Date: 2009-07-04
From: George Outbridge Shelter

To: Wind Gap
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: broken clouds

Phrase of the Day: "Banner Day - One..."Garage Man showed up at the shelter after 8pm. Boy did I feel bad. He did get my message yesterday, but was too tired to push on. He ended up doing the 24+ miles and it was a very tough 24+ miles. He started at 5:30 and took to after 8. Very long day.I was awakened by something scurrying by my head. I decided not to turn my headlamp on because I just didn't want to know what it was. It was fitting for my last night in a shelter to have a critter crawl up near me. Just leave it at that.I was up and hiking by 5:30. Garage Man woke up and we said our goodbyes. I am going to miss him.Coming out of the Lehigh Gap there is a climb/bouldering that the ATC says is the most difficult bouldering on the AT outside of New Hampshire. To say the least I was a little anxious about it. I was glad to be climbing up versus climbing down. It always seems to be a little easier for me to climb up versus down.As I started up the trail - I found a penny sitting heads up. I knew that it wasn't going to be a problem that I would make it up ok. About one quarter of the way up - I had to stop and tie my poles to my pack. Just couldn't climb carrying them. I had to be on all fours - scrambling. As I was climbing it actually began to be fun. It really was exhilerating. I felt like one of those people who does dangerous things for thrills. When I got to the top I actually did a little rocky dance. I was the only person around - dancing on the top of this boulder field mountain. It was perfect. Early morning - no rain, no sun, no snakes, but really, really windy. The entire area is an EPA superfund site. Dead trees everywhere. Very sad.I did find a ton of blueberries again and because it was so nice I stopped to eat handfuls of them. But after I ate them, I thought hum should I be eating them from a superfund site. Probably not, but boy were they good. At the top of the climb I found a quarter. Up to $3.68. Once I was on the top, I took my poles off my pack and extended them. One of them wouldn't lock. Ugh. I love my poles, but I rarely change the locking position on them and every once in a while when I do the same pole has a problem. I spent 20 minutes as I was hiking trying to lock it. No go. I ended up leaving the one pole tied to the pack. I have hiked with poles for so long that hiking without them is out of the question. As I was walking I found a small tree that was dead and laying flat on the ground. It looked like a perfect pole replacement. I pulled on it and it wouldn't come. I kept pulling and of course I went flying on my butt and onto my back. Quite the sight I am sure especially when I tried to roll over and get up. I was finally able to get up and it was the perfect diameter. Broke it a little and it was the perfect replacement.   As soon as I could get reception I called the SQ before she was to leave to tell her to bring her poles so that I could use one of them tomorrow.I had one more big climb today out of Little Gap, but other than that it was pretty much another ridge walk. Made pretty good time - did the 21.3 miles in 10 hours. Not bad considering how long it took me to do the early morning boulder climb. It was a great day weather wise - cool, breezy, and the sun was finally out with no afternoon storm blowing in just as I was up on a ridge. Perfect.I got some 4th of July trail magic today at Little Gap. THANKS Keychain. Great way to celebrate the 4th. Had an ice tea, oreos, and a small bag of fritos - all at 8 in the morning. As I said before it is never to early to eat high calorie junk food when you are hiking.I didn't see any other hikers today. Did see some turkeys and chicks, a deer and two fawns, and a really big black snake. It had to be 5ft long and as thick as a fire hose. Still no rattle snakes though. I am truly getting bummed about that. There were lots and lots of rocks. My feet are really hurting, but they only have to sacrifice themselves for one more day.The SQ got to town at 3pm and I told her that I had about half an hour left. She was waiting at the north side trail head when I came up the road from the south. She was talking to Tahoe who was justing heading out. I met him for the first time in Port Clinton. It was so great to see her. Wooo Hooo.She brought me some clean clothes, but they were all too big and I couldn't wear them because they were falling off. After getting cleaned up we headed over to the Kmart to see if I could find some shorts that fit.   Hoping to be back on the trail by 7:30 to wrap this puppy up.