Mile 1,068.7
Elevation 1,406 feet
Miles Hiked 14.5
If you read my previous day’s entry, you know that I ignored my instincts about staying in a shelter where there are snorers. I paid dearly for that mistake. The wife did snore, but she was drowned out by the railroad train engine that was her husband. His sleep apnea was obvious as his breathing clearly stopped on a regular basis to be followed by a loud snore as he gasped for air. At 4:00 AM the snoring got so loud that I got up and went looking for a spot nearby where I could setup my tarp. Not finding a suitable spot, I stayed in the shelter.
I finally got up at 6:00 AM. After fixing a hurried breakfast, I packed my backpack. The husband finally awoke a little before I was going to leave. The first thing he says to me is, “Did you sleep well?” Rather than tell him no because he kept me up all night, I merely said, “Not so well.” I would have liked to add much more to those three words.
So today there were a bunch of short, steep climbs and descents. To top it off, there were boulder scrambles. One of those scrambles caught me and I fell down and rolled over on a steep, boulder strewn descent. It could have been worse, but all I got was a scraped and bloody leg and arm.
As the day wore on I arrived at Pen Mar Park mid-afternoon. This is a huge park on the Maryland/Pennsylvania border, and there was a concert playing in the park. I saw a concession stand and was definitely up for a cold drink. Although the temperature was in the low 80’s, it was hot and me and my clothes were dripping wet.
I must have been a real sight to everyone in the park. Hiking gear, dripping wet, and a bloody arm and leg. I didn’t care. I headed for the concessions and got a cold root bear. Ah, heaven. Nevertheless, I must have looked pretty pathetic, because a park worker had me go to the first aid station to get patched up.
After leaving Pen Mar Park, I came to the Mason/Dixon Line where Maryland and Pennsylvania meet. Another state down on my Appalachian Trail trek, and I was now officially in the north.
I arrived at Deer Lick Shelters in the late afternoon. No one was there. After the previous night, I was hoping I’d have the place to myself and it turns out, I wasn’t disappointed. I’ll be able to get a good night ‘s sleep.
