7-15-2009 Wed

Start point: Yellow Springs Village Site
End point: 501 Shelter
miles hiked: 22

Shameless came along just as I was getting done packing up. They had all camped about 3 miles back. Ziggy showed up next and we all hiked out seperately and met up again near Rausch Creek where we all had lunch. They were all talking about going to a motel with a pool today, but I really wanted to make some miles so I resisted the urge to join them. When I got to Swatara Bridge, right near where the trail runs under I-81 there was a college aged girl and a photographer taking somewhat risque photos. I talked to her and she had been doing modeling the last couple years, so that was kinda funny to me, I just ran across a photo shoot on the AT. Typical of what you'd imagine, hot girl, creepy looking dude with a camera. This 501 Shelter that I decided to try and make it to was pretty interesting, it is fully enclosed with a sunroof, a solar shower out back, a caretaker that lives in a house next to it, and talk of a pizza place that would deliver there. I found out the number of the pizza place from the register in the shelter before it and called, they only delivered till 9. It was 7:30, so I hauled ass and made it 4miles in an hour, basically speed walking (not easy with a 30+pound pack and rocky terrain). Got there in time, ate a whole 14inch medium with pepperoni and bell pepper. Lots of familiar faces staying there, Manimal had a guitar and played some tunes while everyone was sitting around the fire. He let me do my song and it actually came out better than it ever has. Me and Time Bomb talked some and made a plan to hike out together early the next morning. The caretaker was a nutjob, he had a gun holstered on his belt, wouldn't let anybody burn their pizza boxes (but said we could throw em in the street for all he cared, as long as it wasn't on park property), and before I got there I was told he was bragging about using mace on some hikers last year that broke the rules.