Day 9

Monday May 1, 2017

Boiling Springs, PA 8 miles

Total mileage 97.8 miles

While I was taking down my bear bag (my food bag that I hang from a tree to keep animals and mice away from it) I found gold. A gold tent stake! Someone must have forgotten to pick it up. It is a really nice one so I decided to keep it in case I loose one or someone else needs one.

This morning started with a lot of boulder climbing in some very foggy weather with water dripping from the trees that made it seem like it was raining. I did get a little turned around in the boulders after climbing down a big boulder I realized that I had gone the wrong way and had to climb back up the boulder. Ugh! 😯

This particular boulder I thought I may have to take my pack off to just to heave myself up, but I powered through it and didn’t have to take it off.

I ran into this cute little guy while lost in all these rocks. I can still remember the first time I saw one. I was in my 30’s on a family reunion on Lake Champlain in VT.

I usually don’t mind rock hopping across streams, but walking on logs is just not my thing. I did make it across without getting my feet wet. SUCCESS! 😀

I came down from the boulders to much flatter ground then…

A flat field of wheat!?!?

Today was pretty unusual as far as terrain goes and it doesn’t stop there…

A SWAN!! A REALLY  BIG SWAN!

This was taken on a small lake in the town of Boiling Springs. The town is really beautiful. As I was walking into town I passed over a stream where a guy was fly fishing and just as I walked up he reeled in a brown trout. What timing I have! As I was just hanging out watching him he caught another fish, a rainbow trout. The color was spectacular!!! When I talked to Jim this evening he told me the trout are spawning now so their colors are vivid.

Mom this one is for you. I love you. Thank you for all the support.💖

I am off trail tonight and staying with a client of Jim’s. When she found out that I would be hiking the AT, she offered to host me when I got to this area. It was the perfect night to be off trail because there were tornado warnings for the area. Luckily they never amounted to anything.

Sue thank you for picking me up and totally spoiling me for a night! It was very much appreciated.