Weekly Overview
Day 64
July 5, 2019
- Route: Pine Grove Furnace State Park (Mile 1104.6) to Boiling Springs, PA (Mile 1131.8)
- Daily Mileage: 18.4 miles
I did my best to get up early today because the drive back to the trail was close to 200 miles. I was feeling rejuvenated after my visit with family and ready to hike. Unfortunately though, it would take four long hours of driving back to the rental car agency in Carlisle, PA plus another hour of waiting there before I would get dropped off again at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. So, I wan’t actually back on trail until close to 2 pm.
I found myself back in front of the park store where I’d gorged myself on ice cream just a few day ago, and I came to accept today was not going to be high mileage day. First up, I had to traverse, this 700-acre park. Pine Grove Furnace gets its name from an old iron furnace that operated on this land from 1764 until 1985. So, I was curious to stop and see the furnace. It surprised me with its sized, and it still looks to be in good condition it is still in after 121 years of use.
The Appalachian Trail Museum is also located in the park just beyond the park store. This museum contains all sorts of exhibits devoted to the early founders of the trail. It even has one of Earl Shaffer’s original AT shelters sitting right in the middle of the museum. I’d already visited the museum with Odie where I was here a few days ago, so I kept walking past today.
BACK ON THE TRAIL
Once out of the park, the AT climbed for a bit up to some rocky outcroppings, but the terrain still reminded me a lot of Maryland. There were lots of road crossings, a railroad to cross, and then some short, steep hills this afternoon. And there was even one short section with some minor rock scrambling.
I didn’t take many pictures along the way today because I wanted to try to make it as far as possible before dark. It was all typical AT fare though, with the exception of an Center Point Knob. On this hilltop sits a giant boulder with a black plaque inset into the rock.
This summit marked the original center point of the AT when the trail was completed in 1937. Although the plaque is a replica of the original one that sat here years ago, and it definitely looked like something from a different era. I can only imagine how many thru-hikers have passed this spot over the past 80+ years.
After Center Point Knob, the trail descended toward a bunch of large corn fields. These fields really reminded me of the midwest, and I could see a storm off in the distance moving my way as I walked the final miles toward Boiling Springs.
There was a giant sign on the edge of the fields which explained that the lands were being farmed to “maintain the historic, pastoral setting along the trail.” Just below it was a warning to hikers asking us not to deviate from the footpath because the farmers use pesticides during their growing season. As much as I really need to treat my hiking clothes and gear with permetirin to deter ticks, I’m pretty sure walking across pesticide-treated field was not an adequate substitute.
A FAMILIAR FACE
The town of Boiling Springs is located right next to the trail, and it’s a pretty hiker-friendly place. The Regional ATC Headquarters is here, and I’d read that the locals even set up a backpacker’s campground right on the edge of town. It was was supposed to have with room for about 10-15 hikers, and they even put a porta-a-potty out there for us to use too (read: one less cathole to dig).
When I arrived at the campground, it was already dusk and the place was pretty full. Luckily, I found a spot on the edge of the group and set up my tent as quickly as possible. I was starving after my first day back on trail, and I wanted to get into Boiling Springs to see about getting a slice before the pizzeria closed at 9 pm.
As I set off for town and my much-desired pizza, it was just starting to rain and it was nearly dark. Just as I crossed over the river, I saw two hikers walking toward me illuminated under a street light. One of them was carrying a case of beer, and as he approached I saw that it was Kurt. Holy cow! I hadn’t seen him since Fontana Dam right before we went into the Smokies. That was close to 850 miles ago!
As we stood under the street lamp catching up, he introduced me a thru-hiker named Moss who he’d been hiking with recently. He also shared that hadn’t seen Meow for a while. She had to get of trail to a family funeral and then got a bad case of the flu. So, now she’s about 140 miles behind him. What’s more, he has a trail name now. Even though he’d been resisting taking a trail name the first few weeks on trail, he was now named Brave Little Toaster (or just ‘Toaster’ for short).
Wow! It’s so wild to see someone you started the trail with but haven’t seen for weeks. Whenever these long absences occur, you begin to wonder if the person is even still on the AT. But, here he was. Good old Kurt….I mean, Toaster.
Day 65
July 6, 2019
- Route: Boiling Springs, PA (Mile 1131.8) to Duncannon, PA (Mile 1148.6)
- Daily Mileage: 25.6 miles
While I was out getting my slice of pizza last night, the rain storm I’d seen in the distance finally arrived, and boy did it pour. I’d taken my hiking shirt off and hung it over my rainfly to dry out while I was in town, and when I returned, it was even more soaked than ever. Oh well, maybe it washed some of the stink out. It’s amazing how quickly my clothes begin to smell again out here when I’m sweating.
The other surprise of the evening was the train. The backpacker’s camp was immediately adjacent to a set of train tracks, and sometime around 3 am a long freight train came roaring through. It started blowing its horn as it approached the railroad crossing in town, which meant that the horn went off right next to us. It was shocking how loud it was.
Then the train started braking and the high pitched screech it emitted had me worried that the train was going to run right off the rails and straight into all of us hikers sleeping beside the tracks. It had to be a super long train too because this noise seemed to go on forever. It was definitely one of my less pleasant wake-up calls out here in nature.
HEADING TO DUNCANNON
I was able to get a few more hours of sleep after the train debacle, but was up and ready to make some big miles today. I’d walked 18 miles after lunch yesterday, so I was eager to see what I might be able to do today especially since the terrain profile looks super flat.
The insane rocks that everyone loathes in Pennsylvania still haven’t appeared yet. But I hear they start to show up in another few days. So, my goal today is to hike a 25ish-mile day, which should get me right into Duncannon (where Luna, Gazelle, and Freefall got off trail) by this evening.
The terrain was definitely flatter today, but that doesn’t mean it was 100% easy. The heavy rain that came through last night turned a number of the sections into a mucky, muddy mess. Nonetheless, the fields and farms I walked past today were a nice deviation from the steep ascents and descents I’ve come to expect on the AT.
I spent much of the day leapfrogging with Toaster and Moss, and learned a bit more about their hike here on the trail. Toaster is still carrying about 4 cans of the shitty generic beer he bought in town last night. So, I’d occasionally pass him sitting at a shelter or on a log drinking one as I hiked by. I don’t have a problem with people using beer to hydrate on trail, but I can’t figure out why anyone would waste their hard earned money on Pabst Blue Ribbon, Budweiser, or Coors Light. Seriously!
There were only two climbs of note today. The first went up to Darlington Shelter about two hours into the day, and the second was done before lunch. During the afternoon I passed plenty of flowers, picturesque farmhouses, and even got some great views of the Susquehanna River in the distance from the cliff above Duncannon.
The most challenging aspect of the day might have actually been the weather though. Summer in Pennsylvania is really rough. It’s hot. It’s insanely humid. And today’s terrain meant there were some long stretches without any shade to provide a respite. When I checked my weather app, I wasn’t surprised to see that it was 93 degrees out. But the heat index said it actually felt like 104 degrees! Yep, that sounds about right.
DUNCANNON
As I navigated the steep descent into Duncannon, I could see more black clouds moving in just like last night. The entire afternoon had been sunny and clear, but now the sky looked truly menacing. I picked up the pace in hopes I’d get to town before it hit. My shirt still hadn’t dried out between yesterday’s rainstorm and all the sweating I’d been doing today.
Luckily, the trail ran right through the center of Duncannon, and one of the first things I saw when I hit town was a trail outfitter called “Kind of Outdoorsy.” The store wasn’t as big as the last outfitter I’d been in back in Front Royal, but I was able to buy a spray bottle of permethrin so I could treat my clothes overnight. Now I just needed to wash them.
As luck would have it, there was a laundromat right next door, and for an extra $5 I could use one of the two showers the outfitter rigged up for thru-hikers coming into town. As I was waiting for my laundry to hurry up and finish, the storm finally hit town and it poured something fierce. This insane rain was coming down in buckets and I felt like I was in the tropics!!
I kept waiting for the rain to taper off, but after 45 minutes, it was still pretty steady. I wasn’t going to hike anymore today, so I might as well stay here in town tonight. My first stop was over at the Doyle (one of the sketchiest hotels/bars on the entire AT). The food was meh, and I quickly decided I WASN’T wasn’t staying the there for the night.
So after dinner, I walked in the rain down to one of the churches in town that offered its basement rec room as an overnight accommodation for thru-hikers. The place was already packed, with close to 20 people down there trying to avoid the storm, but there was still plenty of room still on the floor for me. Now I just needed to find somewhere dry where I could treat my clothes with the permethrin I’d just bought at the outfitter.
Day 66
July 7, 2019
- Route: Duncannon, PA (Mile 1148.6) to stealth site near Cyrus Stugis Jr. Memorial (Mile 1170)
- Daily Mileage: 21.4 miles
While I was in the church’s basement last night I got a text from Luna. We haven’t spoken since I took got off trail to go to New Jersey, so I was curious to see where everyone was now. It turns out he, Gazelle, and Freefall had made it to Duncannon early on July 4th, and then taken a shuttle back to Harper’s Ferry, WV.
From there, they separated once again. Freefall flew back home to Portland after a week of hiking with his pals. Luna headed NOBO to pick up the miles he missed while taking a zero with his brother in DC. And Gazelle headed SOBO to grab the 50 miles she’d skipped when she jumped up from Front Royal to meet up with Freefall.
Both Luna and Gazelle were just finishing up their respective sections, and they were expecting to grab a shuttle back up to Duncannon so they could be get back on here sometime today. Thus, their travel plan would put back them back in close proximity to me once again!
In the past, I might have put my own hiking goals for the day on hold to wait for them. But I’m trying to remember what I told myself during my double zero in New Jersey. I need to hike my own hike out here. It’s great if I can hike with my trail family, but I don’t intend to spend any more days sitting around in a town twiddling my thumbs like I did back in Harper’s Ferry. So, I texted Luna back that I was going to hike today, and I’m looking forward to when they catch me.
OH PENNSYLVANIA
Given yesterday’s intense heat, I decided to get an early start this morning so I could take more breaks and prevent overheating. My permethrin-treated clothes were fairly dry when I got up to get dressed, but it had been really humid overnight. So the armpits and one of the shoulders of my hiking shirt were still a bit damp when I put it on. I’m really crossing my fingers that it doesn’t give me a crazy rash or make my skin irritated down the line.
As I left Duncannon, I had to walk through several neighborhoods. It was still early on this Sunday morning, so there town seemed really quiet. As I made my way out of town, I couldn’t help but notice there was a 10-foot tall bear statue in the front of someone’s house. WTF?? Where do you even buy something like that?? And, why would you want a bear standing on its hind legs posted like a sentry in front of your home?
Pennsylvania never ceases to amaze me. First it was the gun-toting rednecks. Now it’s absurd faux lawn animals.
THE BIG CLIMB
The trail continued through the town Duncannon, until I made it the Susquehanna River. Right after I crossed the bridge, I discovered trail angel named Zach parked near the trailhead making breakfast for the thru-hikers.
In addition to the hot food he was cooking up, Zach had also had giant spread of various nutrition bars piled on a table for those who preferred a quick snack instead. There were a few bars I’d never tried before, and truthfully I’ve been getting sick of the handful of Lara bars and granola bars that I’ve been carrying lately. So, when he said take as many as I wanted, I took him up on the offer, and nabbed two Rx Bars in the mixed berry and blueberry flavors.
After thanking him, I was finally back on the AT and headed back into the woods. The climb back up to the cliffs above the river were as difficult as anything I’ve done over the past 200 miles. Maybe I’ve gotten soft in these flatter, mid-Atlantic states.
When I made it to the summit, I was out of breath and a bit disappointed. The views from the top of the mountains back down toward Duncannon weren’t even very good. There were lots of low clouds, and it was beginning to lightly rain again as I passed a junction with the Susquehanna Trail.
DELAYED
About 11.5 miles into my day, I made it to the Peters Mountain Shelter and stopped for lunch. It was a really nice big shelter, and even had a bear box nearby. I suppose that means I’m getting back to areas where bear activity might be something I have to worry about again. I haven’t really had to think about hanging my food for close to a week now!
As I ate lunch, I went ahead and checked my phone to see if Luna and Gazelle had made it to Duncannon yet. I wasn’t surprised at all to see a text waiting for me telling me that they were delayed. Luna was able to catch a ride up the trail pretty easily, but Gazelle was having some serious problems. I guess that’s not too surprising, given how far away Gazelle is from here. She decided to hike those miles she skipped going SOBO from Harper’s Ferry. So, she was now all the way back down in Front Royal again. That’s a whopping 185 trail miles south of here!
I left a note in the shelter log for the two to them so they could see my progress when they eventually got back on trail. I doubt they’re going to catch me tonight, but maybe they’ll make it as far as this shelter if they get the chance to get back on trail this afternoon.
A TOUGH AFTERNOON
The afternoon was another hot one with the heat index back up over 100 degrees yet again! I suspect most people don’t think of these insane temperatures when they imagine hiking in Pennsylvania. I was sweating like crazy and developing raw, irritated spots on my waist, where my hip belt seemed to be rubbing. It must be the salt particles from my sweat providing just enough friction to create this irritation.
Water was much more difficult to find this afternoon too as I trudged along the trail. I spent much the afternoon up on a ridge where there weren’t any streams of springs. There weren’t any established shelters along the trail for the next 18-miles, so I’d have to find someone to stealth camp instead. Although there were plenty of tent sites along the way, none of them have a nearby water source like all the AT shelters seems to provide.
On the way back up from Clark’s Mountain road, I found a small stream flowing across the trail and decided it was best to gather as much as I could. I’d need it if I intended to stealth camp somewhere tonight. Unfortunately, the water didn’t look very appetizing. It had a dark rusty hue to it.
I knew that this gross water would emerge while I hiked through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Many of the local water sources look a putrid, orange-brown color because of all the tannic acid that seeps into the water. According to what I’d read, this discoloration is relatively harmless, especially if you are filtering your water like I am. Nonetheless, it looks awfully disgusting to fill your water bottle or bladder with what appears to be dirty water. I guess this is where you either trust your gear to filter the impurities out of you water or your don’t.
With enough water stocked up for the night, I decided to camp up on the summit of the next peak, right near the spot where the AT crossed the Horse-Shoe trail and a plaque memorializing Cyrus Sturgis Jr. I walked just beyond the trail junction, and discovered some concrete blocks that used to form the base for some sort of tower at the flat summit. And there was a clearing that looked perfect for a stealth night in the woods by myself.
TENT WOES
As I pitched my tent in the clearing, I discovered a problem. My rainfly had several small pinholes in it. Luckily, I was carrying a two pieces of repair tape in my pack that had come with the tent when I bought it in December. So, now it was time to dig my supplies out and trim that tape with my tiny scissors on my Swiss Army knife.
As I started to make my repairs, I was not pleased to learn those pinholes weren’t the only holes I had to worry about. I also had several more small ones in my tent right at the end where my head would normally rest. What the heck? How did this happen? The last time I’d used my tent was two nights ago in Boiling Springs near the railroad tracks. It rained all night there, and I didn’t notice any leaks, so when could this have occurred?
Of course, I didn’t have enough tape to repair the six different holes I’d now discovered on my tent and rainfly, so I had to improvise and use some of the duct tape I’d wrapped around my trekking poles to fix the rest. If anyone asks me why I bring duct tape on my hikes, the is a perfect example. You never know when you might need it. And it was a good thing I was prepared, because another storms was on its way toward me. That’s three nights days in a row with rain, Pennsylvania. C’mon already!!
Day 67
July 8, 2019
- Route: Stealth site (Mile 1170) to 501 Shelter (Mile 1195.5)
- Daily Mileage: 25.5 miles
After making my repairs to my tent last night, I was pretty sure I was going to spend my very first night alone on the AT. My prior stealth camping attempts on the trail didn’t actually result in total solitude. I either had members of my trail family there or another lone hiker nearby. So this was my very first chance! But then, right around 8 pm, another hiker showed up on the summit. So, I’ve yet to spend a night on the AT completely alone.
I’m grateful I scoured my tent for all its holes last night and was able to repair them, because it rained all night long. And in typical Pennsylvania fashion, it was a downpour. It seemed like the rain was finally begin to taper off around 6 am, but then it returned with a vengeance. Today was going to be a wet one!
FLOODING
When I got back on the trail, it was less of a hike and more of a wade. The trail was completely saturated with water. Unfortunately, this flooding made for very slow progress since I had to watch my step so I didn’t slip or fall. It was a such a shame too, because the terrain was otherwise really flat, and I think I could have really torn up some miles under better conditions.
Around 10 am, I made it down the Rausch Gap Shelter and the place appeared to be packed. I didn’t stop and look into the shelter itself, but there were at least a dozen tents located in the vicinity. Everyone appeared to be trying to wait out the weather rather than hiking through it.
About a mile further north, I got to Stony Creek and saw the signs indicating that the trail was completely flooded by a beaver dam ahead. There was also a sign pointing to the dry alternate (side trail), Hmmm. Choices. If I wanted to stay on the AT, I’d need walk right beside the dam. I’d read comments in Guthook saying that the water could reach your knees in places along the route, but that it was only about 100 yards long. So I was undeterred. I was already wet, so this hilariously awful experience was one I was ready to endure.
When I made my way down to the creek, I was shocked to see how big this dam really was. The beavers had really done a job. The area behind the dam was now more of a swampy lake than a creek. Perhaps it was all the heavy rain these past three days, but this crossing was going to be more difficult than I originally imagined.
The dam wasn’t even holding back all the water above the trail. Instead, the water was pouring over the top of it like a spillway. I couldn’t see how deep the water was on the purported trail, but there were white blazes on the trees pointing the way. My shoes and socks were already drenched from walking the past 9 miles in the pouring rain to get here. What was a little more water, right?
And with that, I took the plunge. At first, the water just seemed to go above my ankles. That wasn’t so bad. But, I didn’t trust what I couldn’t see – so I used my trekking poles to test the spots ahead of me before lifting my feet and moving forward.
Somewhere in the middle, the water did get close to my knees, but I was already committed. So, I slowly trudged on – one careful step at a time. The worst of it really was over in about 100 yards, and now I have the bragging rights of crossing the beaver dam on the AT. But, let me tell you, that water really smelled awful, and now my shoes and socks do too!
TROUT RUN
The rain tapered off after my beaver dam adventure, and now it was just a sloppy mess. The sun wasn’t out, but it was still humid and warm. I had one big hill to conquer, then I planned to take a late lunch break at Swatara Gap where there were supposed to be benches and a park.
Before I got there, I still had to cross Trout Run though. The AT seemed to go right across a river, but there was no bridge. Under ordinary conditions, this was probably something hikers could wade across, but today was anything but normal. The river was rushing with tremendous force and appeared to be at least waist deep. That was truly unsafe to cross all by myself.
There were some large trees that had fallen across the river in places, but they were slick with the rain and none of them reached all the way across. Plus, I knew I didn’t have the balance to make it without falling. I suppose I could have scooted across the largest one while sitting, but there had to be a better option. So, I went walking up and down the riverbank to find an alternate.
I didn’t have to walk too long before I realized PA Route 443 was nearby and seemed to have a bridge over the river. If I could make it up the steep embankment to the highway, I could just walk across the with ease. Of course, that was easier said than done because the incline up to the road was saturated and muddy. But, I eventually made it.
When I got to Swatara Gap it was time to take of my wet shoes and socks and let my pruned up feet try to dry out. As predicted, there were some nice benches to sit on an each my lunch. And there was even a fence where I could lay my tent and rain fly out for a little bit to let them dry while I was eating.
OH, THE ROCKS!
After Swatara Gap, the AT crossed under Interstate 81 and then it was time to tackle a super steep climb up to a rocky ridgeline. The trail would be nice for about a quarter mile, then it would cross sections of insane rocks before returning to nice trail again. This went on for much of the afternoon and I was getting pretty frustrated with how much I had to slow down for these rocky stretches.
I still wasn’t at the infamous rocks that give the state the nickname Rocksylvania, but the terrain was definitely showing how miserable it could get. I had to really watch my step through here too because I know rattlesnakes are prevalent in this part of the state and they like to sun themselves on the rocks and make their homes between the crevices.
I made it to William Penn shelter around 5 pm, but decided to push four more miles to the infamous 501 Shelter. I still had plenty of daylight, and I’d read that the upcoming shelter was a real treat for thru-hikers. The 501 Shelter is a four-sided structure (more like a cabin than a typical AT shelter) and it has wooden bunks for hikers, a skylight to let in the sunshine, water from a spigot outside, and even a caretaker who lives on site there.
What’s more, the local pizzeria will even deliver pizza there because it’s only 0.2 miles from the main road (aka PA Route 501). I can’t lie. The idea of pizza was a motivator for me to keep walking, for sure. What’s four extra miles of hiking if there’s warm, cheesy pizza waiting for you at the end of it? My internal fat kid was leading the way!
501 SHELTER
Getting to the shelter was a little more difficult than I expected. At first, I was pleasantly surprised to find the AT traveled down section of forest service road through some state game lands. What a nice change from the afternoon of rocks. But, then the trail returned to the woods and I was back in the thick of those damn rocks again. My pace was dropping down below 2 MPH trying to navigate the boulder fields!
It was close to 7:30 pm when I finally make it across PA-501 and to the shelter, and the place was packed with hikers. Luckily, there was still one lower bunk available, so I nabbed it as quick as possible. The caretaker, a man named Borderline, came up to say hello to us all and to make sure that we were all thru-hikers (and not the local teens who sometime try to to co-opt the place as a hangout).
Satisfied that it was just a bunch of hikertrash sitting around, he then told us the pizzeria that delivers to the shelter is closed on Mondays. Of course, today was a Monday! 🙁 But, then he announced that there was a second pizzeria in the nearby town of Bethel, so anyone who wanted to get pizza phone in an order it and he’d drive us down to town to pick it up!! Yesssss! Thank you Borderline!!
I ordered a medium pizza for myself (enough for dinner AND breakfast tomorrow!) and rode into Bethel with Borderline. During the ride, I learned he’d been a Vietnam-era medic in the U.S. Air Force, then became a nurse after his service was over. Now that he’s retired from nursing, he enjoys being the seasonal caretaker for the shelter and does trail maintenance on a section of the AT between here and the New Jersey border.
Borderline has hiked the entire state, and shared some info on what lie ahead for us in northern Pennsylvania. He also dispelled us of any notions we might have that the rocks in Pennsylvania just magically disappear when we cross into New Jersey. Geology doesn’t respect those pesky boundaries on a map.
After crushing our dreams, Borderline did leave us all with a positive image though. He told us one of his absolute favorite aspects of trail maintenance is painting the white blazes on the AT. Whenever he’s doing out it, some hiker invariable comes up on him and comments that they’ve never seen anyone actually painting the AT blazes. So then he offers up his paintbrush and says to them, “Want to paint one?” As you can imagine, no hiker has EVER turned his offer down!
Day 68
July 9, 2019
- Route: 501 Shelter (Mile 1195.5) to Port Clinton, PA (Mile 1219.3)
- Daily Mileage: 23.8 miles
I was awake by 6 am and surprised to discover no one else was even stirring yet. Clearly the other hikers were tuckered from hanging out last night. Instead of heading to bed at hiker midnight (9 pm), they were outside drinking beer and smoking like they were in town.
I think a lot of this was the influence of one particular hiker though. He’d gotten off trail around mile 400 due to an injury and come back up to his Pennsylvania (where his parents lived) to recover. Rather than return to where he left the trail and continue working his way forward, he’d decided to skip up to where the bubble hikers were at so he had people to hike with. The bubble of NOBO thru-hiker pretty much stretches from all the way from Shenandoah National Park to Connecticut right now. But, the majority of people are congregated in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.
This phenomenon means everything is a little bit more crowded, especially the area around the shelters. And so, when someone returns to the trail with his dog, homemade cookies from mom, and stories about what they’ve been doing the past few weeks while off trail, they tend to turn into a bit of an entertainment source around the evening campfire.
A ROUGH MORNING
When I started hiking this morning, I noticed my feet really hurt today. I’d put on a fresh pair of dry socks because the pair I was wearing yesterday failed to dry overnight. But more importantly, they’d smelled absolutely horrible. Wading beside that beaver dam didn’t do me any favors
My feet weren’t just tired of being waterlogged though. They felt tender and sore to the touch. Walking on all those uneven rock surfaces yesterday really did a job on my achilles and plantar fasciitis. I need to start remembering to stretch my calves and feet each evening as the trail becomes even rockier. I also intend to be very deliberate about taking more frequent breaks to rest my feet during the day.
I immediately hit more rocks after leaving the 501 shelter, which lasted through the first two miles. When the rocks were finally over, they were followed by seeming endless amount mud and muck from the last few days of heavy rain. All told, it was not an overly enjoyable to start to the day.
Less than two hours into the morning though, my spirits picked back up as I passed another milestone – the 1200 mile mark on the trail. It feels like forever since I’ve walked past one of these markers – given my near-o in Pine Grove Furnace State Park followed by a double zero off the trail over the 4th of July.
On the other hand, hiking big mileage days through Maryland and Pennsylvania makes it seem like the mile markers are coming at a much faster frequency. I’m hoping the long summer days and moderate terrain let me continue to knock out big miles like this. But, I suspect the northern part of the Rocksylvania is going to have a different plan in mind.
WANDERING OFF TRAIL
A few miles after mile 1200, I made it to the Hertline Campsite and creek. This was the former site of an AT shelter, but now there’s just some defined tent pads for overnight hikers beside the creek. There’s also a concrete wall dam with a rope swing that hikers can use to swing into the pooling water above the the dam.
Way back when we were in Shenandoah, Luna shared a video that Squirrel sent him. She was on the rope swing hurtling toward the water with a squeal of joy! I’m glad she enjoyed the experience, but now that I made it here, I wasn’t going to follow her lead. The water was downright frigid when I dipped my hands into It, and I’ve had my share of getting wet these past few days. So, no thanks!
Unfortunately, I got a bit off track after my stop at the rope swing. I’d followed the sign from Hertline Campsite down to the rope swing, and then just kept on going down the trail. The further I walked the more the trail seemed to be descending, and after about half a mile I know something was wrong. The AT was supposed to head back up after the creek. I must have missed my turn somewhere.
I backtracked back up the trail to the rope swing, and then back up to the tent site. And that’s where found where I’d gone astray. I should have made a sharp turn back at the tent pads instead getting distracted by the water and the attraction of the rope swing.
PORT CLINTON
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful overall. There was a bit more mud and some rocks here and there. But mostly, I was just focused on getting to Port Clinton. I’d read some comments about how the Cabela’s outdoor store in the next town over (Hamburg, PA) would pick hikers up off the trail and bring them into town. This seemed like a good deal, especially since I needed to get some more repair tape for my hole-riddled tent and rainfly. So, I was determined to keep my head down and make the miles to get to town before the Cabela’s shuttle stopped running.
By the late afternoon, all I had left was the descent down to the town of Port Clinton. Unfortunately, it was an insanely steep bit of trail. I was tremendously glad today was a dry one so I didn’t have to worry about slipping down that hillside. My knees were screaming the entire bit of downhill, but at least I remained upright. I’m not sure that would have been the story if I’d come through here yesterday!
When I eventually made it down to the bottom, the trail crossed a set of railroad tracks and ran beside them for a bit showing hikers all sort of artifacts from the heyday of the Reading Railroad line. If you’re only familiar with the Reading Railroad from playing the board game Monopoly as a child, you may not be aware of its long history in Pennsylvania. The railway was initially designed into he 1830’s to haul anthracite coal from the mines in rural Pennsylvania down to Philadelphia, and became one of the world’s largest corporations in the 19th century. There’s even a museum dedicated to the railroad’s heritage in Port Clinton.
I didn’t spend much time in Port Clinton proper. Many of my my fellow thru-hikers were planning to spending their evening there because the town had set up a large picnic pavilion for camping. There were even some picnic tables and an old outhouse located nearby. But, I had other plans. I was going to Hamburg.
The Cabela’s shuttle showed up about 20 minutes after I called from Port Clinton and soon I was in the town of Hamburg, PA. After getting some tenuous tape, did a quick resupply at Walmart and then booked a room at a hotel across the road from Cabela’s. Thankfully, the hotel had a washing machine where I could to wash my stinky, beaver dam socks and the rest of my clothes that evening, while I tended to the business of patching my tent. It seems the chores ever end.
Day 69
July 10, 2019
- Route: Port Clinton, PA (Mile 1219.3) to Eckville Shelter (Mile 1234.4)
- Daily Mileage: 15.1 miles
I stayed up way too late last night in the hotel repairing my tent and goofing off on the internet. I don’t know why I always do this to myself every time I get to town. Instead of relaxing and catching up on my sleep, I spend my time streaming videos and trying to catch up on what’s going on in the world.
However, I did make a major decision regarding my hiking style last night that I expect is going to shake things up a bit. As I was shopping for my resupply at Walmart, I decided to try to go stoneless. It’s just too warm now with summer that I can’t imagine wanting to cook anything in camp at night.
I’m fairly certain I’ll miss having my coffee in the mornings, but otherwise, I don’t think I’ll mind the change. I’ve been doing stove-free meals for lunch this entire trail. So I have a few ideas of what works and what I like. But, now I’m going to try to push myself a little bit outside my comfort zone and vary my foods even more.
I was listening to an episode of Trail Correspondents (a podcast by The Trek) and one of the hikers on the PCT was talking about some of the foods she was enjoying. The one that really sparked my tastebuds was bagels and cream cheese. I already know my hard cheeses will last for 3-4 days on the trail, but I’m not 100% sure about cream cheese. Nonetheless, if hikers are able to make it work on the PCT, I’m willing to try it out here on the AT. The idea of eating a more dense, doughy bread like bagels (instead of tortillas all the time) is also really appealing.
And so, with this decision to temporarily ditch my stove, I needed to stop at the post office before returning to the trail to mail it up the trail. I only sent it as far as Cheshire, MA, which I will be walking right through in about 350 miles. I sure hope I don’t regret this decision!
JUST ANOTHER DAY
After laying around the hotel this morning and my detour to the local post office, I wasn’t back on the trail at Port Clinton until nearly lunchtime. I’ll admit, I was pretty much procrastinating. Mostly because I wasn’t looking forward to returning to the heat and humidity, or the insane ascent back into the mountains. Although the climb was harder than I would have liked, it was definitely easier than the insanely steep drop down into town yesterday evening.
Once I made it up to 1,500 feet again, I was surprised to see a line of teenagers walking toward me on the trail. They were all wearing bright orange hats and old-school Army camouflage pants. I’d see them several more times over the next few days and it appeared that they were out here volunteering and doing some trail maintenance.
Toward the end of the afternoon, the trail became a bit more rocky and there was another big climb up to Pulpit Rock, a rocky ledge with some decent views and a ton of day hikers. I didn’t stay for long, given my later start to the day, and I worried the trail would only get harder. I need not have worried though, because the last five miles of the day were a nice walk on a easy forest service road.
I made it to the Eckville Shelter and decided to call it a day with a 15-mile afternoon. That was a good push and I needed to stretch my Achilles tendon and roll out the soles of my feet far more than I needed to continue hiking until dark.
Eckville Shelter was another 4-sided shelter with a local caretaker. The shelter looked (and smelled) like someone’s drafty, spider-filled garden shed. It wasn’t nearly as nice as the 501 Shelter, but it did have something on site that was worthwhile. There was a separate outbuilding nearby with a flush toilet inside(!) and a water spigot outside for filling my water bottles. So, while the shelter might be a bit sketchy, you’ll hear no complaints from me.
Day 70
July 11, 2019
- Route: Eckville Shelter (Mile 1234.4) to Bake Oven Knob Shelter (Mile 1251.8)
- Daily Mileage: 17.4 miles
The rail rolled in last night around 10 pm and it kept up steadily throughout the night. I held off on setting up my tent to see if all my patches held up in the weather because the Eckville shelter was virtually empty. And when I went to bed, there were only two other people there.
The occupancy changed sometime in the middle of the night though, and several more people stumbled into the shelter well after dark. I’m not sure if they were even trying to be quiet, despite the late hour, and they fumbled around trying to get their gear unpacked while cursing constantly the entire time. Talk about inconsiderate. Now, I remembered why I prefer my tent. Even a wet tent would have been better than that nonsense.
RAINY DAY
Despite the middle of the night interruptions, I was up early and on the trail by 6:45 am this morning. There was a small break in the rain and I wanted to get as far as possible before it started up again. The forecast for the day showed a 90% chance of rain for most of the day (I swear Pennsylvania has been the rockiest AND rainiest state by far!).
There was a big climb right at the beginning of the day up to Dan’s Pulpit. I’m not sure why all these rocky overlooks are named for pulpits. I haven’t seen any clergy up here preaching – but there has to be some reason, right? There was also a log book secured in what looked like a steel mailbox nailed to a tree up near the summit, which seemed odd to me. But, Pennsylvania has been weird this entire time, so why stop now?
The rain started up again mid-morning and there was no way to stay dry. My shoes and socks were soaked from all the water pooling on the trail and the plants that I was constantly brushing up against along the trail. I knew this was going to happen today, but I was still disappointed to have wet feet again, especially given all the rocks.
KNIFE’S EDGE
Eight miles into the day, I took a rest from the rain in the Allentown Shelter for an early lunch. I and really just wanted to stay and ride out the weather, but I knew I needed to keep going. The Knife’s Edge was coming up and I was worried that I’d struggle with it as it got more and more wet.
The Knife’s Edge consists of some giant rock slabs turned at a 45 degree angle. The trail follows the spine of these rocks and it can be a treacherous obstacle to navigate even in good weather. I saw some southbound section hikers right before I got to there, and they advised me to just pack up my trekking poles, and try to keep three points of contact on the rocks at all times. Yikes!
Their advice was sound, and I made it across the Knife’s Edge without slipping or falling off it. But, I did scrape up one of my knees pretty good as I was coming down off one of the boulders. My injury wasn’t worth bandaging up though, since my skin was so wet from the rain. Anything I tried to cover it with would just end up falling off within minutes.
GETTING BAKED
The AT crossed PA-309 about 12 miles into my day, and thus began the trail toward Bake Oven Knob. This trail was clearly popular with the local hooligans based on the spray paint everywhere. It was a complete mess. What the heck was going on? Yesterday, I saw a bunch of kids graciously volunteering to do trail maintenance. Today, I saw the remnants of some assholes trying to destroy nature. Jeez.
Shortly after this graffiti, the trail got much worse that I expected. There were some crazy slick boulders to navigate and the final mile before I got to Bake Oven Knob shelter was THE worst mile I’ve experienced on trail. I narrowly avoided slipping several times, and worried that I might eventually fall and break something if I kept it up. I was barely moving through the boulder field at 1 MPH, and I still struggled to keep upright. This section of trail was NUTS!
When I eventually made it to the Bake Oven Knob shelter, I decided I was 100% done for the day. It wasn’t even 4 pm, but I couldn’t keep this up. The rain was pouring harder and harder. The trail was filled with rocks and insane boulders. And the next shelter wasn’t for nearly another 7 miles. If those future miles were anything like the past mile I’d just endured, I was toast! Better to stay put than risk breaking an arm or a leg this afternoon.
Who knows, pulling two shorter days yesterday and today (15 and 17 miles respectively) might even work in my favor. Perhaps slowing my pace will help Luna and Gazelle narrow the gap and catch up to me so we can start hiking together again too.
Week 10 Overview
- Lowest Mileage Day: 15.1 miles
- Highest Mileage Day: 25.6 miles
- Number of days with rain on trail: 5
- Number of nights sleeping in my tent or AT shelter: 5
- Nights spent in a church basement: 1
- Nights in a comfy hotel bed: 1
- Number of trains I thought might crash into my tent site overnight: 1
- Number of massive beaver dams I had trudge through: 1
- Days of hiking cut unexpectedly short by insanely wet boulders: 1
- Days since I’ve seen anyone in my trail family: 12 (and counting)
- Total miles hiked this week: 147.2