Date: 2016-07-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 92- July 12, 2016We left our beautiful campsite that was surrounded by berries and overlooked the town and headed towards our biggest climb of PA. It wasn't long before we arrived at a small shelter where we would get our last water for the next 16 miles. At the shelter, a south bound couple talked to us about the climb we were about to do. The lady with the short bright pink hair told us that coming down the mountain of boulders was hell but she had been told by other nobo hikers that the climb up was fun. Our challenge would be increased by the fact that Dregs was not feeling well and hadn't eaten anything for dinner last night or breakfast this morning. Additionally, we would have to carry full water from the lack of sources down trail and the tough climb, rated a 9 by the ATC, would be fully exposed to the hot sun. After collecting our water, we set out to climb. We got to the road where we saw the mountain side. The rock face we would be climbing was obvious. We started up the mountain and I was impressed with the trails steepness. I let dregs go ahead of me as I slowly made my way up. Even with his discomfort and lack of food, he trucked on up. After a short bit of dirt trail, it turned to large boulders with hard to see white blazes painted on to show the way. At one point, I looked behind myself at the view of the bridge water and road below. I got slightly dizzy and reminded myself not to do that again. I put my trekking poles away and continued to climb. Until I hit a wall. It was only a few feet taller than I am but the rocks that most people use to climb up were small and too high for me to pull my feet up on to. In addition, it was positioned in a way that while hanging on, I would be leaning backwards towards the steep boulder field behind me. With my fear of heights, tired body, heavy pack, full water, shin splints, other shin bruised, and a backward slanting wall that I needed to climb, I did my best to try to get up. It didn't work. Dregs was just over the wall above me and could see my growing frustration and fear. As I dangled on a small foothold, I feared I was stuck with no way up or down and my arms getting tired of holding the weight forward. Dregs tried to assist me with his hand but I didn't trust I wouldn't pull him down or that I wouldn't be dropped. I slowly lowered myself back to a flat spot and took off my pack. Dregs climbed to a point where I was able to lift my pack to him and he hoisted it up and over. Then, I took a moment to gain the courage to try another rout to climb up. With the dwindling strength I had left, I made it up. Dregs gave me a hug and we continued up. As we crested a mound of rocks, storm trooper snapped a picture of us. It was a long trek up more boulders and then through desertous areas. Along the trail, berry bushes began to pop up everywhere and we lost trooper to a few bushes of raspberries and dew berries. We eventually met back up for lunch and continued on. I ran out of water about 6 miles before the next water source that wasn't .6 off the trail. Trooper gave me the remainder of his extra water so that we could make it. It was a long 18 miles we hiked to the shelter but when we arrived, we found a great camp spot far from day hikers and it had flat ground and lots of sitting space around a fire pit. The guys went down to replenish water and I was to set up sleeping pads, filter water, gather fire wood, start the fire and make dinner while they were gone. I made it a personal challenge to have it all done by the time they got back because they didn't think I could do it all. I proved them wrong, but in the process of collecting wood, a swarm of ants started walking up my arm and biting me. I had a bit of a freak out and got them off of me. They returned and we had a good time before heading in for bed. Dregs still wasn't feeling good but did eat some food.