Dan and Rocky’s Big Adventure -- Hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2024

 Days 99-111

July 10-22

Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA

to

Stealth Campsite at Mile 1270

Day 99

Pine Grove Furnace State Park to Brook

Today was another scorcher with one difference--we had a thunderstorm at sunset.  It rained just enough to say it did.  I could actually see a few drops on my tent.

We stopped by the Pine Grove Furnace General Store for some breakfast.  The breakfast sandwiches are very tasty.  Rocky especially liked the bacon, egg, and cheese on ciabatta bread.

Pine Grove Furnace General Store

To combat the heat, we took frequent breaks in the shade, drank lots of water, and ate salty snacks.

The trail developers threw us a curve.  They stuck in a bunch of rock scrambling, some fairly technical.

We hiked a little over 18 miles today, with a lot of breaks for the heat, and made it to camp about 9:00 p.m.

Day 100

Brook at Mile 1120.6 to Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Rocky was favoring his right front foot this morning.  I found a small cut between his toes.  I put some Neosporin on the wound and gave him an oral antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory/pain medication his vet had prescribed for the hike.

We passed from forest to agricultural lands today.  Both Rocky and I were a bit taken aback by the open spaces and the nice, neat crop rows.

Along the hedge rows were lots of wine berry bushes.  Picking berries along the way slowed me up a bit, but the tasty snacks were well worth the time spent picking.  

The trail today was a cruiser except for two pretty good climbs.  It was hot today, but not nearly as hot as it has been for the last week.

We had lunch in Boiling Springs.  The taco salad at Cafe 101, near the Veterans Memorial, was great.  Rocky had many admirers just for holding his down-stay.

There was an old graveyard along the trail.  The oldest grave was for Joe Carden, who lived from 1620 to 1695.  The newest grave was for Dr. James Godfrey Oliver, who lived from 1801 to 1836.

We passed by the Center Point Knob plaque.

We made it into Carlisle, PA, about 6:00 p.m. and found that there was a car show going on at the Quality Inn.  We checked in and then looked at the cars.  There were a lot of '70s muscle cars.

I had dinner at the Middlesex Diner next door to the hotel.  It was packed.  The food portions at this place were huge and flavorful; that explains why they were packed.

I took most of my ribs and sides back to the hotel, and Rocky had them for dinner and breakfast.

Day 101

Carlisle, PA, to Duncannon, PA

The trail today was rather flat as we progressed through the farmlands.  This morning the temperature was in the upper 80s and overcast, perfect hiking weather.  

Rocky started limping badly about seven miles into our hike today.  We walked to a small store, and I called an Uber to take us into Duncannon.  I felt it was more important to take care of my dog than to worry about a few miles.

It appears that something must have aggravated the cut between his toes.  I cleaned up the wound and gave him some pain medication, and he seems to be doing much better.  Tomorrow morning I'll make the determination of whether he is well enough to hike or we stay another day.

We're staying at the historic Doyle Hotel.  They cater to AT hikers.  The Doyle has been here for over 100 years, and thru-hikers have stayed here pretty much since hikers were on the AT.  There's a bar on the first floor, which plays '30s through '50s jazz and blues music in the background.  The rooms are fairly stark compared to today's standards but adequate for a thru-hiker.  Each floor has a shared bathroom.  This place is another interesting page in my AT experiences.  

The Doyle Hotel

I ate in the bar.  I ordered a gigantic burger with grilled asparagus.  It was very tasty.  I could only eat half of the burger, and Rocky enjoyed the rest.  Do you think this dog might be a bit spoiled?  If nothing else, my shortcomings are his gains.

Rocky and I are sitting beside the Susquehanna River enjoying the cool breeze.  Where we're sitting I would estimate that the river is a half-mile across.  We're going to head for the grocery store to restock our supplies.  We were down to one day's provisions.  Rocky seems to be walking better now.

Day 102

Duncannon, PA, to Stealth Camp at Mile 1167.7

We got a late start this morning.  I went for breakfast at Goodies Cafe.  I was told that the restaurant opened at 0630.  Nope, it opens at 0700 on Saturday, but there are no times posted.  The waitress took my order and brought me coffee.  The locals started showing up shortly after the cafe opened.

The regulars would come in, get their own coffee, and yell their orders to the cook.  The waitress would show up with meals and more coffee.  Sometimes the regulars would fill everyone's coffee.

My eggs showed up around 0730.  I do have to admit that the meal was good.  When I went to pay, the locals told me that the cafe was shorthanded today, this was a cash-only establishment, and to leave the money by the register.  If I needed change, I was to take it out of the jar next to the register.

The carbide tips on my hiking poles were worn out.  I stopped at the Outfitter/Hiker Hostel for replacements.  The owner had what I needed, and she very efficiently replaced the tips.  Much to my surprise, she charged me considerably less than expected.

I went through my pack looking to see what I no longer needed, so I could lighten my load.  I was still carrying my down coat, over mitts, and several widgets that I haven't used.  We went to the post office to ship these things home.  The clerk told me that I lightened my load by 2 lbs., 2 oz.  That's a lot in hiker backpack weight.

At around 11:00, we were finally headed out of town.  The AT follows the highway for three very hot and noisy miles.  Rocky and I were very happy to be back in the woods.

The climb out of the valley was pretty steep and very rocky.  This type of terrain is hard for a guy with metal knees to negotiate.  To this point, Pennsylvania has been the easiest state to hike.  I'm told that I'm about to experience why the state is nicknamed Rocksylvania by AT hikers.

My goal was to reach Peter's Mountain Shelter.  I arrived at 9:00 p.m., and the place was packed.  I went over to the tent sites only to find that a large family had taken over the entire area.  There were eight tent sites, and every one had a sleeping bag or a chair, something sitting on it claiming the site.  When I asked the parents about it, they responded that they were there first.  Their kids were running around bothering the hikers in the shelter, yelling, pulling Rocky's tail, and generally being obnoxious.  What's worse is that their parents didn't seem to care.

I decided to hike on in the dark before I did something rash.  I was able to find a pretty good stealth camping site about a mile down the trail.

Day 102 Trail Profile

Day 103
Stealth Camp at Mile 1161.7 to
Campsite at Mile 1171.3

The stealth campsite ended up being a great place to camp.  It was very quiet with no obnoxious kids noisily running around disturbing the thru-hikers as they were trying to sleep.  It was close to the trail, level, and had few rocks.  It was a great place to set up my tent.

I know I sound like I'm stuck in a do loop, but today was another very hot day.  The trail was rocky with a lot of ups and downs.  Water was scarce with the exception of a few springs (do loop again).

I felt the heat getting to me a bit today.  A SOBO (southbound thru-hiker) stopped me and said that I looked very hot and should take a break.  I looked at my watch, and I was in the red zone with a heart rate of 166 bpm.  I was barely moving.  He further suggested that I stop early and get out of the heat.  He told me about this campsite.  I decided he was correct and stopped early.  He was stopping down by the creek for the same reason.

Our campsite came fully furnished with Flintstone furniture.  I took full advantage of the easy chair and watched the sun set.

Day 104

Campsite at Mile 1171.3 to Stay-at-Swatara Hostel

Today was just plain hot.  The water sources were about twelve miles apart.  The trail was relatively easy walking.

The heat was hard on Rocky.  He got a bit overheated at one point.  We ended up taking an extended break in the shade, and I cooled Rocky down using my drinking water.

A few miles down the trail we took another long break along a creek.  Rocky enjoyed wading and lying in the cool water.

We spent the night camped at the Stay-at-Swatara Hostel.  This is an interesting place, a self-service hostel.  You register and pay for your campsite through the hostel website.  You are given a code to the hostel store, a converted storage shed.  The store is a self-serve/honor-system arrangement, where you write down what you purchase on a receipt that you place in a box and pay for via Venmo.  Rocky and I shared a frozen pizza and Oreos for dinner.

Stay-at-Swatara Hostel Self-Service Store

Days 105-108

Stay-at-Swatara Hostel to Hamburg, PA, Microtel Inn

We left the hostel around 10:00 a.m., and it was already hot.  This section of trail has a bit of road walking.  We did pass over a beautiful old railroad bridge that is now part of the local rails-to-trails system.  

When we were getting close to Port Clinton, Rocky was getting very hot.  I didn't want to have him overheat, so I called a shuttle, and we checked into the Hamburg, PA, Microtel Inn.  We spent the rest of the day in our air-conditioned room, eating junk food and watching movies.

The next morning, our peace and quiet was rudely interrupted by the loudest fire alarm that I have ever heard.  Rocky was whining and cocking his head back and forth.  He wanted out of there.  Three fire trucks showed up about 30 minutes after the hotel evacuation.  

We sat outside in the sun for about another hour before the all-clear was given.  The alarm in the guest laundry had gone off, signaling a gas leak.  This was strange because the dryers were electric.  I concluded that some thru-hiker put nasty clothes or a sleeping bag in the dryer, which spread noxious fumes into the laundry room, setting off the alarm.

Sally ordered Rocky a new set of dog boots that were supposed to arrive late afternoon the following day.  Because I didn't want to lose a whole day of hiking, we slack packed.  We were able to make up the previous day's miles plus get in an additional ten miles.

1201.4 miles from the Start

When we returned to the hotel, my delivery had not arrived.  I checked the USPS website and discovered that the package was being held at the post office, which had already closed.  We ended up having to stay another night at the hotel.

The following morning we caught a ride to the post office and collected our package.  We spent about a half hour fitting Rocky's new shoes.  Once this process was complete, we caught a shuttle back to the trail and started hiking.

One thing about Rocky is that he's a Houdini when it comes to dog boots.  He had the new boots off within a couple hundred yards of the trailhead.  It took me a while to locate his green boots among the foliage along the AT.

I scolded him for his actions.  He looked truly remorseful, but that didn't stop him from getting rid of the his boots a second time.  This time he did a better job of hiding them because I could only find one boot.

Shortly after Rocky's boot disappeared, he had a very pronounced limp on his right front leg.  The sharp Rocksylvania rocks were doing a number on his feet.  At this point, I made the decision that the combination of heat and sharp rocks was taking too much of a toll on my friend, and it was time for him to go home.

Day 109

Mile 1236 Trailhead to Lehigh Furnace Trailhead

Today was Rocky's last day on the trail, and it was a doozy.  It was the absolute worst day I've had on the AT.  The rocks in this stretch were extremely wet, slippery, loose, and never-ending.  

One More Good Roll on That Pack!

While I was climbing over a slab, the suspension on my pack broke.  The strap that attaches the shoulder harness to the top of the pack tore loose.  I was able to tie the shoulder straps to the pack.  The trail fix worked well enough for me to continue hiking.

Windsor Furnace Shelter

Sally was on her way to pick up Rocky and take him home.  She texted that she was stuck in a traffic jam on the highway because of an accident and would be arriving at least an hour later than expected.  Rocky and I decided to take advantage of the "extra" time and stop at the Thunderhead Lodge for lunch.  The chicken wings were fantastic.

There was a lot of climbing today on slabs that were incredibly hard to grip because of the slippery wet algae that was covering everything.  Poor Rocky, with his four-paw drive, still slid off the rocks and had to be rescued from becoming wedged between rocks three times.

It got dark, and out came my headlamp.  Hiking over boulder fields is less than ideal in the dark and slowed us down even more.

Sally called looking for us.  She expected us to be waiting at the Lehigh Furnace trailhead when she arrived.  We were still navigating the boulder fields at 10:00 p.m.  I could finally see the headlights on her car, and she then saw my headlamp coming down the trail.  Sally was very pleased that she had navigated to the correct pick-up location.  If you knew Sally's history of navigating, you would know how remarkable this was.  

Note from Sally:  My navigation was especially impressive to me because this was three miles in on a dirt forest service road in the dark.  When I saw the headlamp coming down the trail, I called Rocky, who came bounding through the brush to greet first Rosie and then me.  He couldn't wait to tell us what he had been doing!

Back to Titanium:  I had planned eight hours for this stretch.  It took us thirteen hours, and I fell sixteen times this day.  Getting in the car and heading to a hotel was a big relief and very welcome.  Rocky was very happy to see his siblings and quickly jumped into Sally's car.  We were dead tired by the time we got to the hotel, and we slept in the next morning.

I discovered that I had cuts, bruises, and abrasions all over my body.  If the rocks were dry, this section of trail still would have been difficult, but not so treacherous.  Had I known what the trail was going to be like, I would have had Sally pick us up at a different location.  The trail not only hurt me physically, it trounced me psychologically.  This day made me seriously consider quitting my AT hike.

Day 110

Repair and Regroup

Our mission today was to replace my broken backpack.  We located a replacement at the REI in King of Prussia, PA.  The actual exchange took less than twenty minutes; the drive took an hour each way.  We celebrated with treats from Duck Donuts.

Dogs in the AC -- thanks, REI!

Day 111

PA Route 248 to Stealth Camp at Mile 1270

Sally dropped me off at PA Route 248 around noon.  We took a short walk and read the placards about the area and the Palmerton Zinc Pile Site, a former zinc smelting operation that caused so much environmental damage that the area was declared a superfund site.  

We loaded up the car, and I said goodbye to everybody and hit the trail.  I'm going to miss having Rocky on the trail with me.  Of course, I miss Sally too.

 

Right off the bat, I started some pretty serious climbing and rock scrambling.  

This definitely wouldn't have been good for Rocky.  I'm not so sure it was good for me.  Bouldering with a full backpack is a bit iffy.  Add to that, the next 30+ miles reportedly had no water sources.

Note the white blazes marking the AT.

It took me about an hour to get to the top of the ridge, and then it began to rain.  It rained pretty much the rest of the day.  I'm glad the rain held off until I got to the top.  Otherwise, I would have been dealing with slippery wet rocks instead of grippy dry ones.

I made a gear change, swapping my rain suit for a poncho.  A poncho has better ventilation than the suit and hopefully less sweating.  I've concluded that a poncho works well until the wind starts blowing.  Then you might as well be wearing no rain gear.

Just before I crossed Blue Mountain Drive, I discovered that a trail angel had left a water cache for thru-hikers.  I started hiking with four liters of water, and I was down to 1 1/2 liters, which I was saving for tomorrow.  This trail magic was very welcome, and I thank those folks who are looking after us hikers.  Although it had been raining, there wasn't enough to cause any stream flow.  I figured that I would most likely be dipping and filtering water from puddles.

Trail Magic

This part of the trail is very rocky.  With the rain, the rocky trail has become a slip-n-slide.  Wanting not to repeat my previous day's activities, I found a relatively flat, rock-free spot and made camp.  I had enough fun for the day.

Note from Sally:

The dogs and I made it home safely, and Rocky is enjoying his recuperation.