The OFFICIAL Halfway Point

(Phone Message Transcribed by Bethany)



We’ve made it halfway! Today is Tuesday July 10, 2007 and I’m calling from mile 1,087.9 Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania. Today Figgy and I crossed the official halfway point. We are now closer to Katahdin, Maine than we are to where we started back on Springer Mountain, Georgia.



We’ve had a little drama on the trail since I made the call yesterday. It turns out that Pennsylvania state legislature is having a budget crisis which put a freeze on all state park spending. What that meant for us, was that Pine Grove Furnace State Park, as far as we knew was closed today, they were certainly closed yesterday on the 9^th, but when we showed up today the budget had been approved and they were open! That made it possible for me to participate in the half gallon challenge which is a writ of passage for any northbound AT thru hiker. I sat down with a half gallon of Neapolitan ice cream and I finished it in 26 minutes and 52 seconds. (Impressive!?!) We were joined by our friends Google and Sunshine who also joined in the fun.

In other news, we woke up this morning and noticed that our shoes are nearing the end of their life because our knees are feeling a bit stiff and our feet sore. It looks like we are just in time to receive our new shoes which will be coming to us at the end of the week. We will use a total 4 pairs each for the trip, which is right on track for what we expected. Rather than 1 pair of heavy, blister creating, leather boots, for about the same price, we have been using light weight running shoes which have been working amazing for us. We have only had one blister between the two of us for the whole trip so far!



We expect to reach Boiling Springs Pennsylvania tomorrow afternoon and we will enjoy a ‘zero’ day the following. I am feeling invigorated and refreshed after our swim here at Fuller Lake in the park, and we are going to enjoy a leisurely stroll as we put on a few more miles before we camp tonight.

That’s the news for now. Over and Out.