Long Distance Trails – Page 49 – The Unpolished Princess

Day 5: Trail of Hope Hostel

Start: Tumbling Run Shelters (1075.3 mi) Stop: Trail of Hope Hostel in Fayetteville, PA (1084.9). Today’s miles: 9.6 miles Total AT mileage: 59.9 miles

I slept decently warm last night, because my bivy was nice and dry before getting in it-BUT I woke up with my sleeping quilt soaking wet from the moisture of the bivy. I knew this would happen, but I also knew at the VERY least, I’d be sleeping in a real bed tonight so the quilt could dry out even if my sleeping bag doesn’t arrive in the morning.

When I got up, instead of packing up like I had been, I hung out the quilt to dry out a little, went to the privy and then to get my food bag. I figured all this packing up crap could happen after breakfast today. Because ladies and gentlemen! THERE WAS ZERO RAIN IN THE FORECAST! Haha
That being said-I actually got up and got moving around 7:20 this morning and wasn’t the last person out of camp! Zen was gone before I got up, but Adam and K where up packing, Showtime was moving around but not out yet, and it looked like No Water was still asleep. We all slowly moved about and headed out.. first showtime, then Adam and K, then me, with NoWater bringing up the rear. After chatting a bit this morning we found out that Showtime, NoWater and I were all headed to the same hostel today. Cool, I’ll have friends soon!

Right out of the gate we had a huge climb. I knew it was a rough one when I realized I’d never catch up with the folks ahead of me. After an hour into the morning, I heard poles clacking behind me and turned, assuming it was NoWater catching up.. it was Grinder instead. He told me she wasn’t far behind me. He and I chit chatted for a few and then we carried on. I had been wondering how long it would take her to catch me, she’s been on trail over a week more than me.

Not long afterwards, she showed up and after stopping to chat for a few we started hiking together. Neither of us asked the other about it, it just happened the way good hiking partners sometimes happen. During the course of the day we changed her name a couple times. And then decided when we get to town we’ll get Showtime to make the final decision. Someone called her NoWater because this man wanted her to go fill up his water bag for him because of the trek it took to get to the water and her being younger than him.. and she politely said “no” bahahaha, personally I think that’s a great story, and pretty funny. But she wasn’t fond of it, we went with KT for a while, because she tapes up her knee.. and then Lizard because she gets hot and cold and when she’s cold she likes to sit out in the sun on whatever rock is nearby to get warm. Showtime says Lizard for the win.

When we were coming up with names for me, we settled on Chipper. We had Chipper, Roley Poley or turtle-bc I was telling her about when I fell the other day I was stuck on my back for like 20 seconds bc of my pack, like a roley poley LMAO, and I think there was another one too, but the 3 of us all like Chipper best, even Grinder agreed when we met up again later down trail-and then he said, “and we can always shorten that to chip! Because you’re chipping away these miles!” Haha

Once we hit the road that takes us to town, we started walking on the pavement.. that was more painful than I thought necessary! We got to the hostel, and it was vacant. I called the number and the preacher who runs the hostel said he’d be back in 10 minutes, just hang out in the grass out back. So, that’s what we did. Lizard saw some chickens and went to investigate, I laid out in the grass. Apparently where I laid down was the area they throw food to the chickens. I got something brown on my arm (literally looked like runny chocolate ice cream). I got up and went to my pack to get a wet wipe, and as I’m wiping off my arm, Showtime and the preacher appeared.. we joked about me getting “cleaned up” before coming inside to get cleaned up.. also joking that it was chicken crap. Then Lizard and I joked that my name should be chipper chicken, or CC.. but it’s still just chipper for now 😉

We hung out, showered and did laundry, and had a shared dinner of pizza and Mac and cheese between the 3 of us. We’re the only 3 in the hostel tonight, which is pretty awesome. My battery pack is charging, my clothes and my body are clean, I’m warm. Life is so good.

In the morning my package is supposed to arrive. Once it does I’ll pack up and then call a shuttle to take me to the post office to send the quilt home. Then I’ll shuttle back to the trail head and meet the other 2 at a shelter we’re all aiming for.

Now, for a good night’s rest. Sweet dreams, y’all.

Day 6: Birch Run

Start: Trail of Hope Hostel (AT mi 1084.9). Stop: Birch Run Shelter (AT mi 1094.9). Today’s miles: 10 miles. Total AT mileage: 69.9 miles

I slept incredibly well in the little bunk room at the back of the church/hostel. I woke up around 8 fully expecting my new friends to be long gone (because they weren’t waiting on my package to arrive lol), but they were both still there! I sprung out of bed and darted up to the front of the building to check to see if my box came. When it wasn’t there, I checked the tracking and knew it would be sometime before 10am.

We all ate breakfast together (Lizard made us grits with cheese and some extra spices, super yummy), and while they started packing up, I worked on posting my blog from yesterday (it takes a while for the app to upload the pictures and whatnot). Before I even finished, I got an update on my phone that my special delivery was indeed dropped off.

I was like a kid on Christmas opening that thing! My warm sleeping bag, some Marino wool leggings to sleep in, some running mittens, batteries, TP, and some more mountain house meals and probars! Talk about a spoiled princess. I am definitely feeling the love from my family and couldn’t even begin to tell you how thankful I am for them.

I repacked my pack, packed up the box to return. While I was doing all this, Showtime made her exit and headed for the trail. Once I was mostly done, the preacher came to the church and was checking on us, making sure my stuff came and whatnot. I asked if he’d be willing to take me to the post office (if he had said he couldn’t I already had a list of shuttle numbers to try). He said sure and that he’d drop me off at the trailhead too (almost a mile the opposite direction from the hostel). Since he was feeling so generous and I wasn’t expecting to get a lift all the way to the trailhead, I ran to find Lizard to see if she wanted to come with, so she wouldn’t have to trek that road mile for no reason. Naturally, she agreed!
We went by the post office, Lizard ran into family dollar next door, and then preacher took us back by the hostel to grab some ramen for Lizard bc family dollar didn’t sell individual packs. Then he took us up to the trail so we could actually start our day. He was such a nice guy.

It seems like I say this everyday.. but the climb at the start of the day was a beast. I guess that’s one way to warm up your body first thing. It probably felt more difficult bc of the added weight from the food resupply and my new sleeping bag weighing more than my quilt did. That thing felt like a behemoth today. Plus I packed it in a hurry and didn’t Tetris everything in as smoothly as I’d have liked, so it was packed high instead of low and wide. It made for some discomfort with my neck since I couldn’t lean my head back. Whatever, it’ll get better.

We were greeted at the top of the hill by a gorgeous green tunnel. And then not much farther I almost poked my hiking pole into a huge black snake. I saw it just before I put the pole down, and then screamed and jumped so high I startled both the snake and Lizard, too. He was maybe 6 ft long and pretty thick.. those are Lizard’s estimates because he might as well could have been an anaconda in my eyes. Gi-frikin-normous! I scared him with my screaming that by the time I could breathe again and thought about getting a picture, he was long gone. Maybe next time I see one I won’t act like a 4 year old-but I doubt it. Haha

We crossed lots of different terrain, some pretty trail with rocks, some beautiful pines with their cushy needles under our feet, and a strange area that looked like a controlled burn or some other kind of clearing.

We ate lunch at a little cabin.. and then finally made it into camp around 4:30 ish. We met Red here, another flip flopper, and a couple we had been leap frogging with all day was already here, too, along with Showtime. We all hung out and ate dinner together. Some NOBO thru hikers made it into camp maybe 10-15 minutes after we ate. Pizza Cutter, Heater, and Day Hiker. They started the traditional route at the end of February and they’ll be passing the official half way mark tomorrow morning. Seeing how they met along the way makes me a little sad I don’t have the traditional trail family start most do, BUT I wouldn’t change a thing.. and I’m happy I’ve met Lizard along this journey so early. Even if we don’t end up staying together long, I really enjoy her company and she’s made my first week out here that much more enjoyable.

I’m all wrapped up in my toasty sleeping bag and wool leggings. Even with my first night of no service, I’m one happy camper. Also, I really hope I sent the “I’m ok” message out correctly on the Garmin InReach! I guess we’ll find out when I get some service again.

Day 7: Pine Grove Furnace

Start: Birch Run Shelter (AT mi 1094.9) Stop:Unnamed Campsite (AT mi 1107.6). Today’s miles: 12.7 miles. Total AT mileage: 82.6 miles

I woke up a little before 8am hearing the birds chirping and the folks around me quietly packing up. After laying there a bit, completely content in my warm sleeping bag, I figured I better get a move on or I’ll never make it to Pine Grove Furnace store.. the home of the half gallon challenge. While most thru hikers love this place for the challenge- which is to eat an entire half gallon of ice cream to celebrate hiking over halfway from GA to ME- I was dead set on getting a burger and fries and some kind of soda. It’s the little things that get me out of bed these days!
I packed up the inside of my tent, rearranging a few times. The bigger sleeping bag takes up more space and makes it a little difficult to get everything inside the pack AND keep it comfortable. But I managed!

I ate breakfast with Lizard, almost everyone else was out of camp by the time we were boiling our water.. lol.. maybe one day I’ll be an earlier riser. Maybe. Anyway-we ate, finished packing and I hit the trail just ahead of her, knowing she’d probably catch me sooner rather than later, and if not, I fully intended to wait for her at Pine Grove.
Today’s hike was beautiful, no seriously steep inclines or descents.. birds were everywhere and so were butterflies. I saw a few lizards scamper off into the leaves and I startled a deer when I rounded the corner where it was standing drinking water at a creek. I felt bad that the little buddy got so scared and didn’t get to finish drinking.

I stopped a couple times to rest, take off my jacket, drink my zip fizz.. shockingly the miles flew by so quick! I finally came into the area where Pine Grove is and got so excited! I purposefully held off on eating lunch, and it was pushing 1:40pm. I did just under 10 miles in 4 hours and 16 minutes.. maybe I am breaking in my trail legs!

I got to the outdoor seating area and saw everyone from last night! Showtime and the couple section hiking Pennsylvania were there, Day Hiker, Heater, and Pizza Cutter were still there, too. I thought surely I’d miss them by hours! Haha PizzaCutter looked absolutely awful, you could just see the nausea he was swimming in. He completed the half gallon challenge in under 20 minutes. Impressive!

Lizard got there not long after 2pm, and got her some food.. she inhaled that hiker burger so fast I think she should have been able to add her name to some challenge! Hahaha

We hung out awhile and then headed off into the woods again. We went just under 3 miles to a little unnamed campsite. We brought water with us so we don’t have to worry with finding a stream. It’s going to be a peaceful night, that I’m sure of 🙂