but phone died, making it look like on my Strava app I zip-lined my return hike back to the Garland Monument. Now back home

Knew it was going to rain, but dared the skies, within minutes of stepping on the AT it went from a warm, blue skied day to waves of grey clouds but didn't start raining yet. Talked to an AT through-hiker first though, right then and there, headed southbound said he was going to hike through next year, a winter hike. I did an "oh wow" and he explained he did a lot of snowboarding so was ready for it.. Me: OKaaay. I told him I know you're in a hurry and tried to bid him adieu mentioning a lot of times I've felt the clock ticking in through-hikers heads but he was like "yeah, I'm not in a hurry."

Correct answer, good vibes, I liked that. I didn't get his picture this time, but 4th time now I've gotten into a good conversation on the trail. Good luck to him, he's past halfway but Smokies and all can be pretty nasty in the winter, told him "I'll be with you all the way."

Got to the "original" Washington Monument in Washington Co. Interesting feature w/a good view of course and then returned to the Garland Monument. Perfect timing too, got back to my car ~ 4:20, changed, and the rain started to come pretty heavy around 4:40*

South Mountain Creamery was on the same backroads to this access point, Not being patronizing, really good stuff, this was peanut butter/chocolate chip/pretzels ~ $6. 'course it's an actual working farm where the cows are, so a whiff of manure with your ice cream. I would happily get back, but it will never be this convenient again.



PS: A weird side story is the that South Mountain Creamery bought another farm called Trickling Springs in Chambersburg, PA. The latter's owners to quote:

According to federal prosecutors, Philip Riehl, the majority owner of the former Trickling Springs Creamery, ran a long-running fraud scheme that preyed on hundreds of Amish and Mennonite investors, the AP reported at the time. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, the report said.

I read elsewhere the fraud was like $60M. Amish investors? Mennonites? $60M? Holy carp. South Mountain Creamery purchased it after all the shenanigans.

*Rain has finally caught up with me an hour east.






















[Post edited by `lag at 11/19/2021 12:38PM]