Day 83, miles today- 9.5, total- 1,097.3

Birch Run Shelter to Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel, Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

Professor, ET and I started hiking this morning at 8:00 am. We hiked together most of the day together. At mile 1,092.9 we had reached the actual half way point of the trail for 2013. Each year the length of the trail changes a little bit as various improvements and additions are made. So the halfway point also changes. It feels good knowing that I've completed more miles than there are miles left,

ET and I reached the Pine Grove General Store first. This is the home of the half gallon ice cream challenge.  Thru hikers try to eat a half gallon of ice cream here after having passed the halfway point on the trail. The container they use is actually 1-1/2 quarts. They said it's no longer sold in half gallons. We were told that a tourist had paid for the ice cream for the next two hikers that came in. It was our lucky day (trail magic). I selected butter pecan. It went down pretty easy. I did take a break for a minute or two when I got down to the last dozen spoon fulls. I was definitely full. It had 2,040 calories in it. ET decided not to finish his. Professor got butter pecan as well. He finished all of his.

Next, the three of us went to the A.T. Museum that was next door. We walked around looking at the various displays. They had a video playing about the building of the A.T. I sat on a couch and watched it for fifteen minutes. They offered us brownies and other treats. It was a little soon after the ice cream, but I felt I should at least take a couple.

ET continued on the trail. Professor and I are staying here at the Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel. The owner of the Pine Grove Furnace lived in this house.  The Furnace which produced iron products was first built in 1770. The Mansion was built in 1829. The caretaker was giving a tour of the house, so Professor and I both went on the tour. After the tour was over and the other people had left, the guy took us to other parts of the house. We went through the basement and the attic. It was all very cool. The Mansion is purported to be on the Underground Railroad. In one of the closets there is a door in the floor that leads to a crawl space. The professor and I both went down the short ladder into the space. I really like old buildings, so I really enjoyed the special tour that we got. The caretaker asked me if I would be interested in working on the phone line for one section of the house that wasn't working. I told him that without tools and a tester that I wouldn't be able to.

The professor and I plan to do about 20 miles tomorrow. There's a chance of rain. Hopefully it doesn't rain all day.