They may make the local news. They’ll give the trail some publicity: their frozen bodies found just off the trail, mangled from crawling through the thorn covered vines, their pillow cases full of crap abandoned nearly a mile away.

I came up to them laying on the trail, arms as pillows beneath their heads. They are free and that is all that matters.

“Where you headed?”

“Virginia,” they say enthusiastically.

The big one looks at my pack. “You have enough food to get to Virginia?”

“Oh, god no,” I respond. “It’s going to rain you know.”

“Oh I guess we better get moving again.” They hop up and grab their pillows of what they call ‘gear’.

I can see the headlines. In a couple weeks: Two Pennsylvania Boys run from home have not been seen in three weeks.

In three weeks: Boys found on Appalachian trail, bodies mangled.

Their wet jeans and hoodies won’t do too much to insulate them from the cold. Their excitement won’t save them from the harm their naivety causes them. But we’ll see. I hope they leave the trail before it reaches that point.

I passed my friends today. I really enjoyed having companionship for a few days but I cannot afford to hike their pace.

So I am at the shelter alone again, nice fire rolling.

Today I hiked up on a lifeless ridgeline which was contaminated by a heavy metal processing plant just down the mountain. Now declared and EPA Superfund site, zinc and cadmium and other metals I guess made it nearly impossible for life to grow up here. Since the plant ran for nearly a century, the damage is pretty significant. The ridgeline is just a grassy plain with a few evergreen trees growing. Lifeless stumps scatter the plain, evidence that a forest did grow here some 100 years ago.

I dropped down into Lehigh gap to cross the Lehigh river. This descent is said to be one of the hardest sections south of New Hampshire but I don’t think I recall anything quite that insane anywhere. If I ever meet the guy who decided it would be a good idea to put a trail going down that 60 degree boulder field with crumbling scree, first I would shake his hand. I would say “Sir, that was so much fun. I really enjoyed myself, you gave me quite a challenge, mix things up a bit.” Then seconds later I would slap him across the face as hard as I could. ” Are you insane?! I could have died up there! One misstep and my leg is lodged in two boulders, me dangling, sheer cliff beneath me, my spot satellite messenger with its 911 button a mere foot away from the furthest reach of my hand. Seriously man! Get real. The Appalachian trail conservancy gives you 10 miles of trail to establish and maintain and look where you put it!”