They say PA is where boots go to die. Mine did. Along with my pack. And my new headlamp. And my especially new sleepingbag liner. Overall PA is not especially interesting. 14 days later however I am taking a long weekend and moving on to Jersey.
Day 1
I was liberally Trail-Magic'ed and stayed at Quarry Gap shelter, where not only was the structural layout amazing, but I dare saythe community of and among hikers rivaled all other nights.
Day 2
The Midpoint Marker reached at last, the Half Gallon Challenge beaten, I swam laps in the lake. After a few hours that is.
Day 3
With an early start to another scortcher of a day I made Boiling Springs by 3pm and collapsed in the shade of the ATC porch and in the aquaduct for 4-5 hours til I was picked up by friends from Harrisburg.
Day 4
A substitute pack was secured and resupplied from the very limited options in all the Capitol City, the time throughout the day being shared among the company of Heather, Greg and Nathan, then later with Steph and Jess who returned me to the Trail for my first night hike, planned in my efforts to circumvent the heat of summerdays across the open fields.
Note: Night hiking is not a good idea. The epic near-fail is however near famous among my hiking community.
Day 5
Still hiking from my night hike gone awry I was persuaded to call it quits at 3pm in Duncannon. Lodging at The Doyle is quite a piece of trail culture.
Day 6
Crossing the Susquehanna I was repeatedly swooped and scolded by a Peregrine Falcon. Returned to ridgeline hiking and camped at an unnamed spring with Crazy Goose & Ducky, all still perplexed at what whatever was going on at Peters Mountain Shelter this afternoon, but moving on.
Day 7
Hiked alot of mile without seeing anyone. The one I did see this morning was surprizing. It's always surprizing to see Lemur coming from behind cause I'm sure he's way ahead and ever increasingly so. At the final stram crossing there was no bridge and it took all my ropes course prowess to cross the log down-stream unscathed and un-flung-into-the-creek. Then hauled a gallon of water up the mountain and dont know where I camped for there were no landmarks up top. but I found a nice little dirt alcove established among the poison ivy.
Day 8
Soon discovered myself to be farther along the ridge then I expected. Mission#1- water, mission#2- Hertline Campsite's reservior, mission#3- top of the hill, which wasn't nearly the effort I remembered of before. All the while followed from ahead I felt up to pulling a whole 22 miles to Eagles Nest Shelter, with a little view out back that I enjoyed alone.
Day 9
Walked out the ridge and descended into Port clinton for my maildrop, albeit shorter than other descents notably the steepest I can recall since Georgia. apparentlynobody ever told PA about switchbacks. Merrill boots were being held for me at Cabellas. On an otherwise miserably hot day the only place to be wasin or beside the river, and with many others I stayed the night in the town's pavilion there.
Day 10
Hit the Trail early to beat the heat up the mountain. Made it clear that I am hiking my own hike and am not part of any "we" no matter how repeatedly or publically someone else speaks it. Saw my first copperhead of the trip as I was collecting water. Placed my rock atop the Pinnacle and took in the associated view. Collapsed exhausted of just 15 miles hiking in the makeshift chase-lounge in the illustrious Eckville Shelter, undecided, dreading and demoralized by reports of Lehigh Gap in the near future.
Day 11
Hit the Trail even earlier hoping to pull off a 25 mile day as my best shot at Lehigh Gap the next. Miraculously I had 12 miles done by 11am. Lunched with 6 other hikers at the B&B crossing 309. Didnt care who out paced me and kicked it into low-gear, prefering preservation of my hydration and core temperature. Best Trail Magic Ever: someone left jugged water in the middle of nowhere. Not til mile 23 did only my knees and feet beging wishing to be done for the day. Spent a lovely stormy evening at a well-watered shelter, just the 2nd time since Georgia I've had a shelter all to myself. Town pulls all others 2 miles further.
Day 12
crossed the river below. Found a business dayplanner on the concrete barrier and my super-good deed for the daywas to return it either by rendezvous today or mail tomorrow. And so with my gallon of water I stashed this as well in my pack and hauled over Lehigh Gap- which was like Albert the (expletive deleted) Wall times 3- not as long or exhausting as I was led to believe. The exposure though, I was glad I didnt know about that ahead of time, cause that was unnerving at ta few points. Then there was tick-infested grasslands, a very happy businessman awaiting me in Little Gap, a shady hot afternoon in the woods, the most unusual side trip to water ever, and a great conversation with Night Train the few miles before I called it a day at the shelter, an annual Bluegrass Fest in the distance.
Day 13
Rain. Warm, light rain though. The newly acquired sleepingbag liner has holes in it already. I'm super frustrated with most gear companies at this point, nor do I know what to do about getting a remake of eyeglasses before The Whites. But I'll get to Maine somehow in the next few months. An easy hike down into Wind Gap and 2 easy hiches in and out of an errand in town, the combination of thinking things out and wet lichen-covered rocks bogged me down thereafter. But no blisters in wet socks and boots all day, new boots even. Spent the late afternoon into evening reclined in a shelter watching the rain and conversing intermittently with Johnny from Tennessee who sections hikes on his vacation each year and will eventually himself complete the remaining 900 miles and counting of A.T.
Day 14
Easily knocked out a short half-day hike into Delaware Water Gap through a foggy green tunnel. A few white rhododendron blooms remained for me. I thought I remebered Mt. Minsi as painfully rocky, but bounced down it like What is this- Babystuff? Church of the Mountains Hostel I found BudHeavy and Jukebox departing, Pajama, Gas Cap and Nathan enjoying, and then a hot shower. The one thing I can think of specifically anticipating of my trek from Georgia to Maine besides the I-70 overpass is a basket of tree-ripened peaches in the pie bakery in town. Absolutely delicious. New socks and fuel canisters at Edge of the Woods Outfitter, I slept on the couch and caught up on some writing til nightfall when Karen picked me up for a few days rest at Spruce Lake before I go on to discover what Jersey holds.
From the Trail PA is the least interesting and least diverse of states thus far and probably of all to come. But at least they get us from Harpers Ferry to the Water Gap as directly and painlessly as possible. Also, on the whole, I don't think it's as rocky as they say, but I'm from a county adjacent to WVa and have already been to the Whites so perhaps my oppinion on this shouldn't count.
And now I have camp friends to rejoin for one final evening in familiar surroundings between here and Katahdin.
Just beautiful!
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