Date: 2014-06-12
From: port clinton, pa

To: new tripoli campsite
Miles today: 28.2
Weather: light rain

thankfully i was able to pack up inside the pavillion to keep my stuff from getting any wetter as again it was raining. nothing that was hung up last night dried out. i had dry new boots and one pair of dry socks left so i went for it and put em on. i set off into the rain for a long day with no sun in sight. soon on the trail i walked thru about a half mile of deep grass, new dry boots were now mostly new soaked boots. i was glad the hill out of hamburg was not as steep as the one coming in but with the rain and wet rocks it was a long heavy breathing climb. it was a long 5.5 miles to the first shelter, i hadnt planned to stop there but i wanted to get out of the weather for a bit so i swung in. i met Wrong leg and a couple other section hikers. it seemed to be letting up so i strapped on my pack and made some more progress. well it wasnt five minutes and the sky let loose. i mean a real live soaker. poor choice leaving when the rain let up. there was nothing to get under so i got under nothing and walked on. i then passed two great overlooks, the first was pulpit rock and the second was the pinnacle. these are supposed to be some of the best views in PA, i saw nothing at either place, just fog. the rocks were rocky but still in spurts, not the endless rocks that i have heard of. i cant wait for that to happen. not long after the pinnacle the trail turned onto an old gravel road that was great walking and good time was made. that took me most of the was to the Eckville shelter. i stopped there too to get out of the rain. seabiscuit and looper were there and mobius showed up a few minutes after me. we all commented how we liked the wetness and how much we loved wet feet for the third day in a row. the eckville shelter is a small shed in a guys backyard with bunks and chairs for the hikers to stay in. he even has a flush toilet and a solar shower for when there is solar, there was not solar today. its crazy that people do things like this right in their backyard. looper, wrong leg, and mobius were staying but seabiscuit and i were moving on to at least the next shelter. i sat at the shelter for nearly an hour and a half because i didnt want to go back out and i was charging my telephone too. so around about 2:30 i forced myself out. there was a pretty good climb up hawk mt and at the top was dans pulpit, another good view that was not to be viewed today. from there to the shelter the trail was flat but with areas of rocks to deal with. the bad spots are rocks sized from basketballs to kitchen stoves all piled up that you have to navigate over. the wet makes it a little more worse. yes, more worse. i got to the allentown hiking club shelter about 5. the shelter was full of people but there was an overhang for me to hand out under for a few minutes. i got some water from the spring and a snack before moving on. i wanted to get as close to palmerton as i could to make tomorrow as short as i could. i went 5 more miles to a tent site and set up my tent, yes in the rain. i put all the contents of my pack inside the tent to keep it from getting any wetter. as i threw everything in and climbed myself inside i realized what i was sitting in, squalor! everything was at least wet, lots of things were soaked, and i was horridly smelly with little ventilation in my tent. i clothes pinned my underbritches to the ceiling of the tent with hopes of having dry undergarments at least once in four days. i was a little bit blue about the situation but i knew it would happen at least once on the trip. how could it not? i did not cook dinner, i ate a bag of cranberries and a protein bar. good enough. i just wanted to lay there and listen to the rain pounding my house. to make lemonade i thought to myself. im inside my sturdy tent and tomorrow i would be in a hotel to clean myself and wash and dry all my gear. not so bad after all. happy dreams