The Score So Far (Health & Fitness)

[_Res Ipsa]

Yikes. The important thing is that you spotted the danger noodle. Hope you and the trail dry out soon.

[_Xenophon]

Thanks so much for the write-up, Doc. I'm looking forward to your continued posts, giving me plenty of ideas (and feeding my wanderlust).

[_Jersey Girl]

I'm telling you, you guys' (or as we say ..."you guyses") trip is really my summer reading. With pics no less!

I love seeing these pics and your descriptions of how it's going. The food looks superior--did you make it? And what is that rattler or copperhead? The trail looks nothing like I imagined it--more of a natural obstacle course!

What folks from far away places have you met on the trail?

I can't tell what your location is now. Let us know when you make your triumphal entry into the Garden State...pics or it didn't happen, buddy.

[_canpakes]

More great pics. I’m seriously impressed with how beautiful these areas are. Keep these coming!

That mud looks a bit daunting, though. O_o

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

So, we did 18 miles yesterday, and were planning on doing 14.7 today but there was a 1000 foot descent in .5 miles heading into Port Clinton, PA that blew my resolve away. So... staying the night here, BUT we're still on pace and that's nice.

I guess I'm updating today because I want to share that our fellow humans are still pretty amazing on an individual level. The kindnesses we've received from complete strangers have just humbled me and reaffirmed the truth that people are generally decent. What we see on tv and on the Internet is NOT the standard for humanity. The standard is this:

Two days ago we were walking into a town for a resupply and we were out of water. Super thirsty. We happened upon a local fire station that abutted the road, so I decided to knock on the door to ask them if we could fill up our water bottles. No one was there so we were just going to keep going the two miles to our destination when we heard a gruff, "No one is there! What do you want!?"

I saw an old man standing up on his porch; it was the property next door. I held up my empty water bottle and pantomimed drinking from it.

"Oh! Oh! Come over here and sit down! Lucy! Get this man and his companion some water! Come! Take your packs off for a bit."

Over the next 30 minutes we got to know complete strangers, locals, who shared with us their life stories, that of their daughters, and their views of life, faith, and what they they think of the world. And it was really neat. They gave us Gatorade, water, and ended up giving us a lift into town. It was just, I don't know, a nice reminder of what life used to be like before the Internet and social media. People got to know one another, and were helpful, not hateful.

Today, when we finally came off the mountain, off that descent from Hell, we were gassed. Port Clinton is situated right next to the railyards where we had found a bench, dropped our packs, and were just sitting trying not to die. A fella that had passed us as he was headed up and then passed us as he was headed back down (day hiker basically), had come back to find us and let us know the little town was basically shut down for Memorial day. He offered us a lift to the local mall so we could get lunch. We totally took him up on it. We quickly got to know each other, found out he was a retired Air Force guy, and immediately bonded as 20+year vets tend to do.We got lunch and then he ended up driving us to our hotel when we decided to book a room. All I can say is it's really cool to meet a perfect stranger, bond, accept their charity, and then that's that. He's gone, but never forgotten.

Oh, and we met a transgender hiker with her super cool dog and her companion who is bi-polar, depressed, and has a MS in botany who let us know, in fact, the American Chestnut is NOT extinct, and we can find a bunch of them in such and such location. He was hiking in a skirt, by the way.

I could share 6 more interactions that would be just as quirky or charming, and another 6 that would make you go hrmmm. 21 days into the trail and it's already an adventure. :)

- Doc

[_Jersey Girl]

A new chapter!

It was just, I don't know, a nice reminder of what life used to be like before the Internet and social media. People got to know one another, and were helpful, not hateful.

Yeah, exactly. Social media tends to be a polarizing pit.

I could share 6 more interactions that would be just as quirky or charming, and another 6 that would make you go hrmmm.

Do. it.

21 days into the trail and it's already an adventure. :)

It really IS an adventure! I'm so happy to read your accounts and impressions of your experiences back East and the pics are wonderful!

Those rocks on the trail in that last pic! Omg...

[_Jersey Girl]

You guys are closing in on Allentown. Here you go!

Allentown
Billy Joel

Well we're living here in Allentown
And they're closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they're killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line

Well our fathers fought the Second World War
Spent their weekends on the Jersey Shore
Met our mothers in the USO
Asked them to dance
Danced with them slow
And we're living here in Allentown

But the restlessness was handed down
And it's getting very hard to stay

Well we're waiting here in Allentown
For the Pennsylvania we never found
For the promises our teachers gave
If we worked hard
If we behaved

So the graduations hang on the wall
But they never really helped us at all
No they never taught us what was real
Iron and coal
And chromium steel
And we're waiting here in Allentown

But they've taken all the coal from the ground
And the union people crawled away

Every child has a pretty good shot
To get at least as far as their old man got
But something happened on the way to that place
They threw an American flag in our place

Well I'm living here in Allentown
And it's hard to keep a good man down
But I won't be giving up today
And we're living here in Allentown

Songwriters: BILLY JOEL
© Universal Music Publishing Group
For non-commercial use only.
Data from: LyricFind

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Those rocks on the trail in that last pic! Omg...

Girl. You have no idea. They just absolutely destroy your will to hike. I guess the trail here gets worse, too. Apparently the granite at some points pokes up through the ground in thin ridges that intersect it and make it impossible to ever really walk comfortably. Then again I'm not sure there's been very many comfortable moments walking this trail, ever.

Whatevs. We'll just keep chippin' away at it!

Oh, and now the missus wants to hike the PCT with me. So. Awesome. Adventures ahead!

- Doc

[_Jersey Girl]

Granite. I know, right? That whole area is full of it. I could feel my ankles breaking looking at that pic. I so swear!

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

One more hiker-friend story before I log off.

When you hike here you tend to see a few people over and over again who kind of match your pacing. You basically leap frog each other. This guy we've gotten to know goes by the trail name, bestowed upon him by my wife, as 'Animal' because he has red hair and has attacked the trail the way Animal attacks a drum set on The Muppet Show.

Here's the thing. Animal is a few inches shorter than I am and he's easily 300 lbs. He's an IT guy who quit his job to hit the trail. Much like me he was tired of being tired, needed a challenge, and came out here to hike. He's quiet, unassuming, but has an incredible strength I've not seen in many people. He was 400 lbs last year, but has dropped weight so he could do this hike.

He caught up to us at the Rausch Gap shelter

https://www.google.com/search?q=rausch+ ... 62&bih=601

and seemed really, really tired. Defeated really. We shared some more stories, some of our motivations, but he had that air of defeat a hiker has when they're about to pull off the trail. He asked for a picture with the wife and I. We consented, of course. And we haven't seen him since, which I'm hoping is just because he's lagging behind us.

It's not easy when you're being passed up by younger or fitter hikers. When I was creeping down the descent into Port Clinton today a young hiking machine skipped past us and it was totally demoralizing. Demoralizing because you can't get your youth back. Demoralizing because you know your weight is causing unnecessary stress on your feet, joints, and muscles. Demoralizing because as much as you know not to run other people's races in your head, you still do a bit, wanting to be those guys who clock 20 to 30 miles a day.

Anyway. I hope we see Animal again. I hope he sticks to hiking his own hike and doesn't let young guys or middle'ish aged couples make him feel bad about himself. He inspires us, and I'm sure everyone who meets him.

- Doc