Rocky and I started out hiking together in the morning. We have 3 climbs and 3 descents today before we arrive at our chosen campsite. We plan on making it to Backpacker Camp outside of Boiling Springs, PA, which is approximately 7.6 miles. We are only going to Boiling Springs because from Boiling Springs to the next available campsite is 14 miles through private farm fields that don’t allow camping.

So the first climb we had was about a 600 foot climb over a mile. So steep, but not the steepest i have done. I’m happy to report that I’m getting stronger and have more stamina for these climbs – still not my favorite part of the day though. I’m convinced that the only way I’m going to see a bear on this hike is if they mistake my uphill huffing and puffing as some sort of mating chuff.

When we got to the top of our first climb, we reached a Rock Maze. A pile of giant (I mean enormous) boulders piled on top of and next to each other. Getting though the rock maze means climbing over and between the rocks until you get to the other side. Rocky and I looked for a way around, but no such luck. Over and through the boulders we went. It actually turned out to be fun although not easy. We hoisted ourselves up rock by rock. Squeezed between boulders leaning together like knocked over building blocks. Some of the steps up from boulder to boulder were about chest high. Rocky and I took our packs off and shoved them up on the boulders and clambered up behind them. We had to pass them back and forth between us to fit into some of the crevices. We did a lot of laughing at ourselves while making our way across. It was nice to go through with a friend.

After finishing the rock maze, we rested by a stream and had a quick snack and water break. We met a hiker who lives in the area who was a 2017 thru hiker. His name was Pick-of-the-litter or Pick for short. In the way of all hikers he was happy to tell us about his experience of thru hiking and to share details of the upcoming trail with us. He said his favorite and the hardest part was Maine. He told us that parts of Maine made the rock maze we had just come through look like child’s play. So I have something fun to anticipate 🙂

After another couple of miles of up and down on the trail and Rocky and I were ready for lunch. Which is where the real adventure of the day happened. We made our way to the nearest shelter. We got out our camp stoves and we each boiled our water to rehydrate our meals. I was rehydrating wild rice and another curry made by Alisha. I added the boiling water to the bag and set it aside to rehydrate. Last time I didn’t add enough water and this time I added too much. So there was a good cup of unabsorbed water even after 12 minutes of soaking. I opened the bag and reached for my spoon. Unfortunately for me when I let go of the bag, it rolled off the table and into my lap – upside down of course. I was covered in rice and curry and lots of extra flavored water from just above my waistline and down. It was NOT a good feeling. Luckily I had switched from my hiking shoes to my camp shoes for lunch. My hiking shoes weren’t drenched, but my camp shoes were filled with rice.

We were planning at least two or three more nights of camping before staying at a hostel or a hotel to do our laundry. I couldn’t stand the thought of being covered in rice and curry juices that long. So, much to Rocky’s amusement. while she took a nap in the shelter, I went down to the stream near the shelter for a bout of laundry and bathing.

Bathing and doing laundry in a mountain stream is not the picturesque scene you see on television (they never show goosebumps the size of mosquito bites on television). The water is cold – really cold. The air temperature was about 60 degrees. I wasn’t too worried about being seen since we had hiked about a quarter of a mile off the trail (that’s how badly we wanted to cook on a table rather than a rock) and I had hiked about another quarter mile from the shelter in my rice squishy camp shoes to the stream.

I stripped down to my bra, which was my only article of clothing not covered in rice and curry. I waded out into the stream, shivering the whole time. Rinsed my tshirt and used it to clean off all the rice and curry – I simply could not bring myself to sit in the stream. It was just too cold. Once I rinsed off I started washing my clothes – pants, undies, and tshirt. Hanging each one on a nearby tree limb to dry while I washed the next. Did I mention it was cold. So cold.

When I turned around from the stream after rinsing my shoes I just burst out laughing. I can only imagine the look on someone’s face if they came upon my little washing scene – a practically naked middle aged women tiptoeing barefoot up and down the side of a stream with her underwear and other clothing blowing in the breeze. I laughed so hard I almost tripped and fell into the stream, but barely managed to save myself by grabbing a nearby branch, which only made me laugh harder.

So here is the hard part. After I finished laughing I realized I didn’t have time for my clothes to dry and would have to put them on wet. I steeled myself and slowly, painfully started getting dress. Each piece of wet clothing I put on took my breathe away. Not to mention how comical I felt hopping around trying to get warm. I only thought I was cold while bathing because when I put on wet undies, pants, and tshirts, I learned all over again what really cold was.

Once dressed I hurried back up the trail to the shelter. Rocky was just finishing packing up so she headed out to get ahead of me while I finished packing up. We had one more mountain to get over and then a walk though some pastures to get to Boiling Springs, PA. I was just happy to be doing it without rice all over me.

We made it to Backpackers Camp around 3:30pm. Rocky went into town to go to the post office and get us dinner while I staked out two spots at the camp. We ended the evening with a warm meal (prepared by someone else thank goodness!) and were in our beds before 8pm.