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The AT in Shenandoah National Park is known for great trail conditions, amazing views of the mountains and valleys, waysides and lodges along the Skyline Drive where hikers can indulge in treats such as black raspberry milkshakes. Late in the afternoon on the third day of my hike through Shenandoah the forest was foggy and misty. Light rain had fallen much of the day making the trail a muddy and slick. I had already slipped on a wet rock that afternoon with a bruise on my right thigh to show for it. It was 5pm and time to look for a campsite scanning the leafy forest floor for flat, clear areas sufficient to set up the tent. Before crossing the Skyline Drive one more time I noticed a large area on the left side of the trail looked promising. My forage for a tent site did not take long, and just before I lowered my backpack to the soft, moist, leafy ground I spotted a deer slowly moving away from the vicinity of my home for the night.

On October 5 I woke up in West Virginia at the David Lesser Shelter, which is about eight trail miles from the Virginia border. I looked forward to entering Virginia because it is the only Appalachian Trail state I once lived it (1962 in Lynchburg). But the border crossing was not the first thing I considered when getting a pre-dawn start with my headlamp beam pointed down toward my footsteps. Before entering Virginia the AT becomes a so-called “roller coaster” with numerous ups and downs which could be steep. I did not know if the 14-mile segment of roller coaster would be challenging or slow my progress toward my goal for the day 21 miles ahead. Yes, that is 21 miles, including 14 on a roller coaster!

The area near the border with Pennsylvania and Maryland is called Penn-Mar. The border is also considered the Mason-Dixon line. It is one of many historically significant points of interest along the AT. Because I camped only one mile from the Penn-Mar border the previous night I reached it very early in the morning. Thus, my short journey through Maryland began on October 1.

Several transitional events are worth describing. First, my father-in-law Bill took me back to the AT after two nights in Gettysburg. One thing is certain when I am in the company of Bill: there is excellent food and great wine to be enjoyed! We also explored the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum. The AT traverses places that are important to the history of the U.S., and for me understanding the history of Gettysburg reinforced the importance of the historical context of the AT.

I am cruising through the southern and less “Rocksylvania-like” portion of the AT in Pennsylvania! Great weather, help from trail angel & friend Jeff Zimmerman, smooth trail and a visit to Gettysburg with my father-in-law Bill Kleinegger made these six days very pleasant.

From the cozy dryness of the shelter I heard the wind blown tree branches as they hit the forest floor with a snap or a thud.  I could tell through the darkness it was raining but not hard, not yet.  The weather forecast predicted heavy rain to begin around the time I would say goodbye to the safety of the shelter and face the dragons I expected to encounter on a day like today.  At 6:45am, the time of the sunrise, I ventured to the trail without doubt or hesitation.

Mostly the hiking through Pennsylvania has become more routine with little drama. As usual the trail is often embedded with rocks, but there have been sections of easy, rockless trail to speed along on. My daily mileage is consistently between 16 and 20. Moreover, my body is becoming more like thru-hiker and capable of hiking more miles per day. This is good because I will need to move south at a faster pace than the first 90 days to ensure I reach Springer Mtn no later than mid-December. I feel confident in my ability to complete this trail! I need to be careful to avoid injuries. Even though I hike solo I meet interesting people and hikers. I am not lonely out here!

This part of the Pennsylvania AT looks easy on the topo map: Mostly level terrain at 1500 feet above sea level. There are some tough areas that involve a lot of rocks, then more and bigger rocks, and sometimes boulder fields. In between these places are marvelous, easy, level trail that is as easygoing as a neighborhood walk at home. Today had some drama, though. Because the AT stayed mostly on the top of the 1500′ ridge there were no on-trail streams or springs. Even good campsites were without water sources. I found one good spring that was about 15 miles from a shelter that was near water. And if I chose to camp there I would need to hike 21.7 miles for the day, including a sketchy bouldery descent for over 500 feet down to the Lehigh River highway bridge. In the morning, after loading my backpack with 3 liters of water (6 pounds) I was up to the task of going all 21.7 miles. It really depended on the trail conditions.

A heavy thunderstorm shook and drenched Deleware Water Gap last night. At first light walked out of the hotel and dodged wide puddles on the way to the AT. Knowing this part of the trail will be rocky I watched my footing carefully, although the first eight miles were surprisingly mellow and mostly absent of the rocks I am expecting in Pennsylvania.