Day 102
Start: Tumbling Run Shelter
End: Birch Run Shelter
Miles Hiked: 19.6
Miles on AT: 1095.5
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When I woke up this morning, I felt like I was truly having an authentic AT thru hike experience. I was in a little hiker bubble, I saw familiar faces every day, and I was excited about what the rest of the trail could bring.
This morning started with a climb to a peaceful blue blaze view full of trees and sky. My goal today was to hike nearly 20 miles. It wasn’t that I felt the need to speed up and make miles to beat the unofficial deadline of October 15 (when the hiker campground closes for Katahdin). I had the freedom to hike as many miles as I wanted to, and 20 felt like a good goal for me.
My first goal of the day was to reach Caledonia State Park for lunchtime. The park features a pool, bathrooms, outlets, and a creek – perfect! The hike there was relatively easy; aside from the first climb, there was no real elevation gain or loss. The morning moved on and by 12:30 I was soaking my feet in the creek alongside two young brothers and their dog. It was cute to watch them play; the dog was living his best life, laying down in the creek without a care in the world.
After a while, Mosey showed up as well as a few other hikers from the shelter. It was another hot one, so I decided to take the afternoon off and stay in the shade while the worst part of the heat passed. Mosey and I chatted, I got some trail magic Gatorade from another hiker’s friend, and I even got a little nap in.
Around 2:45, it was finally time for me to move along. As I climbed out of the park, I soon found myself among trees that I hadn’t seen in a while – rhododendrons! I couldn’t remember the last time I hiked through a thick rhododendron tunnel like that. It was like a blast from the past.
The next sight on trail blew my mind – Quarry Gap Shelter! If you don’t know about this shelter, it’s pretty famous on the AT. I remembered hearing about it back in Georgia, but I had no idea I was about to come upon it. This shelter was the most well-cared for shelter I had seen yet. Flower pots with colorful plants dotted the yard, gnome statues peeked out from behind tree stumps, and a bench swing invited hikers to come rest their weary feet. It was beautiful!
I took some time to soak it all in and read the log book before continuing on my way. Almost immediately after I left the shelter, I was greeted with a sight that wasn’t half as beautiful as the shelter – a trail full of rocks! Thanks, Pennsylvania.
Luckily, the rocks didn’t last long. Soon, I was on a nice cruise-y trail, gliding along easily. After a while, I only had 3 more miles left to go, but I was pooped! It was still relatively early, so I couldn’t stop yet. My solution for feeling unenergized is to eat a snack, so I plopped right down in the middle of the trail and did just that.
That gave me enough umph to finish my day and reach my goal. The shelter was empty when I got there and stayed that way for at least an hour. I took the opportunity to get some distraction-free writing done and eat dinner. Just as the light was starting to fade, the group of three hikers that I’d been hiking around showed up, and we chatted for a while before I headed to my tent.
The night was nice and quiet, perfect for a good night’s sleep.
Oh yes, my new hiking outfit update. I’m loving the skirt! It works so well as keeping me cool but also protected from bugs. I’ve decided to send my pants back home and fully commit to the skirt life.
And that’s day 102.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.