Williamsburg to State College

May 22nd -

My lovely wife edited the last one from Everett to Williamsburg but it seems to have disappeared! (here is a new one). After leaving the library in Williamsburg I had to find a place to set up my tent. There is a rail trail from Williamsburg to Alexandra with the Little Junita river running along side. The MST runs along this bike and hike path. I followed it for 30 minutes and found a nice place with a picnic table thrown in on the deal. I set my tent up late since I wasn't sure if I was allowed to camp.

That night a cold fog came in and the croaking of the frogs put me to sleep. Next morning I was up early and walking by 6:00 am. Along the path which used to be a canal in the 1800's I came upon a community that wasn't there any more. There was a large iron furnace with a 100 families living there, working the blast furnaces. All that remains is a large stone boarding house.

As I hung my tent out to dry and to get a little food, a biker showed up. Hester Fink who has been riding and walking since he was almost killed in a tractor trailer accident. After breaking his back the doctors said he would never walk again, but here he is.

As I got close to the end of the bike/rail trail 5 people gave me 5 different directions to the continuing MST. One had me running across Route 22. I think they had bets that I wouldn't make it without a truck squishing me. I found the trail and it went straight up the mountain. Then through a lovely wooded forest. Then I came down to the town of Barrie which had its' twists and turns.

No one in town had heard of the trail. As I was walking back from a wrong turn Ron pulled up and offered me cold drinks. He was on a fishing trip with the Methodist church. The river is supposed to be hard to fish so maybe prayers will help.

I found the trail and again it went straight up to the Tussey Mtns. It followed the ridge. The rocky ridge like the back of a dragon. Lichen covered rocks flat and on an angle, thousands of ways to trip you up.

By 5:00 pm I was thinking about finding water and some flat ground for my tent and my carcass to be parked. I noticed the trail crossed the road and the map showed springs. I came to the dirt forest road and started to walk down towards State College. A red car came driving up in the distance. Gregory had the day off and was throwing back a few beers as he drove through the country. I found out that the road I was on was not the right road to be on. My map which is just 1 year old doesn't show it right. I needed to go back about a mile.

Gregory's red Merc car was piled high with everything you could think of and not. There was just enough room for my pack in the back seat. I sat on the trunk and hung on to the crack in the trunk. With my feet resting on the bumper Gregory took off in a cloud of dust-and a Hi OH Red. I was like in the band but facing the wrong way.

Gregory dropped me off at the next forest road and told me of some hunting camps along this long road. The camps would have running spring water. By 6:00 pm I saw a camp and walked down to a vacant camp-except for the porkypine. He was determined to chew through the out house door and eat some salty wood. The camp had a picnic table and a flat spot for my tent. During the night Mr. Porky must not have heard about cutting down on salt. I could hear that bugger chewing away-even on the Hardy trim, which is concrete.

This morning I walked for 4 hours when a truck pulled up and asked directions to state college. Maybe we could find it together. After dropping me off at the outside of town I walked for 5 minutes when a woman stopped and took me to downtown. I took a long bath, in fact I fell asleep in the bath. I will hang for one day. I am at 814-237-4406 and I'll be here until Monday morning