Day 3 - Smithsburg to Pen Mar

Was a beautiful day at almost 70° 🌞 hardly any ☁️ coverage. Met up with Explanation for lunch at the Ensign Cowall parking lot where I was kicked out for tenting the other day 😅 Saw local, Don, for the 3rd time who i truly enjoyed talking to. He later saw Explanation again and gave him a wood-carved AT tag for his pack. While there, we got to meet a family of 5 called Lovely and the Tramps, a mother and father hiking the whole trail whilst homeschooling their 3 boys ages 4, 7, and 9. You can follow them at www.appalachiantramps.com! Got another $20 shuttle today from Explanation's trail buddy, Mike, who was very generous and gave me a slice of pizza in Pen Mar and a chicken wing to boot! Patty really liked him and i sensed she was more at ease because she finally ate her breakfast around 6pm outside the Pizzeria 🙏 Sleeping in the car at a trailhead tonight near the Pen Mar Mason-Dixon line. 🌚 Full Moon tonight!
11:30pm Update: got out of the car to go pee, locking the keys, Patty, and my phone in the car behind me. I reluctantly knocked on the door of A house right next to the trail and these 2 ladies were kind enough to help me call Onstar 🙏 thank you <3 and thank God I didn't have to pry or damage anything with a crowbar 😅 looking forward to a zero day on Thursday April 25th. I haven't even hiked but the stink is getting real 😐Read more