7/6/99 Birch Run Shelter   Miles Today : 19.8 Miles to Katahdin : 1094.0

Today's journal can be summed up with simply "A Tough Day at the Pool".

We got an early start today, knowing that the temp was going to be bad. By 11:00, we arrived at Caledenia State Park, which had a public swimming pool. The 3 of us, joined by Permagrin, and White Gas lounged around the pool during the hottest part of the day. I had 4 cheeseburgers for lunch from the snack bar and topped it off with a giant chipwich.

We finally left the pool at 2:00 and found out the temp had climbed to 105! I also discovered as I put by backpack on, that I had burned my back and shoulders.

Needless to say, the next 10 miles were not fun. I sweat like I had never sweat before, I was hot to the point of exhaustion and my pack was rubbing on my sunburn. Such is life on the AT.

Here at the shelter area is DB, Colorado, Permagrin, Frofo and Animal Cracker. No one is sleeping in the shelter since there is an active hornets nest inside. So now that I have no tent, I am sleeping under the stars tonight. I do have a tarp, but there is no threat of rain.

Tomorrow should be a fun day. First we pass the halfway point on the trail which while not the halfway point for me should be exciting nonetheless.

Secondly, near the halfway point is Pine Green Furnace State Park. There is a general store with a wacky thru-hiker tradition: finish a half-gallon of ice-cream before it melts. If you succeed, you get a special wooden spoon. Also, the state park has a public beach.

Colorado just heard that it will be low 90's tomorrow...Yahoo! Man, do I feel cooked right now, a cool day will be nice.

-Chomp

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