Date: 2009-06-23
From: Eagles Nest Shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I got up around 6:30. Tinman and Gaspard were all packed up and seemed to be waiting for me to get out of my hammock. Tinman wanted to take my picture. "But I just woke up!". Somehow, it turned out better than I thought it would. I looked very cheery and happy for it being the first couple minutes of the day! I enjoyed a quiet morning by myself. I was in no rush as I only had about 9 miles to get into Port Clinton.   It always seems like such a short day should be easy, but it never seems to go as quickly as you had hoped. I didn't see anyone on the trail at all. The sun was bright and the air hot as I made my way down the hill to town. My eyes were starting to bother me again. I crossed the traintracks, made my way over the bridge, and walked into the little town. I first came to the outfitters. It was crowded with hikers, and I couldn't find the denatured alcohol, so I decided to come back later. I was hot and sweaty and wanted to get cleaned-up. I made my way over to the Port Clinton hotel, where Erik had made a reservation for me. As I walked into the bar, Tinman and Gaspard enthusiastically greeted me, reaching out their hands. They implored me to sit down and have a beer with them. The bartender/waitress was also in charge of distributing the rooms, and I waited to tell her I had a reservation. She snapped back at me, "We don't take reservations here. Are you sure you are in the right place?" I told her about the conversation Erik had with a woman at the hotel, but she denied it and kept insisting I was in the wrong place. I finally succeeded in assuring her I was in the right place and that I would like a room. She placed a single towel and room key on the counter, and I ordered a burger and a beer, which I regretted. My eyes were already getting painful, and I should have just gone to my room, taken out my contacts, drank some water, and cleaned up. There was another couple at the bar, whom I will just name by their trail initials: K.H. and L.H. They were section hiking some of PA and were headed out that afternoon after the man had his fill of beer. The woman had two black eyes and I immediately wondered if she was a victim of domestic abuse. However, I did not want to jump to conclusions. They were quite affectionate with one another, and the woman was very friendly. She asked me a lot of questions about my hike and told me how proud she was of what I was doing. She later explained her bruises (while the man was outside), saying that she had fallen on their second day out, and talked about how clumsy she is.   I guessed that this "hotel" would not provide us with shampoo or conditioner, and checked with Gaspard and Tinman. L.H. said she would give us hers, as she no longer wanted to carry hers. She gave it to Gaspard (who seemed to want it more than I did!) and told me to make sure he shares it with me. Thanks, L.H.! That was the best trail magic! (Especially the conditioner!).   I went up to my room after I finished my bacon cheeseburger and beer, feeling very tired. The bed in my room left a lot to be desired. All I could feel was metal coils! I didn't know why I was paying over $50 for that! Sleeping outside would have been 1000 times more comfortable! I tried to take a little nap, and got up to take a shower when I mustered a bit of energy. As I started to shave, I noticed a piece of dirt attached to my inner, upper arm that hadn't come off. I tried to rub it off, but it wouldn't move! What is this piece of dirt? Wait a minute, this piece of dirt has legs! It's a deer tick that is embedded! My first tick! I suddenly didn't feel SO bad about paying for the room, as I might not have seen it if I had not showered. I was also glad that I was shaving along the AT! I pulled the little thing out with tweezers, dressed, and made my way to the Post Office, where I picked up Erik's maildrop, and a special treat- homemade brownies sent to me by Kismet! I had been excited about picking these up! They were my first homemade treats on the trail- and Kismet had sent an entire batch for me to share with other hikers. I had let Tinman and Gaspard know about this treat at Eagles Nest shelter. Certain's memory card had not yet come, and I hoped it would arrive by the following day.   Back at the hotel, I ran into Kog (Steve from Lakes of the Clouds Hut), who was sidelined with Lyme's disease. He had a giant red bulls eye on his calf, and had been in Port Clinton for several days. I asked him if he would like some brownies, and he enthusiastically said he would. They were delicious! Thank you so much, Kismet!!   I went down to the restaurant for dinner, where Tinman joined me. We talked about his previous adventures across the US. I returned to my room to label my recent pictures and went to bed, still unsure of what my plan was for the following day, as I still had a lot of journal writing to do, and my eyes really hurt.