Date: 2018-06-10
From: William Penn Shelter 

To: PA 183 - Rock & Soul Hostel
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: scattered clouds

¢Life isn¢t about waiting for the storm to pass...it¢s about learning to dance in the rain.¢That quote was inscribed on a plate that rested in the kitchen window at the home of some friends we stayed with back in Carlisle. According to Which Way, I am a pretty good slow dancer, but that¢s where my ability to move to the music stops. Let¢s just say that I¢m all arms when it comes to dancing. Well today I learned to dance in the rain, compliments of some good old Pennsylvania rocks.It rained during the night, making me happy that I opted to stay in the shelter. The William Penn Shelter is a double-decker behemoth that sleeps up to 16 hikers. But last night there were only two of us. Eddy took one side of the bottom deck and I took the other. He was asleep before I settled in last night and was still sleeping when I departed at 6:15 this morning.When I took off it was only spitting rain and blowing water off the trees. The trail was also nice and soft for the first four miles. It was Sunday and I was longing for WW to be here to do our customary worship together. Instead, I just walked down the trail, praying aloud and lifting up songs of praise. If I didn¢t know better, I would say that at one time the birds were actually joining in. The time of meditation and prayer came to an end when I reached a view to the south just before crossing PA 501. There were three young local fellows standing on the rock doing their own Sunday morning thing. Let¢s just say there was a lot of hacking going on. That aside, the visibility to the south from this vantage point was actually good. That ended momentarily, as heavy rain was moving in from the northwest. A short distance later I crossed PA 501 and stopped in the parking lot to stretch. It rained on the party of three young dudes and they were back at the parking lot and in their car before I finished my routine. By the time I hit the trail, a steady downpour of rain had commenced. It did not let up for the next 90 minutes. It took even less time before I was drenched from head to toe, with the last stream of water trickling down my spine to you-know-where less than 10 minutes after the rain started. Also commencing on the far side of PA 501 was a nice serving of Pennsylvania rocks. These rocks came in all shapes, sizes and textures, each requiring a different set of maneuvering techniques. Let the dance lessons begin.Some rocks were of the large and flat variety, stacked up like piles of sheet metal in a scrap yard. These rocks were slick and uneven. Many had jagged edges and some were precariously balancing atop other rocks in the pile. This required a slow methodical, but confident approach. Good form and posture were a must. The next thing I knew,I was doing the Waltz. That is until I hit a slanted rock out of step. Then I found myself doing the Electric Slide. The kids would be so proud. Oh, and on some of those teetering slabs, I retrograded into the Shimmy. Where were these moves coming from?Then there the bowling ball sized rocks that were not quite far enough apart to step in between (at least not intentionally). You guessed it, bip-bop Next Step was doing the Hop! Some rocks were small and jagged. They are the kind that shred hiker shoes apart like they are made of tissue paper. They are uneven and often hard to see. Slipping off the edges is annoying and sometimes painful. For some reason, I find it easier to take these on at a faster pace. Kind of like with a skier doing moguls, timidity is the enemy. For these rocks, I chose the Quick Step. Sometimes there is an insane mix of rocks requiring a freestyle approach. Like the Stutter Step or Shuffle. There was an occasional patch of ground in this 3-mile section with no rocks. It was usually covered up in 2-6¢ of water¢the Swim. All the while, I was tap dancing, with my hiking poles that is. Occasionally one of the poles would lodge between a rock and a hard place just as I was into my next stride. When I hit one of these ¢wait a minute¢ spots, it sent me into some wild gyrations that I am pretty sure is illegal in some states.The rocks and rain both subsided at about the same time. I hit a rock outcropping, where I was fortunate enough to catch a view to the southwest. Although the trail was still under water in many places, I was able to make good time for the final 6-7 miles. Fields of water-laden ferns glowed vibrant green under the heavy gray sky. In the midst of the fern jungle, I passed two neon orange salamanders who had come out to the trail to catch some air. It was a short break for them, and for me.The rain picked back up and continued for the rest of the day. With the rain falling hard again, I was quickly approaching PA 183. Down the road a piece is the Rock & Sole Hostel, offering a free shuttle ride to and from the trail and to the Dollar General, dinner, breakfast, a hot shower, and a bunk for $40. I was so there. I called Craig and Jody, co-proprietors, from the Fort Dietrich Snyder Monument, located on the trail about .3 miles A.T. south of the parking lot. It was raining hard, my phone was wet, my cold waterlogged fingers weren¢t working well, and the reception was poor. ¢At the monument, need bunk at hostel, please pick-up at PA 183.¢ Click...I hope Craig got the message. I was at the parking area in a flash. It was still before noon and I had already hiked 13.5 miles, broken up a party, rocked out, and learned to dance. By the way, I also passed the 1,200 mile mark and now am on the 1,000 mile countdown!!! As I waited at the parking lot, hoping that a ride would soon arrive, I did my stretches and told myself I wasn¢t cold, even though I was now stationary and getting pelted by the hard rain. Craig showed up just as I was finishing my routine and getting ready to learn break dancing on the asphalt. Hey, it¢s better than hypothermia.Craig (a retired police officer) and Jody¢s place had a separate garage out back that was converted to a nice little 6 bed bunk house. It was complete with an outdoor heated shower (yes, a shower in the rain), privy, and plenty of space to maneuver. Given the foul weather, I was surprised to learn that I was the only hiker there. They said they had a big crowd last night, confirming I am hiking between bubbles. I asked Craig if there was a place I could order pizza or something for delivery. He said no, but that Jody would gladly put something together. Did she ever! It was absolutely delectable Blueberry French Toast with a big bowl of a tasty tater tot based recipe. It was so good that I asked her for the recipe. She obliged and was eager to make my stay a pleasant one. Satisfied that everything was cool, Craig told me that he and Jody were taking the day off and that his son Nate would take care of business while they were away. After talking to WW and my kids, I did something I had not done in awhile...I took a long nap as my stuff dried out. When I awoke, Nate took me to the Dollar General Store. A little later he brought me dinner¢a pulled pork sandwich and the fixin's. It is now real midnight and it is still raining. I sure hope it stops before 7:00, when I hit the trail again. However, I will take what the trail gives me.It¢s all good training.Peace & Blessings¢Next StepOh. My. As I was reading the entry to edit it, I could just picture Next Step doing these ¢moves¢! Lol I knew he would find a way to find the humor in his situation. Just one more thing I love about that man! Might have to change his name to ¢What¢s that Step?!?¢. HugsWhich Way Elevation Data: n/aAscent - 1,620Descent - 1,620Grade - 4.6Weather:Day - 66 / RainNight - 57 / RainOver the Horizon: Port Clinton, PA