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Appalachian Trail – Duncannon, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania
Boiling Springs / Duncannon

“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.”

- John Lennon

Just hours before the Half-Gallon Challenge…

Journal Entry 5.31.00
“I skipped 3 days in the journal – that’s bad for me! Well let’s see – on Sunday I cruised into the Pine Grove Furnace hostel by 1:30pm (17 miles) and met dad. He brought a whole lot of goodies – veggie burgers, chips, potato salad, hummus, soda, beer, cookies, fruit – it was awesome! It was raining so we set up on the hostel porch and hung out there all afternoon. Eventually Makeshift, Wholesome, and No Whey got there so Dad was happy to feed all the hikers. I have new waterproof socks (which I’m wearing now). Dad left at 5:30pm and I took a super hot shower, did laundry and then went to the park store with Makeshift and Wholesome to do the Half-Gallon Challenge (eating a half-gallon of ice cream to celebrate reaching the half-way point). Makeshift got vanilla, Wholesome got cookies & cream, and I got mint chocolate chip. Makeshift ate his in 30 minutes flat! Wholesome and I tried our best but couldn’t do a whole half-gallon. It was a blast. Makeshift got his “Member of the Half-Gallon Club” spoon. We all went back to the hostel to watch tv and crashed early.”

The Half-Gallon Challenge

“On Monday we putzed around all morning in the hostel and didn’t get hiking until 9am. I hiked 19.7 miles to Boiling Springs – even though I had a fast pace it seemed like e long day for me. I hit the “official” half-way sign in Pine Grove Furnace State Park – 1069 miles to Georgia and 1069 miles to Maine!! How cool. I eventually made it to Boiling Springs and called Mother Hen (a “regular” trail angel) from the ATC Regional office. She sent a friend to pick me up and I arrived at her house to find Makeshift, Wholesome, and 2 section hikers from PA – Chris and Vanessa. We chowed at her cookout for Memorial Day! What awesome trail magic. That evening we all watched MIB in her basement. No Whey showed up too! It was a great time.”

“The next morning (yesterday) we got up early and Wholesome immediately decided he was taking a zero. We had breakfast and I was still undecided. I wanted to stay but was anxious to get back to the trail and put my miles in. No Whey and Makeshift decided to hit the trail. Finally I said what the hey and hung back with Wholesome, Chris and Vanessa. We had a blast! We had a movie fest in the basement vortex ALL DAY! We watched Men in Tights, Pushing Tin, Larry Flynt, and American History X. In the end it was an excellent zero day.”

“So this morning Wholesome and I hit the trail at 7:30am. I don’t know what was with me but I was dragging all day. No energy, no motivation. My legs felt tight and my feet hurt. So I just took it easy all day and took lots of breaks. I got to the second shelter and there were 3 older people there and 1 very sketchy guy. Well they told me that Wholesome had passed ahead into town so I decided that it’s only 4 more miles and I ate some food and continued on. I am now here at the Doyle Hotel and there’s no sign of him. So I guess he went even further. 25.7 miles was enough for me today (a new record). I paid $10 for a room, got a shower and here I am. This place is a dump but it’s cheap and they had vacancies.”

trail fact: Youngest female thru-hiker. The youngest female to thru-hike the A.T. was 11 when she completed hiking the Trail in 1998 as part of a family group.

Journal Index

Georgia – Overview And the poop on the Trail Divorce

0 (miles from Georgia) – Springer Mountain, Georgia Whose idea was this again??
87.7 – Georgia / North Carolina Aint no all-inclusive package vacation story…
161.7 – Fontana Dam, North Carolina No Rain, No Pain, No Maine
204.6 – Great Smoky Mountains National Park I My deodorant gets the heave-ho!
268.7 – Great Smoky Mountains National Park II The Food Appreciation Trail
336.5 – North Carolina / Tennessee & Trail Names How the Gimp got her name
390.7 – North Carolina / Tennessee The famous Roan Mountain hitch
452.9 – Crossing into Damascus, Virginia 3 states down, 11 to go!
516.7 – Grayson Highlands State Park Roughin it at Partnership Shelter
573.3 – Bland, Virginia My wonderful trail angels!
665.3 – Pearisburg, Virginia The switch from boots to sandals
767.4 – Catawba / Troutville, Virginia Heat wave in Virginia
839.4 – Montebello / Rockfish Gap, Virginia ‘Hiking with Gimpy Sr.
920.0 – Shenandoah National Park Rattlesnakes, Jack Daniels, and bears – oh my!
988.3 – Front Royal, Virginia Invasion of the Boy Scouts
1001.1 – Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia The mental half-way point
1061.4 – Maryland / Pennsyltucky Y’all done drank enough beer!
1123.8 – Duncannon, Pennsylvania The Half-Gallon Challenge
1208.9 – Port Clinton, Pennsylvania $1 Yuengling drafts and the rocks of PA
1283.9 – Pennsylvania / New Jersey Friends and family visit WonderGimp
1334.2 – High Point, New Jersey Rain, rain, rain, trail magic, and more rain
1440.7 – Bear Mountain, New York Hike Naked Day!
1486.1 – Kent, Connecticut Gimpy Sr. and Barkeater hike with W.Gimp
1543.8 – Great Barrington, MassachusettsWelcome to Mosquito Hell
1618.0 – Massachusetts / VermontPhoton and strobe lights for the 4th of July
1687.3 – Killington, Vermont The Inn at the Long Trail
1738.1 – New Hampshire Live Free or Die!
1794.4 – North Woodstock, New Hampshire Gettin’ above treeline
1814.4 – AMC-land, New Hampshire Entering the White Mountains!
1854.0 – Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire Mooning the tourists on Mt. Washington
1869.2 – Gorham, New Hampshire My first Moose sighting!
1920.7 – Andover, Maine The way Life should be…
1979.3 – Rangeley, Maine Closing in on the end
2015.6 – Kennebec River, Maine Eye of the Tiger!
2095.7 – Monson, Maine 100-mile Wilderness
2152.0 – Abol Bridge, Maine Katahdin is in sight!
2167.1 – Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin, Maine Goodbye Capilene – Hello Cotton!!

Other Pages:
Map – Yep, 14 states
Gear – What to Bring
FAQs – See for yourself
Glossary (learn the AT lingo)
Links to Additional Info
Trail Injuries Everything from blisters to swampfoot
Trail Privies Bring your own TP
Class of 2000 Katahdin Thru-Hiker Pictures