Fugeddaboudit! I'm in Joisey!

Whe last we left our intrepid wanderers they were about to stupidly attempt an all night walk across an entire state. Well it was really fun and tiring and I managed 31.3 miles before my great friends Andy and Lisa and Rick came and whisked me off the trail for a night of home stay, Tapas and relaxation. Thank you my friends you are true trail angels. Watching the sun rise from the top of the Washington Monument in MD was a real highlight of that night.
When I got back to the trail Stickshift was hanging out at a hiker feed by some of last year's thru hikers. We got rollimg in the late afternoon and after a good sunset at High Rock we rolled across the Mason-Dixon Line into Pennsylvania. The next day we ran across a note from the Rose Sniffers inviting hikers to spend a few days with them enjoying the Fourth of July. Amy and Bill Reinke and their four kids took us in for two nights, fed us, invited us to church, took us to the town fair and fireworks and set us back on the trail. It was a most extraordinary bit of Trail magic.
Southern Pennsyslvania was kind of pretty with some nice state parks along the way. At Pine Grove Furnace I engaged in the Half Gallon Challenge, Eating 1/2 Gallon of Ice cream as quickly as you can. Managed in 41:14 with Peanut Butter swirl and we spent the rest of the daylight on the very hot day swimmimg in the lake. That night began an epic 48 hour blast to Duncannon for the Billville Pig roast. We walked mostly at night and covered 45 miles in 46 hrs which included spending the entire day in the Boiling Springs community pool before walking all night across the Cumberland Gap.
Just south of Duncannon the famous Pennsylvania rocks began. I would come to curse them and all of PA violently by the end of PA. The trail is strewn with rocks from fist to bowling ball to car sized and you often have to pick your way along on featurless ridges that stretch for 40 miles. It was not much fun.
In Duncannon I was reumited with Mad Mike, Ray and Sparky who drove in for the feed. I stayed one night at the legendary Doyle hotel. Thanks to Bag of Tricks, Jester, Walking Home, Baltimore Jack, Trail Angel Mary and the rest of the Billville crew for putting on a great event.
The descents into Duncannon and Port Clinton were precipitous and hair raising. In Port Clinton, Can Do Will Do was once again on hand to help however he could, and drove us around a bit. I pretty much dashed for the Delaware Water Gap, pausing to stay with Cathy at the marvellous Fillbert B&B in Danielsville. She and her partner were very kind and went out to get me dinner. It's a beautiful old place with a General Store museum. Very Cool!
The final descent into the Delaware Water Gap was beautiful and the town on the PA side is really neat, but I didn't have much time to enjoy because I was meeting Sherry on the NJ side so I paused for my crossing celebration and hiked on to the visitors center. She has taken me into her home for a zero day and when she arrived and found out I was hiking with some folks she insisted we turn around and bring them along to her house. Thank you Sherry, you are a true Trail Angel. Stick and I have been relaxing at her house and enjoying some home cooking and peace and quiet. I have entered my home area now and am looking forward to hitting some familiar trail when I get to New England.