Date: 2005-07-08
From: Bake Oven Shelter

To: Palmerton, Pa.
Miles today: 7.5

Started @ Bake Oven KnobDestination: Palmerton, Pa.Miles today: 7.5Total Miles: 1242.8Stayed in hostelDay 119Last night after dark sometime it started raining and it did not let up until after 1pm today. The snake did not bother me and I was not afraid that it would. I don't know if almost 4 months ago I would have slept in a shelter where there was a black snake but at this point I prefer a black snake to mice. The mice have not seemed to be bad during the warm weather, though. These woods are, after all, where the wild creatures live and all of us out here are in their space. So I think they have the right to be here. Since it was raining I stayed in my sleeping bag until 6 or a little after. Even Mr. Clean, Jr., who is usually up at 5 did not come out of his tent to the shelter until after 6. The rain did not look like it was going to let up any time soon so we got packed up and left around 7. I wore my rain jacket because the air was cool and I was afraid I would be cold with the rain getting my shirt soaked. I half expected to be too warm but I wasn't. My shoes got so wet soon after starting out that I ended up just walking through the water on the trail. I felt like a little kid again. I was going to put on clean socks this morning but when I saw the rain decided I might just as well wear my very stinky dirty socks. The trail had us walking and climbing over or down rocks again today but they were wet and slippery today. By 11 we were in town. We did not even bother to try to hitch a ride because it was raining and we thought nobody would pick up 2 soaked hikers with wet packs. So we walked all the way to town--2 miles in the rain. The city allows hikers to stay in the basement of the borough hall with use of the shower. We had to provide our ID, telephone number, and SS# when we signed in. Everything is close by--the laundromat, diner (which has great food), post office, grocery store and pay phones. My cell phone got wet in my fanny pack. I had it in a plastic bag but it was not zipped and it also had a hole in it. It does not work but I have been told that once it dries out it may start working again. I hope so. There is a boiler room down here in the basement where we can put wet and damp things to help them dry out faster. My shoes are in there but I think they will still be pretty wet in the morning. My pack is drying fairly fast. I plan on washing it if I have time in Delaware Water Gap in the hotel's bathtub. The outfitter in Port Clinton said that the straps may not slip if I wash them and get all the dirt, sweat, oil, etc., off of them. I hope he is right. If not, it needs cleaned anyway. I know it certainly has a lot of sweat and dirt on it. Well, I am going to lie down and try to sleep. Hopefully, the light will be turned off soon. Chuckles, Gotta Go, Mr. Clean, Jr., and I are going to eat breakfast across the street, and then someone is picking us up to take us back to the trailhead. There was a number left here at the hostel saying he could take people if he was not working or had something else going on--so we are lucky to not have to walk the 2 miles back!