Date: 2012-06-14
From: fort Dietrich Snyder monument 

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: few clouds

Flag day today, my mother in laws 90th B-Day, Happy B-day Barb. Had another very rocky walk over the ridges of Blue Mountain. Had some large rock cliffs, Had some fun scrambles to a few good views. Pretty farms of mid eastern PA. Climb down into Port Clinton was very steep, rough on the knees. Had issue of my right knee swelling with a worsening effusion, somewhat sore. I demonstrated my knee effusion to my fellow hikers, they of course threatened to help and drain the knee. Wiffleball and Hawk seemed all to excited to poke me with knives and needles. I think I'll elevate and rest it first. We had mail drops here at the post office, also most of us had a change in shoes for the rocks of PA, better late than never. Crumb cake from my mother Grancy also arrived, excellent treat, we all indulged. Later we got a ride to Cabellos and Walmart for resupply, unfortunately we had to walk 2 miles back, no one seems to pick up groups of walking hikers in PA. We heard it was illegal to hitch hike, though a few tried. All Smiles says we northerners are just not as nice, he is from Kentucky.Port Clinton is a small town with some large stores down the street in Hamberg. The Schuylkill River goes through the gap,as well as the railroad. Historically this area was important for travel and commerce. My experience of The Schuylkill is in Philadelphia were it goes by my Medical School, it is smaller and much cleaner at this end.We had a quiet night sleeping along the Schuylkill. Elevated my knee and soaked it some in the river. Expect it to be somewhat better in the am.I have been requested by some to review some daily routine. It adjust depending on our circumstance. We often have breakfast after we awake with the sun. Peeper tends to want to sleep a little later. We usually have tea or hot Cocoa, and some oatmeal. We may have some precooked bacon. We cook with a 2 ounce Alcohol stove that heats 4 cups of water in about 6 minutes. Our morning routine takes about 30 minutes and we try to get walking by about 7:30. Peeper and I will often hike at different rates, she is faster uphill and I am down, a gravitational thing. We vary day to day. Peeper tends to listen to music or books while she hikes, I will occasionally listen to my Kindle electronic reader, but usually I hike and commune with nature. Books I have read- The Hunger Game series, Hiking the AT books, Reading the Rocks An Autobiography of the World( Geology review- Excellent), Light Weight Back packing and Guns Germs and Steel-The fates of Human Societies. I also listened to the the 1913 lecture series of Sir William Osler. Great to be able to read thing other than medical journals. Peeper also has read listened to many books. Peeper and I usually meet up at trail transitions, water refills, lunch and occasional check on health and progress. We tend to put lunch off until 1:00-2:00, we usually eat a wraps and sandwiches, tuna fish is a staple.We tend to stop hiking after 6:00-7:00 pm find a tent site that is flat and hopefully has a water source, we cook a meal, usually a packaged freeze dried meal. We have snacks through the day. We try to eat 3000-5000 calories/day though we don't count.We go to bed usually by 9:00, asleep at hikers midnight 9:30.And on to the next day.