Dates ........ TUE APR 27, 1999
Miles ........ 14.3 miles
From ........ Boiling Springs across Cumberland Valley, I 81, PA turnpike, Rt 11
To ............. DARLINGTON shelter on top of BLUE MOUNTAIN
Weather ... 40’s to 70, sunny. Cool breeze

TUE APR 27, 1999

This area is infested with WOOD TICKS. I wiped a dozen of them off my tent as I put it away and during the day pick another dozen off my pants. Breakfast - 2 jumbo convenience store hot dogs and great coffee, then sponge bathe and shave in the men’s room. Bought sock liners at fishing store, mailed package home, visited AT regional office and headed out. This is different hiking through farmland, fields, along streams and hedgerows, over highways and in flatland woods. Not so rocky down here.

Then, across the valley, start steeply up BLUE MTN. Near the top of the rock strewn (indeed, rock steps in many places) switchback is a gorgeous overlook with a huge boulder where you can see across the valley to the mountain you were on the day before. That was my REWARD and raised my spirits to new levels. ABSOLUTE JOY. The Darlington shelter is a porcupine eaten, weather-beaten older shelter on top of a lonely windswept mountain. The porkies ate half of the toilet seat and much of the rest of any other available grease or salt spotted wood. It’s a haul down to the spring but there was the needed water. I filled my spare ziploc bags to prevent having to make another trip. Absolutely no one else was here. Just me, mice, the wind, and the faint noises coming up from the valley. Lonely, but peaceful. Beautiful sunset. Good night’s sleep.