling us about it, and if we hadn't already planned to go, we would have anyway, since the AT pretty much went right through the middle of it. We first stopped at the campground bathrooms and took showers. I had to use my camp towel, which is the size of a handkerchief, and I put dirty clothes back on, but I felt better anyway. There were no caramel apples at all! But I did get mulled hot cider and then some pumpkin spice coffee and a hot dog and some leftovers of Stonewall's onion blossom. Oh, and pumpkin bread to take with me on the trail.

We went to the AT Museum and signed the register. I read about Grandma Gatewood, the first woman to thruhike the trail. She is my idol. She wore keds, carried a duffel bag and wrapped herself in a shower curtain instead of rain gear or a tent. She was in her 60s and had something like 11 kids when she did it the first time. The museum was small, but interesting, and I enjoyed seeing everything there.

Trail angel Scott drove us back to the Allenberry, with Stonewall. We meant to hike three more miles after the festival but we spent a while at the museum and when Scott offered a ride to the store, we chose that instead. Where is Nomad? I keep thinking he must be about to catch us since we are going so slowly. At the Allenberry we played ping pong and pool and watched The Holy Grail, while we ate snacks for dinner. Scott plans to pick us up in the morning after breakfast, take us to the trail and hike with us for part of the day.