Today started with breakfast with Mom & Dad followed by a stop by the outfitters. I replaced my Superfeet insoles with Shock Doctors—a multi-density foam support—they felt great! I replaced my Petzl Tikka head lamp (It’s been flickering and weak since Georgia despite new batteries) with a lighter black diamond 2 LED lap. I also added a two-liter Platypus water carrier to my pack to help me handle dry spots on the trail in the increasingly hot weather. The bright light paid off already as I spotted a tick in my tent and killed it! I am finding an average of 3 – 4 ticks per day.

As Mom and Dad dropped me off at the trailhead we ran into a motorist with a blown out tire. Dad changed it with my help while Mom chatted with Dorothy. Nice to be able to help others—so often it goes the other way out here!

First three miles north out of Front Royal were as miserable as the last 3 on the south side. The trail was surrounded by tons of poison ivy. At the first shelter I had the wonderful surprise of running into Skyline and Sundance, Lucky Dog and Einstein. We hiked the next 3 together and then Lucky Dog split off. He’d done the section to Harper’s Ferry earlier this year so he was skipping ahead to the symbolic ½ way point of Harper’s Ferry where he’d hitch his way home for a few days with his wife. The rest of us headed on down the trail.

We timed the next shelter perfectly, avoiding a 20 minute thunderstorm and hanging out with a section hiker—#1 of the Spice Twins. He was from Providence, RI and shared some of his Asian crackers & awesome tortellini & mushroom soup with us. Thanks #1!

Post-rain we ambled the 4+ miles to this shelter where we hooked back up with Hoplite and met up with Pele & Moon Pie as well as a few more section hikers.

Thunderstorms are rolling through again. I am getting used to them hitting us in the afternoon & evening. This should be an easy week now starting with 16 miles tomorrow.