Got up around 7AM and found the sun shining outside. It turns out the weather report was changed and no rain for today. Had a good breakfast and then left the motel and hitched a rid to Duncannon. First car picked me up - a VW Thing. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_181) Went to the post office - still no mail. Left my pack there and went to the laundromat. Called home and surprise - Rick was there. He quit his hike and is heading off for Cape Cod on his bicycle to look for a job. Glad to hear that I'm not the only one ready to quit. I'm still not sure what I will do, but I am now headed home. My pen..
[At this point my pen ran out of ink, just as I had run out of motivation to continue my hike for this year (an ironic coincident?). I was finding it very difficult to continue solo, and I was also feeling some financial pressure as my personal funds were running low. I ended up going back home, going back to my job at the Dental Lab and returning to the University of Connecticut in the spring of 1975. My hike of the trail remained unfinished over the next 7 years, but I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of AT hikers at UConn in 1975 and beyond through the Outing Club and through meeting Warren Doyle. These encounters helped keep the dream alive for me until I finally returned to the trail for a solo attempt in 1981. I am planning to continue this blog format for that hike next spring as I present excerpts from my journal entries with photos each day, this time 34 years later. Stay tuned.]
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Solo - Day 9 - Friday, June 28, 1974 - US Route 11 to Duncannon, PA
24.3 miles - 825.7 cumulative miles
I got up around 6AM and had a Continental Breakfast in the lobby - coffee and donuts! Started out at 8:10 and walked a mile down Route 11. Then I continued on roads all morning. Got to Darlington Shelter at 11:00. There was a short section up to there that was not much of a road. Ate at the shelter and left at 12. It was starting to get cloudy by then.
Continued on for another bunch of road walking. Nice farmland. Finally got off the roads and began steep climb, and it started to rain. Rough rocky trail for 4 miles on ridge in the rain, then down steep and rocky trail to Duncannon. Went to the post office. No mail for me. Disappointing.
Not much of any place to stay in town either. Hotel was full. A girl named Cindy who is hiking the trail was looking for a place to stay, too. I called a guy, Bill S. who I met in the post office. He said he'd give me a ride to a motel outside of town if I called. So he took Cindy and I to a place 3 miles south of town. TV doesn't work. Very discouraged.
I got up around 6AM and had a Continental Breakfast in the lobby - coffee and donuts! Started out at 8:10 and walked a mile down Route 11. Then I continued on roads all morning. Got to Darlington Shelter at 11:00. There was a short section up to there that was not much of a road. Ate at the shelter and left at 12. It was starting to get cloudy by then.
Continued on for another bunch of road walking. Nice farmland. Finally got off the roads and began steep climb, and it started to rain. Rough rocky trail for 4 miles on ridge in the rain, then down steep and rocky trail to Duncannon. Went to the post office. No mail for me. Disappointing.
Not much of any place to stay in town either. Hotel was full. A girl named Cindy who is hiking the trail was looking for a place to stay, too. I called a guy, Bill S. who I met in the post office. He said he'd give me a ride to a motel outside of town if I called. So he took Cindy and I to a place 3 miles south of town. TV doesn't work. Very discouraged.
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| Hawk Rock overlooking Duncannon. No view in the rain. |
Friday, June 27, 2014
Solo - Day 8 - Thursday, June 27, 1974 - Tagg Run Leantos to US Route 11
20.1 miles - 801.4 cumulative miles
Rough day. I woke up at 5:30 but didn't get up until after 6. Took my time getting breakfast and didn't finally leave until 7:45. Went a short way and got lost in a corn field. Took a wrong turn.
I hiked fast and furious for 2 hours straight, stopping at a viewpoint on Rocky Ridge. Then 2 more hours straight to Middle Point Knob. Really wore me down. Did more than 10 miles in those two stretches of hiking. The only good part was going through the maze of rocks on top of Rocky Ridge. I hated it at the time, but it was funny.
After a lunch with the ants, I suffered through a mile or so of rocks. Big and rough. The kind the rest of the Pennsylvania section is supposedly made up of. Then I descended to the valley and began the insane road walking. Got to the post office at 3:00. Continued on towards Route 11. Feet killing me.
Got to Route 11 and hiked a half mile along the road to a motel. Lots of fast traffic, lots of trucks. Ate a big meal at Howard Johnsons. Supposed to rain tomorrow.
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| Tagg Run |
Rough day. I woke up at 5:30 but didn't get up until after 6. Took my time getting breakfast and didn't finally leave until 7:45. Went a short way and got lost in a corn field. Took a wrong turn.
I hiked fast and furious for 2 hours straight, stopping at a viewpoint on Rocky Ridge. Then 2 more hours straight to Middle Point Knob. Really wore me down. Did more than 10 miles in those two stretches of hiking. The only good part was going through the maze of rocks on top of Rocky Ridge. I hated it at the time, but it was funny.
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| View from Rocky Ridge |
After a lunch with the ants, I suffered through a mile or so of rocks. Big and rough. The kind the rest of the Pennsylvania section is supposedly made up of. Then I descended to the valley and began the insane road walking. Got to the post office at 3:00. Continued on towards Route 11. Feet killing me.
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| Pennsylvania Rocks |
Got to Route 11 and hiked a half mile along the road to a motel. Lots of fast traffic, lots of trucks. Ate a big meal at Howard Johnsons. Supposed to rain tomorrow.
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| Cumberland Valley |
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Solo - Day 7 - Wednesday, June 26, 1974 - Birch Run Leantos to Tagg Run Leantos
16.6 miles - 781.3 cumulative miles
Got up this morning and it was still dripping rain and foggy and cold and generally miserable. Had a slow breakfast and slowly packed up to go. The other 3 hikers left fairly early. That strange group of Boy Scouts came by and rested awhile.
Left at 9:30. Wendy went north with me to the road and hitched a ride south. She is trying to catch up to her schedule, I guess. I hiked all the way to Toms Run Shelter, only stopping a minute or two on the way.
This ruin is a remnant of the old Camp Michaux. It was once a farm associated with Pine Grove Furnace, involved with iron making. In the 1930s it was used as a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp. Then during World War II it was used as a Prisoner of War camp for German U-boat prisoners.
Had lunch with the three guys from last night. The strange Scouts were there, too. Went on straight to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Hung around the store there for an hour with the 3 guys. They were leaving for home from there. I bought a few supplies and snacks and played The Who (The Real Me from Quadrophenia) on the juke box.
Continued on through fairly nice woods and over a good sized hill to Tagg Run Shelters. Got here around 6PM. There are 3 other AT hikers in the other shelter. I am staying in the dumpy one. The other hikers aren't very friendly. I went over to borrow something, and they were too wrapped up in getting stoned on hash. There is also a campground nearby and kids are running around the shelter area in their pajamas. Strange.
Saw 2 deer this afternoon, one squirrel, a groundhog in a tree and two dogs.
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| Tumbling Run |
Got up this morning and it was still dripping rain and foggy and cold and generally miserable. Had a slow breakfast and slowly packed up to go. The other 3 hikers left fairly early. That strange group of Boy Scouts came by and rested awhile.
Left at 9:30. Wendy went north with me to the road and hitched a ride south. She is trying to catch up to her schedule, I guess. I hiked all the way to Toms Run Shelter, only stopping a minute or two on the way.
This ruin is a remnant of the old Camp Michaux. It was once a farm associated with Pine Grove Furnace, involved with iron making. In the 1930s it was used as a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp. Then during World War II it was used as a Prisoner of War camp for German U-boat prisoners.
Had lunch with the three guys from last night. The strange Scouts were there, too. Went on straight to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Hung around the store there for an hour with the 3 guys. They were leaving for home from there. I bought a few supplies and snacks and played The Who (The Real Me from Quadrophenia) on the juke box.
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| Hunter's Run |
Continued on through fairly nice woods and over a good sized hill to Tagg Run Shelters. Got here around 6PM. There are 3 other AT hikers in the other shelter. I am staying in the dumpy one. The other hikers aren't very friendly. I went over to borrow something, and they were too wrapped up in getting stoned on hash. There is also a campground nearby and kids are running around the shelter area in their pajamas. Strange.
Saw 2 deer this afternoon, one squirrel, a groundhog in a tree and two dogs.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Solo - Day 6 - Tuesday, June 25, 1974 - Birch Run Leantos
0.0 miles
Miserable day. Spent the whole day waiting out the rain in Birch Run. The girl from the ATC, Wendy, sat it out, too. The Boy Scouts and the other 2 guys left, though. It was kind of fun sitting there watching all the wet people pass by while I was dry. One hiker came by and asked us "How are you today?", and Wendy says "Dry".
Anyway, I sat and read and ate all day. And it rained off and on all day. It was cold, too. Some summer weather! The Boy Scouts provided some entertainment in the morning as they ran back and forth to get water. A man, his son and another kid came by in the evening and are staying the night. Had fun getting the fire going, twice. The first time it started raining hard just after we got it going. The second time we had better luck.
Miserable day. Spent the whole day waiting out the rain in Birch Run. The girl from the ATC, Wendy, sat it out, too. The Boy Scouts and the other 2 guys left, though. It was kind of fun sitting there watching all the wet people pass by while I was dry. One hiker came by and asked us "How are you today?", and Wendy says "Dry".
Anyway, I sat and read and ate all day. And it rained off and on all day. It was cold, too. Some summer weather! The Boy Scouts provided some entertainment in the morning as they ran back and forth to get water. A man, his son and another kid came by in the evening and are staying the night. Had fun getting the fire going, twice. The first time it started raining hard just after we got it going. The second time we had better luck.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Solo - Day 5 - Monday, June 24, 1974 - Antietam Leanto to Birch Run Leantos
19.7 miles - 764.8 cumulative miles
The other 2 guys got up and split at 5:30AM. I stayed in my bag until 7:30. I just didn't want to get up or do anything. Had breakfast and left about 8:30. I really had to push myself to get going. It got better though as I began climbing a fairly steep hill. I really enjoy climbing when there's a challenge.
Came across a gang of Boy Scouts. Really strange bunch. I rushed on by them and on to Raccoon Run Shelters. There was a guy there from Virginia hiking south for a month or so. He was sick this morning so he was sitting it out for a while. Had lunch there and pushed on past all kinds of Resort Cabins and then a golf course! Then through Caledonia State Park with all the vacationers frolicking in the swimming pool. Rushed through that scene and on up a very steep, but satisfying climb.
Came across the 2 guys from last night sitting in the sun. I sat, too, for about a half hour. Then I moved on quickly another 8 miles. I moved fast!! Passed lots of huge anthills. A dozen or more of them.
It got cloudy and started raining, just as I reached Milesburn Cabin. It was 2.4 miles to the shelters and I had little hope of finding room there. I got wet and I got to the shelters about 5:30. Pretty good time. Both were unoccupied. A bunch of Boy Scouts camped nearby.
Raining again. A girl who works at the ATC Headquarters is here. She is on her vacation and getting soaked. And the 2 guys from last night arrived, too. Crazy Boy Scouts...
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| Birch Run Leantos |
Came across a gang of Boy Scouts. Really strange bunch. I rushed on by them and on to Raccoon Run Shelters. There was a guy there from Virginia hiking south for a month or so. He was sick this morning so he was sitting it out for a while. Had lunch there and pushed on past all kinds of Resort Cabins and then a golf course! Then through Caledonia State Park with all the vacationers frolicking in the swimming pool. Rushed through that scene and on up a very steep, but satisfying climb.
Came across the 2 guys from last night sitting in the sun. I sat, too, for about a half hour. Then I moved on quickly another 8 miles. I moved fast!! Passed lots of huge anthills. A dozen or more of them.
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| Ant hill with my 4-5 foot walking stick |
It got cloudy and started raining, just as I reached Milesburn Cabin. It was 2.4 miles to the shelters and I had little hope of finding room there. I got wet and I got to the shelters about 5:30. Pretty good time. Both were unoccupied. A bunch of Boy Scouts camped nearby.
Raining again. A girl who works at the ATC Headquarters is here. She is on her vacation and getting soaked. And the 2 guys from last night arrived, too. Crazy Boy Scouts...
Monday, June 23, 2014
Solo - Day 4 - Sunday, June 23, 1974 - Hemlock Hill Leanto to Antietam Leanto
14.8 miles - 745.0 cumulative miles
It started raining last night and rained all day today. One guy stopped by the shelter this morning headed south. I finally left at 10:30, after 3 hours of wishing it would stop raining, but it never did. Got wet. Stopped for a while and visited with a few people who had been camped out beside the trail. I hiked on with them, but lost them somewhere when they got to their car at a road crossing.
Stopped at Devil's Racecourse Shelter. Strange guy there. Might have stayed if he hadn't been there. Had lunch and split. On my way back to the trail I came across a croup of Boy Scouts headed down to the shelter. Four other people later on along the trail were headed there, as well as 2 more I met a PenMar.
Walked through a pack of dogs on a road (a bit scary). I fell on my back on a steep descent after going through PenMar Park. Got my feet wetter than wet crossing a brook. Raced on real fast to Mackie Run Shelter. It was filled with people camped out all around. They all had come in cars. Ran on another 4.5 miles to Antietam Shelter. Only 2 guys here. So I found a dry spot finally. One guy is 63 years old, hiking from Shenandoah to Maine, or as far as he can go. The other guy is my age, going along with him. Only one pack between them. Real nice shelter. Hiking today wasn't too bad in the rain. Nothing much interesting anyway and in the rain it's easier to keep going without stopping.
It started raining last night and rained all day today. One guy stopped by the shelter this morning headed south. I finally left at 10:30, after 3 hours of wishing it would stop raining, but it never did. Got wet. Stopped for a while and visited with a few people who had been camped out beside the trail. I hiked on with them, but lost them somewhere when they got to their car at a road crossing.
Stopped at Devil's Racecourse Shelter. Strange guy there. Might have stayed if he hadn't been there. Had lunch and split. On my way back to the trail I came across a croup of Boy Scouts headed down to the shelter. Four other people later on along the trail were headed there, as well as 2 more I met a PenMar.
Walked through a pack of dogs on a road (a bit scary). I fell on my back on a steep descent after going through PenMar Park. Got my feet wetter than wet crossing a brook. Raced on real fast to Mackie Run Shelter. It was filled with people camped out all around. They all had come in cars. Ran on another 4.5 miles to Antietam Shelter. Only 2 guys here. So I found a dry spot finally. One guy is 63 years old, hiking from Shenandoah to Maine, or as far as he can go. The other guy is my age, going along with him. Only one pack between them. Real nice shelter. Hiking today wasn't too bad in the rain. Nothing much interesting anyway and in the rain it's easier to keep going without stopping.
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