Date: 2003-08-15
From: Bake Oven Knob

To: View Entry
Miles today: 19.0

2 months to finish. Can I do it?Tonight is an hot humid and buggy night. I am colo camping again. This time closer to a road and airport then I would prefer. The good thing is that I'm exhauseted. I don't do good in the heat andtoday I would like to sy it was in the 90s. This morning I had such a great start up at 7:00 hiking by 8:00 with a good pace. Then what would you know, Mother Nature put the female cures on me. So I had to hike into town. A very unplanned trip! The High way looked dangerous so I oted to say a parayer and hike in. Within minutes a white van pulls over. Score! A ride into woen. It was a bee keeper with hives in the back. It was a very interesting hitch. I always wanted a bee farm, and I was able to get a little information. Then I asked if he had any honey in a plastic bottle. The answer was no but he gave me a honey in a glass jar that I will vobert into a plastic container. I can't wait to try it! I got dropped off in the town of Palmerton. I tent straight for the pharmacy to get my supplies. Then to the phon to call Juli, who is driving from CTto hike with me this weekend. Unfortunitly she was on her lunch break. 'Great' I thought, stuck in town for an extra hour, yikes. I decided to go to the town community center where they have a bunk room for thruhikers. I signed in and was given a welcome bag from a local Girlscout troop. Toothpast, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, 5 minute calling card, granolla bar in a Ziplock bag. THANK YOU GIRLS!!! Now I have something other then water for my shower. I can actually get clean. This place had a really nice bunk room, but Julie is meeting me tomorrow and I still have 71.3 miles to hike, yikes! I finally got in touch with Julie at 1ish. She is still planning on driving down tomorrow morning. I told her to start hiking south to the first shelter. I'm not sure if I will be able to pull the 41 miles in a day. But I will try. As I was trying to figure out my way back to the trail (yes, I was confused, due to jibber-jabbing on the way into town I forgot to take noees.) A man came out ot the Chammerse of Congress building and asked if I needed a ride, Score again! I'm really liking this town, to bad I have to leave.Now its the hottest part of the day and I'm hiking straight up a pile of rocks with the sun beaming on me. GULP, GULP, GULP...Low on water. 10 miles to shelter, getting late, too littlw water to camp, getting later, getting nervious!!! Please God give me a puddle. Then WHALA! a spring sign appeared. "0.3 miles" Thank you!!! Hiked, hiked,small puddle (can't be the spring) hiked, hiked, no stream, back to th puddle. It was a very weak tricklefrom the ground, but beggers can't be choosers and puddle water i go Why not after all I asked for a puddle, so I can't complain.Dark, darker,darker, and darker it gets. Tired, tirer, and tired I get. I have water so I decided instead of pushing myself n the night I will listen to my body and sleep. So up goes the hammock and in bed by 10:00. I just didn't have it in me toinight to night hike. The sun just exhausts me. Now I'm going to rest my eyes and hope to wake up early. Tomorrow I think I have 25 miles to the Water Gap or 19 miles to the first shelter were Julie is suposed to hike inif she gets to the gap befor me.I hung my food bag on tone end of the hammock to keep mice out. I hope its out of reach for the racoons too.Goodnight, the exhausted buttercup