Total Weekly Mileage: 235.1
“Hitting the Wall in Pennsyltucky”
Dried-up creeks, streams, and removed water caches have made this section difficult—more difficult than I expected. Relying on those things burned me, and I went 17 miles without water, which forced me to stay at an Airbnb somewhere off the trail. Initially, the owner balked, but later conceded, and I arrived at 11:30 that night. The room, a quaint studio, was covered with everything rooster: photos, bedspread, even the salt and pepper shakers—roosters everywhere. Apparently, there were over 1,100 in total.
“Rocksylvania” is tough, like New York, though with less climbing. It’s hard to get into a rhythm with pace, and the towns are depressing—one limping town after another. These were once thriving communities, now just limping along like a string of Berlin, New Hampshires scattered across the state. I finally made it to Duncannon on a cold, windy day. I sat in the parking lot, ate a breakfast sandwich, and drank coffee while leaning against a storage container to block the wind. The strip clubs across the street were closed, and I didn’t see any lot lizards cruising the truck stop parking lot for potential clients. I pressed on and knocked out the big climb out of town by 11 a.m. I was feeling pretty good.
Exactly on the start of day 200, I hit the halfway point. Forty days to do the first half. The second half needs to be much better if I’m going to break this record. Not impossible, but still—being stuck in the hiker-wall funk isn’t helping. The grind, long days, night hiking, cold, wet, exhaustion—it’s all taken its toll on me, and I can’t seem to snap out of it. I had a five-day lead when I started the AT, but now that lead has evaporated, and I’m concerned I won’t bounce back. I usually bounce back pretty well when my back’s against the wall, but sometimes I question whether these hikes are worth it. No monetary gains—I’m broke. Not much notoriety. It’s not as if ESPN cares, or a news outlet. I’m really questioning why I do it. At this point, I’m not sure.
