Day 313 Day Totals: 16 hrs, 32.8 kms
Actual date: Sept 30, 2015 This gap in my Superhike I let sit for a long time hoping to have some company to enjoy the beautiful Appalachian Trail again . It was worth the wait.
First I have to hike through Benderstown, a quiet village which will be my last for a while... then follow a road up into the forest where I finally re-connect with the Appalachian Trail. Here I bid farewell to the wide open plains of Adams county. Sixteen towns... Seven days... 150+ kilometers... It was quite a journey through this region rich in history and culture (OK... relatively speaking--compared to other other American counties, but not so much compared to, say, Italy...)
Now it's back to enjoying the peaceful quiet of nature...
... And meet some interesting people. I pause to strum by a beautiful little lake in Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Where a young lady and her grandfather come to walk their dog.
"She's going through a rough time" the grandfather tells me "could she come listen to your music?" I readily agree.
After playing a song I ask if she's ever tried to play the guitar.
"I tried once but it didn't work out"
Maybe playing music might even be more helpful than listening to music to get her through whatever she's struggling with ... so we do a quick impromtu lesson. I teach her a couple of chords and she picks them up very quickly. So I go ahead and show a couple of combinations she could use to compose her own songs.
I don't know if anyone has been turned into a songwriter in just one guitar lesson, but why not give it a try? 
"Send me an link when you compose your first song," I ask her.
The Appalachian Trail Volunteers
Right up the ridge is a beautiful stone house which contains a small museum dedicated to the Appalachian Trail. This is close to the halfway mark of the trail--so reaching here is a big accomplishment to "Through-hikers", people who are hiking the whole trail between Maine and Georgia in just one trip. 
Not exactly something I can boast about--but hey... my global "Hike" is pretty impressive too, isn't it?
"Are you going to play some music for us? Three friendly folks inside ask me. They are volunteers who share a passion for the Appalachian Trail.
There's a whole culture that's about The Trail." They tell me, "we have our own vocabulary and everything . I love this job because we never know who we're going to meet--the other day a family of seven came by--they were all hiking the trail together!"
I explained a bit about my personal "Trail" and played my anthem song "It Means Nothing". They kindly gave me an Appalachian Trail bandana. It was heartwarming to feel an instant connection with people who share that passion for experiencing this beautiful world on foot.
"The Appalachian Trail is something that grows on you. Once you experience it, you just can't get away from it. I plan to spend the rest of my life involved with the trail." the manager of the museum tells me.
The P.O.W Interrogation Camp.
The next segment I will hike with Tim Franklin, a fellow musician with whom I have a lot in common. We've enjoyed some great discussions about critical thinking, faith, and the Great Questions of the Universe. He's already joined me for a hike segment around Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, and today he's joining me again.  
It's raining, but we won't let that dampen our spirits as we head off into the woods . The leaves are startin to change colors and there are little bubbling streams all along the trail, so it is still a beautiful walk.
"Actually, dark, rainy weather is perfect for where we're going" I tell Tim.
And where is that? It's the ruins of a World War II battle site.
World War II?! This is Pennsylvania, not Transylvania, right? How is that possible?
Yes, it's true. But it was a different sort of battle fought here. It was a battle of the mind. This is where German and Japanese prisoners were brought to be "questioned" at this secretive POW camp.
"Just asking them a few questions..." Tim says sardonically.
Little is left of the camp now, which gives plenty of room for the imagination. We wander around and find remains of walls, stairs, a basement, a mysterious five pointed star in the concrete and a pillar in what looks like a fountain of sorts, and we try to guess what kind of treatment these prisoners received.  
I imagine most people would look at a place like this and shrug "hey, the end justifies the means . We won, didn't we?" But I prefer to think of how folks on the other side must have felt with physical and psychological wounds that remained untreated and ignored.
I wonder what dark secrets are hidden in this place that perhaps will never be known to the world.  
On through the Forest
We continue on, to where we come across a quaint little artificial pond with water flowing down a rock and cement slope--a pleasant return to the simpler things of life. The rain has stopped, and the hike becomes more enjoyable, through the rainbow of fall hues. We talk about our dreams, aspirations and struggles. Tim is very skilled and knowledgeable in many aspects of recording, performing and songwriting, and being around him inspires me to think of what I need to do to take my music to the next level...
... Not that wandering around the world playing music on park benches isn't inspiring enough...
Finally we reach Shippensburg Rd where we parked the car, and call it a day.