June 24, 2004

Waking at a great campsite around 8:00 a.m., I tootled around this morning enjoying my residency in the Pennsylvania woods.  I planned to hike only 11 miles today because RadioFlyer was meeting Bear and me for a weekend get-together.  As I hiked towards my six mile marker, I spotted Bear sitting on the back of a white GMC pickup truck.  RadioFlyer had met us early and treated us to the first of three days of trail magic.  I hugged a clean-shaven, clean smelling man, with a stylish haircut dressed in cotton clothing and sunglasses!  RadioFlyer had undergone a total physical transformation!  But...his huge smile hadn't changed.  Bear and I shared trail tales of our past two weeks with RadioFlyer.  RadioFlyer shared his experiences of being off the trail.

I enjoyed a Diet Dew and fresh fruit, courtesy of RadioFlyer, before hiking my final five miles into Caledonia State Park.  Upon arrival, we selected our campsite before driving into town to pick up our bounce box and eating at Ryan's Steakhouse.  I rode in the back of the pickup lazily enjoying the gorgeous day.  It felt strange to be accepting a ride from someone who had hiked 750 miles with me over the past two months.  At lunch, RadioFlyer watched us dig into our meals and said, "Wow, is that what I used to look like?"  Bear and I must have been really, REALLY engulfing our plates of food! 

I slept during the ride back to the park.  We unloaded the truck. RadioFlyer had packed a REAL, good-sized tent instead of his small, lightweight tarp tent. We unloaded two coolers and a huge Rubbermaid tub filled with food.  We unloaded cozy chairs (with backs on them), a grill, and many other car camping items.  I did not pitch my tent tonight.  Instead, I slept in the backseat of RadioFlyer's truck and enjoyed a leather mattress, complete with cupholder!  I tried to coax RadioFlyer into using his pillow.  "No way," he said.  "Out here we're all equals."