Date: 2012-07-07
From: Hawk Mountain Road (Eckville Shelter) (PA)

To: Bake Oven Knob Road (PA) 
Miles today: 16.4

Day 88: "Survive and advance, survive and advance!" (To borrow the late Coach Jim Valvano's strategy for winning the NCAA basketball tournament)(Plus the Troverts encounter a southbound section hiker with selective amnesia...)We took advantage of the still almost full moon and the open space around our tent to be up, packed, and on the Trail by six o'clock. The cool morning air we'd hoped for never materialized, and it was humid from the word go. The rocky trail got tougher as we finished the first climb, especially at and beyond Dan's Pulpit. Didn't the same thing happen yesterday with the trail at Pulpit Rock? Is anyone else starting to notice a pattern here??? N says he is swearing off all pulpits for the remainder of the hike.Instead of two miles per hour, our pace is barely one. Especially when the route goes over large jumbles of rocks. Our plan is to drink copious quantities of water today given the hot weather, but according to our guidebook, water sources will be few and far between. We become extremely frustrated when we mistake a prominently blue blazed side trail not listed on our guide with the path down to Dan's Spring, which in reality we haven't reached yet. When we do finally come to a sign saying "Dan's Spring 90 feet," it seems the distance is a vertical measurement, not a horizontal one, as the steep side trail seems designed for use by a mountain goat. And we have only covered a quarter of the day's mileage!Fortunately, after we stop for a snack at the next shelter, the AT becomes an old farm road and we are able to make much better time. A passing hiker had informed us to expect trail magic at Fort Franklin Road. Although, based on her description, the magic has been pretty well picked over before we arrive, we are thankful for two bottles of cold water. As we cross PA 309, we see Blue Mountain Summit restaurant just to the west. Enticed by the bright "Open" sign, we quickly decide a late lunch will help us over the last five miles of the day. And our two sandwiches are excellent. A southbound section hiker comes in and takes a table opposite. We share information on both our upcoming sections of trail. He had hair-raising stories about what we'll face in about 14 miles, in fact, all the way to New Jersey! However, he assures us we'll have no problems with the next five miles. Back on the trail, we find he is correct about the last one and the first two miles, but in the middle is Knife Edge, as nasty a piece of real estate as the trail has offered to date. We scramble/ rock hop up to a narrow ridge where our real work begins. The one thing our southbound friend did say was that he saw several rattlesnakes out sunning on the narrow rock ledges, and this certainly played on our minds, raising the already high pucker factor. Mahoosuc Notch always gets the billing as the AT's toughest mile. Until we get there, the Knife Edge gets our vote as the hardest/ scariest quarter mile we've faced to date. We didn't know whether to cry or kiss the ground when we got past. At the next road, we are met by Lee and Joanne, who our York friend Francis has arranged to help us slack pack tomorrow. We can hear thunder rumbling in the distance and shortly after we reach their home, a severe storm rolls through! Severe enough to knock out the electricity! Great timing on our part not to be up on Knife Edge or setting up a tent! Once again we are blessed to have local support. And thankful our hosts can crank up their generator. We dine on steak and fresh sweet corn. A great end to a really, really hard day...