I had a continental breakfast before (5/16) the trail. The day before at the hotel, I didn’t see anyone I recognized from the trail. Then at breakfast there were 7 hikers that I had met along the way. Most were leaving, except a few who were staying for another night. I was ready to get back to the trail.
I had a 14.8 mile hike planned for the day heading to Port Clinton PA. I knew my day would be difficult because I left town with a heavy pack due to carrying 5 days of food. As usual, there were plenty of rocks along the way but some of the trail was smooth hiking. I met Jeremy, a ridge runner. A ridge runner is an employee of the AT that educates hikers on “leave no trace”, how to safely store food and basic trail safety. Jeremy was responsible for an 80 mile section. Other than meeting Jeremy, the day was pretty uneventful, until I got within a mile of Port Clinton. I had covered over 13 miles and finished it off with a very tough descent. My legs were shaking all the way down. I was so glad to arrive at the bottom.
It was about a 1/2 mile road walk to town. As I walked into town, a man outside of his house asked if I needed any information. I let him know I was looking for the church pavilion where hikers could stay. We talked a little, then he went inside and brought out two cold Cokes and some snacks for me and then gave me a ride to the pavilion. Thank you Brad for your kindness!
I ate my snacks and laid my sleeping gear out on the floor. I was the only one there for the night. It was a noisy night due to a highway close by, but I was able to get a little sleep.
I started my hike around 7:30 (5/17) and I knew it was going to be a rough start with a steep incline. It took almost two hours to get to the top. There were several beautiful views along the way and of course plenty of rocks. I hit my 200 mile mark along the way.
I met up with a couple, Salty and Light. This is his third time hiking the AT and he has also hiked the PCT and CDT. They are what we call ultra light hikers, they carry a base weight of about 7 lbs, compared to the average of about 15 to 18 lbs. Finally around 12 miles later I arrived at the small tent area right off the trail, set up my tent, ate some dinner, and hit the sack.
I woke (5/18) feeling very tired. My planned hike was 9.6 miles. There was a rough incline first thing in the morning with some nice views to take in along the way. The whole day’s hike had more rock fields than I had experienced so far, they just kept coming and coming. Did I happen to mention there were heat advisories in the area until tomorrow? Temps reached 90. Along the trail I took a break on a rock and then started heading north, and a hiker, Not Yet, came up the other way. He told me he was heading north to Maine. I said, what! When I got off that rock I was heading south rather than north. Going the wrong way and going back to that rock was 1 mile. That is not what you need on an already rough day. Not Yet was my hero for the day. I believe because of the rough terrain and heat this was my most challenging day yet. I was so glad to see that shelter. Another hiker, Two Chains, showed up a little after me. I have crossed paths with him before. He is a fireman and is a marine and is still in the reserves. Very nice guy and it’s always good to have company. The way my legs and feet were feeling I planned a short 4.5 miles in the morning and a stay at a hostel for the night.
I got going a little late this morning, no reason to hurry with only 4.5 miles to go for the day. It was by far the easiest 4.5 mile I have done in PA. I met Shooter this morning, he got his name from taking pictures with a big camera he carries. There was a spot near a road where a trail angel left some water. I took a little break there and topped off my water bottle. Thank you, trail angel.
I arrived at Lookout Hostel by 12 pm and it was 92 degrees. They were full, so I had to pitch my tent but I hung around the air-conditioned common room, took a shower and washed my clothes. There were seven others hikers there including Spartacus, King of Hearts and Fire Ant formally known as Ipsy. Last time I saw them it was 5/5, it was great to see them again. Guess what, my hero, Not Yet was also there. I told everyone how he saved me from walking back south.
Tomorrow I will be slack packing for 14 miles, I will explain that concept in my next post. Until then, Happy Trails!
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