Back in the Saddle

Wow, does it feel good to be back!  I didn't realize how much I enjoyed being out here until an injury sidelined me and sent me home for a week to rest.  Surprisingly, I settled in at home fairly easy and was fortunate enough to see some friends that won't be there when I return...  But like I said, I'm back!  I picked up the trail right where I had left off, which was right outside Harper's Ferry, WV.   I was prepared to hike alone, away from any group, because I assumed that everyone I knew was ahead of me!  However, I wasn't hiking an hour before I ran into three older guys I hadn't seen since Damascus, VA!  Buffalo Bobby, Trolley Stop, & Guardian.  Funny how things work out.
My days hiking have been long and fairly easy.  I've managed to average over 20 miles a day since I started back.  The trail through PA so far has had it all - meadows, rock mazes, rocks, strolling trail through rhododendrons, etc.  The terrain in southern PA isn't near as brutal as the terrain in the northern part of the state.  The ankle-busting rocks await me...  The rocks are so bad, we hikers call this state Rocksylvania.
The trail through Pennsylvania is famous for its rocks but there is also another topic that Pennsylvania is famous for: The Half Gallon Challenge.  All up and down the trail, from Georgia to Maine, hikers have invented "challenges" to help keep things interesting and rewarding.  Such challenges are the 4 state challenge (cross the state borders of VA, WV, MD, & PA in 24 hours), the pancake challenge, and of course, the Half Gallon Challenge - which is quite possibly the most ridiculous challenge ever - to eat an entire half gallon of ice cream at the midpoint of the trail in Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  I had been dreaming since Georgia about attempting this challenge with cookie dough ice cream but got stuck with banana split.   It took 1 hour 15 mins. but I got it all down... but not with plenty of gagging and stomach pains.  I got my wooden spoon that says "Member of Half Gal. Club"!
This evening I'm staying at the historic Doyle Hotel in Duncannon.  The hotel is over 100 years old.  The Doyle is a thru hiker staple and it's almost assumed hikers will at least stop in to check things out when coming through town.  The owners and operators, Vicky and Pat, really love hikers!  Vicky took my picture to add to the hiker binder for 2011 and I could tell that they both enjoy serving up good food and cold beer to all the hikers!
All in all it's so good to be back and I look forward to the second half of this journey!  "Only" 1,042.5 miles left!  ;-)

Half Gallon Challenge... Blah!