This afternoon was agony. Maybe not the pure unadulterated kind, but certainly the persistent throbbing, always there in the background kind of agony. The morning walk was not bad. Lee had us back on the trail by six, and the first several miles were cool and mostly level. And whereas yesterday in 20 miles on the trail we saw no one going north, today we ran into just a slew of northbound folks: Late 4 Dinner, Cheez-it, Slim Pilgrim, Mailbox, Mission, Indy, Sleeping Beauty, Four Spoke, & Mountain Spice. [Now really, could we make this stuff up???] But the terrain took a turn for the worse at about the halfway point as we climbed down and out of Wind Gap.

Back on top of the ridge, we began walking on a version of Pennsylvania rocks that would make walking barefoot on a bed of nails pleasant by comparison: little pointy jobs so close together they could not be avoided. Never quite enough open ground to plant a foot, and only an occasional rock large enough to make a comfortable step. And all of it so much the same it would have been boring, had it not been for the dull pain…

At the end of six miles of this, the rocks grew in size to become Wolf Rocks, a minor league version of Knife Edge (which should have provided a better view than it did). After boulder hopping that line, we came back down to an easier trail to the shelter, which four sour feet were glad to see…

Some interesting folks in camp tonight, one of them being Matt “Devo” Morde, who we first met early in the morning. Matt thru hiked in 2010 with his wife Lisa “Zen” Morde and their lab mix dog. He’s just finished grad school and had the summer to do something he’s wanted to do since his thru hike: be a Ridge Runner on the AT. He works this summer as one of ten ridge runners from Shenandoah National Park to the NJ/NY line. He likes meeting hikers, and engaging them in conversation, and giving them information about the trail (especially in this dry area the location of water sources & shelters). He also looks after the Kirkridge Shelter: cleaning the fire pit, collecting trash, sweeping the shelter: all stuff he shouldn’t have to do if hikers were more into “leaving no trace.”

When asked what he’d most like to see improved, Matt said he’d like to see the fire pits gone from all the shelters along the trail. Collecting wood for fires leaves the forest floor without material to decompose and regenerate. Fire pits oftentimes become loaded with trash and non-burnables. (Matt ends up hauling that out!) But he knows that while campfires are so last century, NOT allowing fires would be a major change in the culture for many people hiking the AT.

Section hikers from Massachusetts, Sam and Ella come in shortly after us. As we are preparing dinner, in comes Recon, who lives close by and, as it turns out, has the perfect trail name. She is here to do a head count with plans to return later with Klondike Bars for dessert. Ice cream. On the AT. In July! True to her word back she comes and we enjoy the wonderful treat. Thanks, Recon!