Appalachian Trail (day 50) - Rocky Ridge to Cove Mountain Shelter / mile 1146

Another efficient day sponsored by Pennsylvania's easy terrain and good weather.

I've walked down from the Rocky Ridge campsite in the morning straight to the town called Boiling Springs and had an amazing mexican skillet breakfast in Cafe 101. I've met few other thru hikers here, Freewill and Packrunner with whom I've stayed at Thru It All church two days ago and G. a very friendly guy from Georgia, he started hiking in February. Freewill and Packrunner were travelling at similar pace to me but they clearly were moving faster through Pennsylvania as I've seen them running past me few hours later! They've been hiking Appalachian Trail for the third time, absolute nutters in the best possible sense of the word of course!

The trail was very flat and it was going through the farmlands it really reminded me of hiking through the English countryside. There was a farmhouse shop called Trail View Market along the way, where kids dressed in very traditional outfits were selling eggs, homemade ice-cream, gatorade and raw milk! I've bought a gatorade and cookie and cream ice-cream for 4$, they were really tasty.

I've caught up with G. in the afternoon and spend hiking with him rest of the day. He was the same age as me and worked in digital film production most of his life, he heard about AT few years ago and it didn't left his mind ever since. We arrived at the campsite and shelter at 6 PM and had a dinner with few other "flip flopping" thru hikers who only started their journey few days ago in Harper's Ferry. They had lots of questions and seemed very friendly, it was great to try and help them from an "experienced" point of view.

There was a small cooler with trail magic by the road earlier today, while I was there sipping a coke a guy introducing himself as Sam the Jam approached me and handed me "the best bagel in Pennsylvania" after which he drove off. I've had it for supper with egg, cheese and mayonnaise and I can confirm that it was the best bagel I've ever had, thank you Sam the Jam you really made my day!

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