From Boiling Springs, PA to Culver's Gap, NJ (07/04-07/19)

Wow! So lots has happened since the last time I updated! Eric and I left Boiling Springs alone. The girls went home for a week to work and Jesse is still off the trail (also working). We had a lot of fun spending some time alone on the trail... but it was a rough week! Pennslyvania was full of rocks (really painful ones that were no fun to hike over), and it was REALLY hot, and there was a major lack of water on the trail for about 2 weeks. We got into Duncannon, PA where we stayed at the Doyle Motel. It was 105 years old and the motel was above the bar. The people there were awesome and very hiker friendly. We also met Trailangel Mary, who lived right down the road, and helped us get to the grocery store. She's part of Billville, and they were doing a big hiker feed the following weekend, but we unfortunately couldn't make our way back for it. We had some more trail magic leaving there when a younger couple we met gave us a 6 pack of Blue Moon :) Eric was pretty excited about that!

Anyways, we made it into Port Clinton, PA and Jesse came to pick us up and take us to Pittsburg for a couple days. We stayed at the Port Clinton Motel, which was another bar with rooms, but we had a blast meeting and talking to the regulars there. The bartender Ed was great! The girls met us up there, along with Eric's brother and his fiancee. I finally have met his family!! His brother, Eli, and fiancee, Julie, were very nice and we had a blast in the city! We played a little frisbee golf, we walked around downtown (or rather in the REI), and hit up a few bars our last night there. We stayed with Jesse's sister and cousin who lived in the city. It was really fun, and I know Eric really enjoyed getting to see Eli!

So, the four of us (me, Eric, Left It, and Speakeasy... and her dog Claire, so five really) are back on the trail together, which makes things so much easier! We've continuously battled the rocks of PA and we're so excited to be done!! We crossed the border into New Jersey a couple days ago. New Jersey has been interesting so far. Our first stop in the state is here. There were a couple taverns and restaurants around the intersection with the trail. The first place we went to, we were told (very rudely) that we would have to stay outside if we wanted anything. We left JYBS (the name of the place), with a foul taste and were starting to think that NJ was going to be just as sterotypical as its played out to be. After being called "pungent" by the bartender and having a couple of low life types tell us to "try soap and water" we assumed NJ was not going to be friendly and we should just try to hike right on through.

We went next door to a family restaurant, and we were treated WORLDS different!! The bartender was super nice to us, they had a hiker log, and we met some really friendly and interesting locals. We actually befreinded a man named Chris, whose family (wife Sandra and son Jullian) took us in and gave us an AC filled room to sleep and showers and whatnot. They have been really great, and we're getting ready to take off from their house now. They treated us amazingly, and we had a good time drinkin with chris and hanging out with Jullian! New Jersey has started to redeem itself with people like this!!

Well, all for now! We should be able to update sooner next time!!