Day Totals: 14 hrs, 28.9 kms

Date changed for geographic continuity

I'm getting close to my base camp of Chambersburg, so I'm going to go ahead and include every town in the vicinity in my Hike . That means doing a bit of a detour to the north to snag Newburg, right up against the mountainside.

First I take a quick bathroom stop at Mcdonalds where a group of about 12 older men are seated together. I notice that one of them is wearing an "NRA" cap and another guy in the group is black, so I'm curious to know what the connection among them is.

"We're retired teachers from Shippensburg University" one of them tells me.

"So are students these days better or worse than they were 30 years ago?"

"Oh--it's about the same. College students are always a bit wild--but we're greatful for them... our town's economy would be dead without them"

We chat a little bit, then I head out the door, across the street... and to my second interesting encounter of the day.

It's a little music store, packed not only with instruments, but with mementos, photos, old discs--clearly owned by someone with a real passion for music . A bald, middle age fellow asks me about my guitar (a usual conversation starter) then the conversation quickly turns to The Decline of Music in the Digital Age

"Music stores like mine are dying" he tells me "there used to be 43 bands around here--real bands. Now there are just three or four. Nowadays young people don't seriously want to learn instruments, they just want to poke around on their computers..."

We used to rent and sell instruments to schools around here. Now the schools get their instruments from big companies... Also, everybody wants to buy online. But me? I'm old school. I believe in face to face communication. I don't even have a cell phone or email."

I empathize with his frustration and nostalgia for a bygone era. But I don't agree with him entirely. I have, in fact, encountered a lot of musicians along my journey. But the one's who actually earn a living from music are pretty rare .

I head up the road towards Newburg, stopping in a cheery diner for some breakfast. It's a cold day... but the sight of a housewife in traditional Mennonite plain clothing out hanging sheets on the clothesline is a reminder that I'm entering an area with a lot of traditional folks, including buggy riding Amish.

So it comes as a bit of a surprise that Newburg doesn't have a single church along its short Main Street. There are a couple churches on the outskirts, but I'm used to seeing churches front and center in a town. My theory is that perhaps Mennonites and Amish prefer to have their churches out in the countryside rather than in the middle of town.

Nothing very remarkable about this village--thought there is a nice little garden park being built with woodcarvings and a pathway--seems like a new concept I've seen in a couple of places. Usually when Americans think of "park" they think of a place to play ball, play in the playground or have a picnic--not so much as a place to relax and enjoy the beauty ...

Subzero Windchill

I actually split this hike in half, doing the other half on a separate day. It snowed recently and there's a subzero windchill (Farenheit), but I feel the need to get out and reconnect with my alternate Adventure Life for a couple of hours at least.

So I head out, park my car in Orrstown and bike to Newburg, feeling pretty proud of myself for braving this fierce weather. The landscape is a stark black and white. Wind has blown snow back over the road and a new storm cloud is coming in over the mountains. I feel like a rugged outdoorsman, out all alone like this. But then I see something that changes my perspective entirely.

There's a wooden fence, and what looks like a row of very old fashioned bicycles on the other side. No....they're foot scooters, not bicycles. Across the yard is a simple one room building.

Oh! Of course! an Amish schoolhouse! I've been hoping to come across one of these on my hike .

Then it hits me: these kids came on these same snow covered roads in subzero wind chill... on foot scooters, probably a couple miles (homes are spaced far apart here). And they do this every day. No way to "call in" to see if it's a snow day, because they don't use phones.

My first feeling is admiration. These kids are tough and make a huge effort to come to school, in contrast with your typical American youngster. I think it can be good for parents to teach their kids to rough it a bit and get used to dealing with the elements--as long it doesn't put them at risk.

But then I think: why are they really doing this? Why do they make their kids go to school on foot scooters in the freezing weather? Is it because they really believe that this is the way they are supposed to live?

Well... I'm not sure. I haven't had the opportunity to ask them . But I've spoken to people, like Jonathan on my Newville-Shippensburg hike, who have spent time with them and they tell me that, no, many Amish can't really explain why they have have all these rules. They're just rules they have to follow without questioning or analyzing. And the consequences of not following the rules are pretty drastic: you get shunned by the church, which means you get thrown out from the only family and community you've known into the world which you've always been told is evil and dangerous.

Oh, and you'll spend eternity in hell.

This makes me wonder, is it really about "holding to tradition" and "living a pure lifestyle" or is this more about control? Why such severe consequences? I've seen this in many different cultures--a small group of people making up a bunch of rules that they forces others to follow without questioning. And the more I think about it, the less charming and romantic the Amish lifestyle seems .

Different Amish sects have different rules. The exact measurements of their clothes. Whether they can use bicycles or only have to stick to foot scooters and buggies. Whethere their buggy can ben enclosed or if it has to be open and exposed to the elements. Whether they can use reflective colors on their buggies for safety, or if that's "too vain".

Many Americans have this fascination and admiration for the Amish culture. We see beautiful aspects of their culture that it seems have gotten lost in Modern America: a close sense of community, strong work ethic... the ability to be self sufficient... making our own clothes and tools... growing and preserving our own food... children who always obey and respect their parents...

I also admire families who opt to live a traditional lifestyle--as long as its THEIR CHOICE. If people are only doing it because they're threatened with shunning or hellfire if they choose otherwise ... well I must say I feel more pity than admiration.

But perhaps I need to dig a bit deeper before I can pass judgment.

A horse and buggy speed past me. This one is enclosed and has reflective tape in back. So I guess you might call him a "liberal" Amish...

I continue along the snow swept road. Past a farmhouse with sheets blowing in the clothesline in subzero wind...

Finally I reach Orrstown, a tiny village with a large, modern bank chain named after it. It seems a little ironic that they use the Amish buggy as their bank's logo...