Day 29: Still Truckin'

Well, I'm not in Harper's Ferry yet. I made an unplanned stop at the Bear's Den Hiker Hostel about 19 miles south of Harper's Ferry. I was reading in my guidebook that they had Ben & Jerry's ice cream...I could hear Ben yelling my name 10 miles back.

So, I am now showered and I discovered that this Hiker Hostel has internet access...only if you know how to mess with the computer some. It's a good thing I know a little something about computers or otherwise there would be NO INTERNET ACCESS FOR YOU!! Unfortunately, it crashes when I try to reply to e-mail, so those will have to wait until Harper's Ferry.

The 11 days since my last post have been fairly well. I finished Shenandoah National Park and I am now in the no-man's-land between there and Harper's Ferry, WV. I will be arriving in Harper's Ferry on Tuesday and taking a zero day on Wednesday.

Here are some excerpts from my journal over the last 11 days:

Day 19
"I went to the P.O. at 8:30 and still no maildrop. I give up...hiking out without it."
"The hike was really nice today. Lots of amazing views and the terrain was easy. I think I'm gonna like hiking the A.T. in Shenandoah National Park."
"Another hiker came and I feel so sorry for him. He just read 'A Walk in the Woods', bought a bunch of gear, and came out for a 7-day backpacking trip by himself. He's in a state of shock right now, but I admire his courage."
"Oh yeah, saw another bear today. He was up in a tree and came barreling down when he heard me."

Day 20
"I got to the meeting place where Mom is going to pick me up at 2:30. Mom had to stop in Waynesboro to get my maildrop...it finally came after 11 days!!! So, I'm sitting there waiting for Mom to come. I hear a car pull up and I jump up when I recognize that its my car...then...ohhhh. :( Behind Mom is a Park Ranger with his lights on pulling her over. What is it with Virginia? He didn't give her a ticket, thank goodness."
"We drove around Loft Campground for forever and finally decided on a site. I love car camping. We aren't going to hike the A.T. tomorrow. Just hike around here instead and relax."

Day 21
"We hiked close to 6 miles, just not loggable A.T. miles."
"We made chicken, baked potatoes and corn for dinner and then s'mores for dessert. It was yummy."

Day 22
"Well, I thought car camping was the greatest until someone's car alarm went off at 3:30am, then again at 6:30am and when it went off again at 7:30am...I was ready to brawl!"
"I've put Patches to rest...may he rest in peace. I now have my Mom's tent. I have to think of a name for her...Mom suggested Princess but we'll have to wait and see how she holds up in the rain first."
"I cut my toenails tonight with the scissors on my pocket knife...so very attractive."

Day 23
"I stopped at Big Meadows Wayside for lunch. I got a chocolate milkshake and a pulled pork sandwich...mmmm, pork. Unfortunately, it made my afternoon hike hellish. I was dragging big time and I lost my lunch on the side of the trail at one point. My body was probably rejecting the sandwich because it wasn't from Fat Willy's."
"I'm listening to my headphones...is it weird that I like the new Backstreet Boys song?"

Day 24
"Had a noisy night with deer stomping around my tent...and of course, you don't know if its deer or bears until you get up and look...good stuff."
"I ran into a retired couple day-hiking. The man had a baby carrier on his back with a dog in it. The dog had on pilot's goggles and a hat. It was hilarious."
"As soon as I got to the picnic area, two kids and their parents approached me. They were so excited to meet an actual hiker. They gave me an apple, banana, a sandwich, and 2 bottles of water. I ate all that and what I was planning on eating for lunch too."
"I saw my 7th bear today. Tried getting some pictures but I don't think they will be very good."

Day 25
"I got into Elkwallow Wayside at 12:15 and got a chocolate milkshake and a BLT for lunch...I know, didn't I learn my lesson from Big Meadows? I decided to eat and then hang out for a while before I hiked to make sure it was digested."
"I was a tourist attraction. I kept getting questioned. It was funny at first, then I just got annoyed. I'm ready to get out of SNP."
"The afternoon hike went much better...until I ran into more tourists who actually took my picture...weirdness. Nothing like not showering for 5 days and have some little girl put her arm around you to pose for a picture...'Oh, honey...I'm really gross and sweaty.' She pulls her hand away and wiped it on her pants...I feel so special."

Day 26
"It's amazing how the prospect of a shower and food will get me moving so quickly. I did 13.5 miles by 2:00pm."
"About 6 cars drove by before one pulled over. It was a nice old man in a pick-up truck. He dropped me off at the motel in Front Royal. I showered and then went to the laundromat in my raincoat and underwear...yeah, I was looking hot."
"I ate dinner at Dean's Steakhouse. I ate a ton of food...a bowl of Seafood Chowder, potato skins, fried mushrooms and a fried chicken salad. When I asked the waitress what they had for dessert, she looked at me weird and then listed off the desserts. I asked for one to go and then the waitress says, 'Gosh! I couldn't figure out how you ate all that food!!' OK, just call me Chunky."

Day 27
"I hitched a ride with an old man in a pick-up (again). He and his wife thru-hiked it in '98. He drops me off at the trailhead and he gets out to look for trash. Then, his truck won't start up. I felt so bad. Neither of us could get a cell signal, so I flagged a truck down and we tried to jump it but that didn't work. I didn't want to leave the poor guy until I knew he was ok. Finally at 12:15 we got it started."

Day 28
"My plan was to do 13ish miles today and stealth camp somewhere between the state park and Ashby Gap. When I got to the state park, there was a sign saying camping was prohibited from there to Ashby Gap. WHAT?!?! Those bastards!!! So, I had to hike an extra 6 miles today totaling 18.9 miles!! Today was just long and tiring...kind of like getting stuck in the office late unexpectedly."

So, Day 29 brings me to the Bear's Den Hostel. I'd like to mention that the comments on the previous postings are hilarious. I'm going to do a posting by itself answering some of the questions in the comments. Just a reminder...if you do not want to post a comment that is public for all to see, you can e-mail me at alstraka@gmail.com.

Mail Drops:
Mail Drop #4 (ETA 08/11/05): Boiling Springs, PA 17007
(please note the changed ETA date...I seem to be making bigger miles so I moved the date up 2 days)
Mail Drop #5 (ETA 08/21/05): Port Clinton, PA 19549

If sending a mail drop, it MUST be sent using the US Postal service...please talk to Lori for information on what happens if you try to send it via another company (e.g. UPS). Also, because of the debacle with the maildrop in Waynesboro, it is best to send it priority.

A reminder on how to address the maildrops:
Allyson Straka
c/o General Delivery
City, State ZIP

In the corner of the package/envelope, write in large letters "Please hold for A.T. Hiker - ETA xx/xx/xx".

I'd like to thank everyone for all the e-mails and comments that I've been getting. It means so much to come into a town and see all the support from my friends and family.

Here are some facts about my hike so far:
Section Hike #2 Total: 274.9 miles
AT Total: 988.9 miles
29-day Average: 9.46 miles per day
29-day Average (not including zero days): 10.57
Longest Day: 18.9 miles
Shortest Day: 0 miles

My next posting will be in a few days from Harper's Ferry. Hope all is well with everyone!!