Leaving MD and Entering PA

I started hiking on Tuesday (6-7) at 7 AM.  This is the start of week 12 in this adventure.  I visited Washington Monument State Park.  It was built as the first monument to George Washington.  The bottle-shaped structure was built in 1827.

In the morning I saw my fourth black snake and in the afternoon I saw my fifth.  This one was thick and about four feet long.  Thankfully both of them slithered off the trail without me intervening.  I ate lunch at the Pogo Memorial Campsite.  After lunch I had an hour nap and it was just what I needed.  Just before reaching my final destination for the day at the Raven Rock Shelter, the AT took a very steep ascent.  I reached the shelter at 6:25 PM and went 18.8 miles for the day.  On Wednesday (6-8) I started hiking for the day at 7:00 AM.  It was in the 90's and also very humid.  At 8:15 AM I left Maryland and entered Pennsylvania.  I took a picture of the Mason-Dixon line.

I had lunch at Antietam Shelter at 12:30 PM.  I completed 40 miles in Maryland in just over two days.  MD is the sixth state I have completed and the least difficult one.  It was less rocky and steep than the others.  At 7 PM I reached US 30 in Fayetteville, PA.  I walked .3 miles to an Italian restaurant for a calzone, chocolate milkshake, and an ice cream cone.  After walking back to the AT, I set up my tent just off the trail near Route 30.  I hiked 22.8 miles.  Thursday (6-9) started early at 5:45 AM when I started hiking.  In order to get to the halfway marker on the trail and reach a recommended hostel, I knew I had to start the day bright and early.  I got lost in Caledonia State Park because the signage was poor and lost about an hour of time trying to get myself straightened around.  I had lunch at Birch Run Shelter and met a Bowling Green grad from Mansfield, OH.  I got to the halfway marker at 2:30 PM.

I reached Pine Grove Furnace State Park and had ice cream at 3:30 PM.  I stayed at the Ironmaster's Hostel for $27.50 which includes a spaghetti dinner and waffles in the morning.  I hiked 19.9 miles.