Pennsylvania

Day 44, July 21

We set off at 5:20 and soon passed before the Hemlock Hill Shelter. A great quantity of backpacking gear lay spread on the picnic table, and some hung inside the shelter. Two tents stood pitched behind the shelter, which appeared to be brim-full of hikers. By the looks of the gear we imagined we were passing a number of north-bounders. We no longer read much of the register entries, so we did not know who was ahead of us. We now seemed to be passing several a day. We have not met many on the trail because they are typically asleep or otherwise when we pass by.

The trail traversed a small residential area before re-entering the woods, as it did few more times that morning. The humidity was down again, so the morning was cool with a nice breeze and some cloud cover. We reached PenMar County Park Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out and stopped for water, but found it unpalatably laden with chemicals. We dumped it and pressed on. The Data Book indicated a store and restaurant eight-tenths of a mile east on Pen Mar Road. After crossing into Pennsylvania we reached the road, but had no idea which way was east. The sun was obscured in cloud. We turned right and walked a ways uphill, but logic suggested this was the wrong direction, so we returned to the trail. With both stomachs and backpacks empty of food we pressed on.

At the bottom of the next hill we met Oatman and Cookie heading south. They were hiking back to Harper's Ferry where they would end their summer's hiking before returning to Washington state. We talked awhile, then reluctantly said good-bye, very sorry not to have had the chance to get to know them better.

We also encountered two large groups of young backpackers. One was a group of black and Hispanic. They looked like very nice kids, treating us very respectfully and giving us big smiles. Reaching PA 16 Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out we decided to look for a restaurant mentioned in the Data Book as being a half-a-mile east. Again, we had no idea which way was east. We turned right and hiked six-tenths mile past an auto shop and a few houses. Obviously, no restaurant lay ahead, so admitting defeat once again, and feeling hungry to the very pits of our stomachs, we retraced our steps to the trail.

The afternoon was warmed by the occasional patch of sun, but the heat of the previous days was history. At Old Forge Park Click on "trail segment"
select "terrain"
then zoom out we obtained water from a faucet. This was our only water of the day, until reaching our destination in early evening. Determined to reach the next food opportunity, still 15.5 miles distant, we hiked at a fast pace for many a long hour. We had not eaten well for a couple of days, and while hiking hard we were now feeling almost as though disassociated from our legs. Through much of this stretch the trail was littered in blow downs, and we passed through chain-sawn gaps by the hundreds. Then for much of the way the trail passed through gently sloped and open terrain that made for easier and aesthetic hiking. A few times, though, it climbed and traversed the rocky crest.

At 6:09 pm we reached US 30 Click on "trail segment"
select "terrain"
then zoom out and hiked left half a mile to Poorman's Pizza. Leaving Jenny and our packs, I continued another four-tenths to Henicle's Grocery, to discover a virtual cornucopia of delectables. Returning with $35 of groceries in two sacks, I joined Jenny at the pizzeria and we wolfed most of two large pizzas.

Poorman's Pizza.

Setting off burdened beneath our precious supplies of food, we hiked to Caledonia State Park Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out , climbed a hill, and made camp off the trail at 8:30 pm.

Making camp.

Day's mileage: 30

Day 45, July 22

We set off at 5:24 am in disagreement. It seems that at 4:35 am Jenny heard footsteps tromping through the leaves. Someone, she claimed, came to the tent's doorway, shined a flashlight at us, and asked if we were camping. She supposedly said, "Hey!" A minute later she heard the same voice ask the same question, farther off, and yet another voice reply "No, I'm hiking." I argued that such an unlikely occurrence would surely have awakened me.

The morning's temperature and humidity were so low that I was chilly even while wearing a shirt. The hiking was very pleasant throughout most of the day, as the gently graded trail led through attractive forests. We met two large youth groups, one coed and the other Boy Scouts. All seemed to be enjoying their outings.

We stopped at the hostel next to Pine Grove Furnace State Park Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out for its reputed showers and laundry, but the hostel keeper told us the place was closed until 5 pm. We continued hiking to a nearby park pavilion and enjoyed a couple of Jenny's hearty sandwiches. Then at the snack bar a little farther we made a few phone calls. The day was cloudless, yet it was not hot, and once again the hiking was very pleasant, in fact it was some of the nicest we had experienced so far.

Blueberries.

Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

Half-way point.

On the ridgetop beyond PA 94, the trail proceeded on a labyrinthine tour through a couple of stands of boulders, through which, perhaps half a can of white spray paint was used on the black rocks: mostly arrows pointing the way. In the city this would be called graffiti. We descended to Whisky Spring Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out and collected water, then climbed the hill a few paces and wrote in the journal while eating sandwiches and drinking water. The journal writing has become one of our more difficult tasks, taking valuable rest time at day's end when we would have preferred to fall asleep. This was particularly true this evening, as our flashlight batteries were dead. From there we walked 50 feet on a side trail and made camp at 9:15 pm.

Day's mileage: 31.6

Day 46, July 23

We set off at 5:19 am. The morning was so chilly that I wore my shirt and wind jacket for a ways, but of course within 45 minutes I was hiking shirtless as usual. We passed another large group of teenagers, perhaps thirty this time, then after climbing Center Point Knob we descended into Cumberland Gap and left behind the Blue Ridge Mountains, through which we'd been hiking since Georgia. The trail zig zagged through corn fields, turning 90 degrees to the left and right repeatedly, until eventually it led into the town of Boiling Springs.

Nearing Boiling Springs.

"Children's lake"

Crossing a couple of small bridges, we were surprised to find six or eight fishermen holding their poles above the water. "Trout," one fellow replied when I asked what he was fishing for. The trail led along a lake, habitat to a number of ducks and geese, and then to the branch office of the ATC. there we met two north-bounders: an Israeli, Yoram and a woman from Virginia who called herself "The Shoeless Mare," and was hiking in leather mountain boots.

We proceeded to a gas station mini-mart Click on "trail segment"
select "terrain"
then zoom out , and bought subs and snacks - enough food to fuel the day's endeavors. "Kay & Ray's Hot Italian Sub" proved to be outstanding. After eating a breakfast of juice, donuts and milk we returned to the trail, which here was actually a paved road leading uphill and out of town. By coincidence, "Shoeless Mare" hit the trail behind us. She acted as though wanting to join us, and the feelings were mutual, but we were even more anxious to make a few miles, and knew that while laboring beneath her massive backpack she would not have found our pace so accommodating.

For the next several miles the trail wended through corn fields interspersed with thin strips of forested land. The open sunshine was positively torrid, and each stand of trees offered great relief. Now crossing the Cumberland Gap we also crossed four major roads, each one busy with traffic. How different was the motorists' world from ours. We did not envy their standard flashy automobiles and their work-a-day ulcers.

We stopped at the Conodoguinet Creek for a refreshing dip, careful not to splash our faces with its polluted water. With great difficulty we managed to rejoin the trail through the ubiquitous poison ivy. And while on the subject it might be noted that Maryland and far southern Pennsylvania had very little poison ivy or nettle. The trail climbed back into the hills on the north edge of the Cumberland Gap and we hiked for a long ways feeling very thirsty. We had not collected water since Boiling Springs. About one mile after PA 850 we found barely acceptable water in a little creek, and stopped to drink our fill.

In the past two days we had seen two foxes; one was red and the other grey. Both encounters were very brief.

We had been anticipating this next stretch of trail with some curiosity because it was reputed to be extremely rocky. We had planned to tighten our shoes and carry walking sticks through the rocks. However, this proved unnecessary as the rocks proved nothing but a minor inconvenience. Rather than slowing our pace they quickened it, as unburdened of massive backpacks and heavy boots, we fairly danced over them, nimbly heel and toe. The trail led to Hawk Rock Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out which afforded a lofty view of the Susquehanna Valley below, beyond which coursed the rivers and the town of Duncannon. The trail diagonaled long and steeply downward, and a short ways from the bottom it suddenly left the good grade and climbed steeply back up. We hadn't the slightest doubt that had we continued downward we would have reached town far more expediently, but could only assume the AT was avoiding someone's property.

First view of Duncannon.

Hawk Rock.

Refueling in Duncannon.

The bridge over the Juniata River.

After a few galumphing shenanigans, the AT descended to the valley and followed a road into town. We stopped at a gas station mini-mart Click on "trail segment"
select "terrain"
then zoom out for supplies and long overdue drinks, then in fading daylight we walked a couple of miles through town on sidewalks. Using our flashlight we crossed the bridge over the Juniata River, then left the "trail", turned left along the highway, and hiked one-tenth to the Clarks Ferry Truckstop Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out . There we rented a room for the night. It was surprisingly nice, and cost only $31. We had stopped hiking at 10:30 pm.

Days mileage: 34.3

Day 47, July 24

We packed up and set off at 5:38 am, crossed the Susquehanna River on the auto bridge, crossed a set of railroad tracks, and climbed into the hills, relieved to have escaped the traffic. The trail made a giant detour to visit a flag, high on the bluff, then began following the ridge. We stopped at a couple shelters, and farther on we detoured to a blue blazed spring. From there the trail descended to Clarks Valley Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out and began a long steady climb along an old road. From near the top of Stony Mountain the trail descended gradually, and for several miles it afforded easy and expedient hiking. Throughout the day we encountered a number of weekend hikers.

Again, the Handbook warned of troublesome rocks, but we found them nothing so much as deserving mention. In fact, the afternoon's hiking proved very enjoyable. We descended past an extensive coal mining area that had supposedly ceased operation some 50 years ago. This was a lovely area for camping - and I am not being facetious. Turning left on a cinder road we met two young army fellows and their girlfriends, and we talked while walking with them a short ways. A few miles farther we stopped at a spring at 8:30, collected water with our Frosted Flakes cup, and made a nearby camp.

Day's mileage: 31.4

Day 48, July 25

We set off at 5:23 am into a very cool morning. The trail descended to a series of roads leading through residential areas, then through Swatar State Park and across the Waterville Bridge Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out , a restored and relocated structure of steel girders. Then it led beneath the towering pylons of I-81. On one of the pillars was the double set of blazes featured on the cover of this year's Data Book.

At one point we heard a slight but frantic flapping, and saw a young songbird caught in a vine. Whenever it stopped flapping, it hung pathetically. As I was about to gently free it, it surged with adrenalone and managed to struggle lose of its bindings.

The 501 Shelter.

After crossing PA 501, we turned left onto a blue-blazed trail and walked to the 501 Shelter Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out , and enjoyed a cold, solar heated shower. The day had been fairly hot, so the shower was refreshing. Jenny talked with the caretaker, bought a soda each, and filled our water bottles. Returning to the AT, we soon met three day hikers on the rocky tread, and stopped to talk. The gentleman was a trail volunteer, and told us of his many interesting activities.

The ensuing hiking was not nearly as physically strenuous, but the terrain lacked major topological features, so because of the dense forest we had the sensation of wandering around aimlessly all afternoon. As such, we indulged in a few more rests than usual. We collected water at Herttein Campsite and pressed on, thinking of our day's 30 mile goal.

The afternoon was easy walking, but for some reason it had become somewhat mentally numbing. We were not weary from fatigue, but from monotony. Typically, we tried to take at least one afternoon rest stop, lying on our foam pads with our legs and feet elevated. This is an excellent rest position, but it encourages one to fall asleep, if only for a few moments. How we longed for sleep, perhaps even more than food. But we knew there would be time enough to sleep when the long journey is over. After an unexpected steep climb, we made camp at 8:30 pm.

Day's mileage: 31

Day 49, July 26

I awoke to the sound of rain in the canopy overhead. I was about to git up and attach the rain fly when I looked at my watch - 10 minutes before the alarm. We rose and set off at 5:06 am, hiking in the dark for half an hour, then beneath umbrellas for another half hour. Fog pervaded, yet the morning was hardly cool. Eventually we reached Port Clinton. There we mailed home a roll of film at the post office Click on "trail segment"
select "terrain"
then zoom out . Then we walked 1.4 miles west along the busy highway to the 3C's Restaurant Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out . We would not have walked that far off route, but the postmistress had told us it was about half a mile up the road. Still, we enjoyed a pair of large breakfasts each, then bought four sandwiches to go, and paid our bill of $29!

AT hiker's Library in Port Clinton.

After Jenny had telephoned home, we walked along Penn Street back to where we had left the AT. From there we followed the trail beneath an overpass, then up the ensuing hill, from where we descended to a pair of springs to collect water. The afternoon's hiking was characterized by long climbs and descents of the same massif, and by cool but humid weather. At one point a hiker powered past us with barely a greeting, only to continue up the hill and out of sight. We had seen him in a phone booth in Port Clinton, and knew he had started from there about one and a half hours ahead of us. This meant that we had passed him somewhere not far back. He stayed ahead of us for several miles to the turn off to Eckville Shelter, which we continued past at 4:30 pm.

At one point rain fell heartily for a few minutes. Just then we passed a pair of pack-less day hikers, headed the other way, we beneath our umbrellas. As usual along this stretch, the trail sometimes led over rocky areas, but the rocks did not affect our pace appreciably. Most of the time the tread was good. The late afternoon was cool and windy with a few spatters of rain. We stopped hiking at our earliest yet - 7:00 pm.

Day's mileage: 30.0

Day 50, July 27

Rain and darkness delayed our departure until 5:55 am. Feeling well rested we hiked through an early morning fog, with dollops falling from the overhead branches. Among the few people we met was a trail maintainer armed with a saw and a pruning implement, and at a roadhead parking lot (Bake Oven Road), a woman searching the brush, saying that the day previously (Monday) someone had broken into her car and stolen some things. We helped her look, but to no avail. Late morning the sun broke through the clouds. We were not glad to see it, but were glad it was beginning to dry the rocks, many of which were slippery with algae and lichen. For the past few days we had been swatting horse flies by the dozens. Once, the trail followed a knife edge ridge - "The Cliffs" where a suitable trail could have been constructed on the gentle slopes just down from the cliffs.

At noon we stopped at Bake Oven Shelter and spread our wet tent and fly to dry in the sun. The Restaurant on Rascalhill was closed, nor could we find a water faucet, so we hiked on, feeling hungry and thirsty. We had eaten the last of our food the day previously. We call this hike "Feast or Famine". We picked blueberries by the handfuls and shoved them into our mouths like savages. They were ambrosial.

At 2:30 we reached the G. W. Outerbridge Shelter, and took a wrong turn on a well used trail with a few faded blue blazes, which we mistook for faded white ones. There was nothing for it but to retrace our steps back up the steep hill. Once back on the AT, we stopped at a pipe spring Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out with a cemented in basin made from a cut-in-half aluminum beer keg (non corrosive) and enjoyed a most refreshing mini-shower a' la Frosted Flakes Cup carried well away from the spring. The sky was sunny, the day was hot, and the water was frigid. Oh how we enjoyed using soap, especially the scented variety. And oh how rarely we were able to do so.

Someone went through with a can of white spay paint. Eleven blazes in one photo.

Once at the Mountain road Click on "trail segment"
select "terrain"
then zoom out , Jenny proceeded to the U-Haul Office across the street to telephone several possibilities for taxi rides into Palmerton. Unable to procure a ride, and unable to hitch hike due to the lack of turnouts, we walked the couple of miles into town, first along the railroad tracks, then along a side road leading from the zinc smelter.

Once there Click on "trail segment"
select "terrain"
then zoom out , our first stop was at a sub shop and our second was at a Laundromat. Leaving Jenny there, I continued to a supermarket and bought $40 worth of groceries. Returning to the "trail" via the railroad tracks, we ran across the busy highway and entered the sanctuary of the forest.

Fresh from Palmerton with a load of supplies.

Steep trails like this are a dime a dozen on the AT. :)

Soon we were climbing steep rocky slopes, open to the blazing sun. However, the sun was close to the western horizon and obscured by cloud. Still we sweated. In one or two places the "trail" led over third class rock, requiring a bit of scrambling. We paused near the top to watch a crimson sunset, then pressed ahead into gathering darkness. The evening was partly illuminated, though, by a waxing gibbous moon.

Pressing ahead into the dusk, we came upon three south-bound overnight hikers. One of the fellows filled us with woes of hideous rocks barring the way ahead. "Nothing but big rocks," were his words, and "you will need boots to get through." These fellows complained also of blisters, and I avoided suggesting the connection. As we half-expected, the rocks proved inconsequential. The so-called problems or attributes we focus on become our reality. For these fellows the trail had become nothing but rocks. For us it was a pleasant amble through the forest, not unlike the preceding 100 miles of trail. Yesterday my reality was hunger. My stomach pained all day, morning to afternoon. When finally at a restaurant, the hunger vanished - even before I had eaten anything. Jenny felt terribly thirsty, yet when we finally reached town she drank very little, distracted by the hustle and bustle of laundry and shopping. Pure and simple, we wrestle with our own psychologies.

We stopped hiking at 9:20 pm and pitched the tent on a gnarly patch of smelter cinders. The forest hereabouts had been largely denuded by the fumes of the nearby smelter, but was now beginning a heartening recovery.

Day's mileage: 30.0

including 4 miles to and from town, .5 mile Data Book error to Outerbridge Shelter, and .4 mile going the wrong way from the shelter.

Day 51, July 28

the reason for all these "No Horses" signs in this essay, is not because I wish to convey my feelings on the matter, but because I wish to convey the strong feelings of the AT community - the trail planners, the trail maintenance people, and the tens of thousands of people who hike the AT each year. these people are serious about protecting their beloved trail from horse damage and pollution.

We set off at 5:08 am beneath a clear sky, chagrined to find that plenty of good camping lay ahead. (We had camped on a patch of gravel.) In the scant early morning light we missed the turn off to a spring, but we were not particularly looking for it, due to the questionable quality of its water, being in proximity to the smelting operation. Once again we were besieged with hard-biting horse flies. We dispatched at least fifty.

Reaching Smith Gap Road Click on "trail segment"
select "terrain"
then zoom out , we sat at the trailhead, writing and eating. This was to be our only sit-down rest for the day. At 10:15 we passed by a hiker breaking his camp in haste, with one eye on us as we passed by. We knew we were in for some company shortly. The fellow caught up with us and started derogating the rocks on the trail. We stopped and let him go ahead, only to find him stopped half a mile ahead. The leap-frogging continued throughout the day. With each encounter we heard more derogatory comments about the rocks, the motorists who wouldn't pick him up hitch-hiking, and finally about us. "I suppose you like these rocks, you and your eight-pound packs." This was our first open instance of a hiker's resentment toward our light-weight style. I did learn something from the fellow. He said he liked the rocky ridgetop scrambling. To learn that someone enjoyed these was very heartening. Now I began to see them as meaningful as well.

Hiking a rocky trail is much easier wearing running shoes than boots, and all that's needed is more careful foot placements.

We met another north-bound hiker "Blue Jeans" and two south-bound end-to-enders traveling separately. One fellow was reading a large bird identification book. He was obviously on the trail in order to learn and to experience nature, rather than to prove himself the strongest power-hiker. This too was heartening. The day was warm, humid, and rather windless. We sweated, as did the rocks. "It's hard work being a rock," Jenny bantered. "Even just sitting there they sweat."

Overlooking the Delaware River.

Eventually the trail led to the brink overlooking the Delaware River. The prospects of swimming in it were indeed tantalizing. The trail crossed a trickling creek, the first we had seen in many a mile, and we stopped to splash ourselves with our face towels. This was very refreshing, but it did not slake our thirsts.

Finally the trail led down into the town of Delaware Water Gap Click on "trail segment"
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then zoom out . We arrived at the church hostel at 7:45 pm, and were greeted by other hikers. We gulped great quantities of water, and each enjoyed a long, warm shower. From there we walked down to the Water Gap Diner for a hearty dinner.

At the church hostel in the town of Delaware Water Gap.

Day's mileage: 32.7

The night was sweltering inside the tent, which we had pitched on the church grounds. In the wee hours a heavy rain hit, dropping the temperature to tolerable levels. We slept without the quilt throughout the night.

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