Date: 2003-09-26
From: Palmerton, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Hi there faithful readers, alot has happened since my last update. I left off at the Tommie's Ice Cream Parlor in Palmerton, on my way to a local bar. (You find the Internet in the strangest places.) The evening's activities at Mugshots were directly responsible for the next several days. Here's what happened: We slept late the next morning, so Roamin, Zig-zag, and Flash took off. Poncho, Fatcat, Grommie, and I had a late breakfast. Poncho managed to yoggie a lift to Port Clinton. Fatcat wondered if we could get a slackpack there. Grommie said, if we could, that would be fine. I said (to my regret), "I'm in if you're in." And so we set out at 10:30 with only water, our hiking poles, and, most importantly, our headlamps, for a 40 mile slackpack from Palmerton to Port Clinton.What happened over the next 18 hours? In my hazy memory: I was spooked by a 5 foot black rat snake. We hiked for hours. We stopped for a quick lunch. The sun set. We hiked down to Eckville shelter, where Roamin, Zig, and Flash tried to talk us out of continuing. We left in full dark at 8:30 and proceeded to do a marathon night hike. Nearly got lost several times. Grommie almost stepped on a rattler (thought those things slept at night). We hiked for more hours. We snacked at 1:00 am at Furnace Brook shelter. Two pairs of green eyes followed us for 75 feet. We nearly got lost some more. Got to Port Clinton at 4:45 am and went to sleep at the town pavilion.The next day was a zero, of course. Port Clinton is a nice place, in a run-down kind of way. Nothing much happens there though, especially on a Monday when the PC Hotel is closed (no bar). Rained hard that night.The next day we all set out for Duncannon. The SOBO Snowball separated, with everyone leaving at a different time. Yours truly (and Flash) white-blazed to 501 shelter. Roamin and Zig-zag blue-blazed down the sweetest blue blaze I ever did see (SOBOs behind, take note). You can order pizza at 501, and they deliver.The next day Zig, Roamin, and I hiked to Rausch Gap shelter. The trail was atrocious, more blowdowns than I've ever seen. Very frustrating, and painful. Legs got torn up, feet hurt too. Flash took off, never to be seen again. We forded the Trout Run creek, more dangerous than any crossing in ME or NH. Water up to my thighs. Passed the 1,000 mile mark today though.On the 25th Zig and I hiked to Peters Mountain shelter. Roamin blue-blazed into Duncannon. Once again, the trail beat us up hard. Great shelter, but an ugly hike to the spring. Today was my 3 month anniversary on the AT, so of course I had to make a big register entry.Today Zig and I hiked the 11 miles into Duncannon. I'm sitting at the Doyle Hotel bar to be precise (strange Internet locations, remember?) finishing this journal entry. Plan to zero here tomorrow, then set off for Harper's Ferry. Should take us 7 days.A public note: my blue-blaze virginity has been restored by skipping the awesome blue-blaze out of Port Clinton. Henceforth, you can call me a purist, white-blazing, son-of-a-bitch.Look for my next update from the Harper's Ferry Hostel. Have a good hike.[I'll try to fill in some of my brief journal entries from Palmerton and Wind Gap].