Hiking the Good Hike

5/18 Day 76 Duncannon to Peters Mountain Shelter - 11.3 miles

     Vicki at the Doyle warned us that the record for maximum pancake consumption at Goodies diner was a measly three, we should have heeded her warning. We each ordered "Special #3" which is kind of our typical diner breakfast on town days: two pancakes, two eggs, bacon, and toast. When we were brought the pancakes we quickly recognized our error. The pancakes were so big they extended past the plate and thick. Neither of us could finish two pancakes. I was embarrassed to call myself a thru hiker at that moment. 

     We went back to our room at the Doyle to pack our bags but we were in no particular hurry to get going. As we were leaving we saw Blue Moon's pack outside of the diner so we went back in to say hello. His son and daughter in law who we had met long ago in North Carolina were with him and would be hiking with him for another day. We were finally on our way out of town. As we left town, we crossed the Susquehanna River. On the bridge, I noticed a flyer encouraging hikers to be on the look out for peregrine falcons. There were photos of the bird along with a number to call to report the siting. I was excited at the possibility of seeing the falcon and even more excited when I spotted it ahead perched on a lamp post but my excitement quickly wavered when the  overly aggressive bird of prey left her perch in pursuit of my head. Over and over again she came at me missing my head by what seemed like only inches. I walked quickly with my trekking poles extended above my head for protection. This moment was without a doubt my most frightening wildlife encounter on trail. 

     We decided as we walked we would likely stop at Peters Mountain Shelter due to the spacing of shelters, scarcity of water, and threat of rain. As we approached the shelter we heard yelling and screaming reminiscent of elementary school recess. We counted twelve tents surrounding the shelter. It was a large group from what will remain an unnamed organization out for the weekend. We chose to sleep in the shelter and we were told all of the kids would be tenting. As we cooked our dinner, another group of young boys arrived making the total count no less than 30. The second group moved into the shelter as if they owned it. We began to regret our decision to stay here as the boys continued to run rampant through the  area seemingly absent of any supervision. We watched as left over food was dumped on the ground surrounding the shelter. We saw, at a distance, Blue Moon and his family had camped. Perhaps we should have reconsidered. I'm all about giving kids experiences like these but if the kids just want to play tag and make noise perhaps the AT isn't the place. The rain began again just before going to bed. 

5/19 Day 77 Peters Mountain Shelter to Rausch Gap Shelter - 18 miles

    Much to our surprise, the shelter was quiet last night. The rain lasted all night and through the morning. We hiked all day in the on and off rain. Before arriving at the shelter we decided we would call it a day at that point. We arrived at 2:00 and relaxed the rest of the afternoon watching the rain. Later in the evening, Blue Moon arrived followed by a section hiker. 

     Just after dark, as we all began to wind down for the evening, we heard voices approaching. Eventually we began to see the flash of headlamps and as it came nearer we recognized the voice of our good buddy Witchdoctor. He and Brightside had hiked 29 miles from Duncannon. We were happy to see Witchdoctor but catching up will have to wait until morning.

5/20 Day 78 Rausch Gap Shelter to Hertline Campsite - 23.1 miles

     Our guide book indicated we would be able to order pizza at the 501 shelter. We hiked much of the day with pizza as our motivation. We arrived mid afternoon. The 501 was a nice shelter. It was fully enclosed with bunks, running water, and even a solar shower. We found the menu to the pizza shop and made our decision. Wideload made the call to place the order and we learned the shop is closed on Mondays and today was, you guessed it, Monday. Completely disappointed I collapsed on one of the bunks falling asleep for about an hour before finally gathering enough motivation to hike the remaining miles to our chosen campsite. 

     This was a tough day for me mentally. I'm not sure if it was a touch of homesickness, missing our friends, or just growing tired of the state of Pennsylvania but I felt down today. I never have even begun to consider leaving the trail but today was not my best day. After setting up camp and eating dinner I turned on my phone and learned our good friends from home, Jared and Kyle wanted to come visit this weekend. I also learned Nomad would be in Port Clinton tomorrow to hang out with us. These messages made my day. 

5/21 Hertline Campsite to Port Clinton, PA - 18.5 miles

     We were up early hoping to get to town early to have some time to hang out with Nomad. The hiking was easy but boring. We were in town by 2:00 where we found Nomad with drinks and snacks. We caught up with Nomad as we waited for Witchdoctor but we got tired of waiting and went on to the pavilion. Port Clinton offers a pavilion for AT hikers. 

     When we arrived we saw a couple we were almost certain were living there. It turns out we were wrong; they had hiked from Delaware Water Gap and say they're going to keep going until they get tired of it. Witchdoctor arrived and we hung out there for a while. It was a pretty laid back day. Later that evening we piled in the Vanimal and went to Cabella's, Red Robin, and finally resupplied. Back to the pavilion for the night; we're very close to the highway and the traffic is loud. 

5/22 Port Clinton, PA to Allentown Hiking Club Shelter 22.2 miles

     Last night was not the most restful night. We had a late start and it was pretty warm already this morning. We took a break at a place called the pinnacle which had a decent view. The next several miles were a walk in the park. We took another break at Eckville shelter. This was another fully enclosed shelter with a solar shower and even a flush toilet. The amenities were nicer than the actual shelter. It was swarmed with bees. We rested there for a while before moving on.

     On we hiked to the next shelter. The shelter was full of section hikers and the tent sites were less than ideal. As we were pitching our tent Passover arrived. She had been hiking with her sister and had gone out to eat with her. She brought back for Witchdoctor, Wideload, and I chocolate milk and their leftovers. Just before bed a severe storm rolled in. It didn't last long but the rain continues.

5/23 Day 81 Allentown Hiking Club Shelter to Palmerton, PA - 18 miles

     Tonight I'm spending my first night in jail. I wish it was as exciting as it sounds. We woke early and the rain had stopped for the time being. We started at a good pace but were slowed by the famous Pennsylvania rocks. The rocks weren't terrible up to this point but they were getting worse. We hiked a section called "Knife's Edge," basically a narrow series of sharply pointed rocks with steep drop offs at either side. We were lucky to hit this section while it was dry.

     After stoping for lunch at the grimy Bake Oven Knob shelter the downpour began. We were headed to town and it was warm so we didn't bother with rain gear. We were soaked in no time. We trudged on eventually making it to the road crossing. Palmerton is only 1.5 miles from the trail but the highway has no shoulder making walking dangerous and practically impossible. The options were to hitchhike or walk a side trail 1.5 miles to town. We tried hitching but we were caked in mud and dripping wet; it was a lost cause. Honestly, I would have felt bad getting into someone's vehicle. So we walked the trail. We finally arrived in town. 

     Palmerton offers hikers free lodging in what they call the "Jailhouse hostel." This is described as a jail built but never used. It was just a basement with bunks. It was free though and it was dry and had prison style showers. Witchdoctor and Passover got a hitch and beat us there. We met another thru hiker named Corona. We showered and then did laundry. We resupplied and ate. We slept. The rain stopped in the  evening but is expected to pick up in the morning. The climb out of this town is known as "Dante's Inferno" and is said to be the most difficult climb south of the White Mountains.