Date: 2004-05-26
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: light rain

Woke up to a thunderstorm which always provides incentive to stay in my bag a little longer. Hiking in the rain has it's advantages (no bugs) but can be a bit tedious, not to mention trecherous, since the trail can get slick. Not to mention it's an automatic no music day which is a bummer. So we took a while to get moving - I had to hit the post office to send home my boots and return my room key to the Doyle in Duncannon (oops). We hit the trail by 9:15 in the pouring rain.The trail took had a solid climb out of Port Clinton and I was quickly overheating in my rain jacket. It creates a microclimate equivalent to a sauna when you put this thing on and exert yourself. Eventually I took it off and just got rained on instead, much cooler. Grabbed lunch at the first shelter and eventually the rain let up. Much of the day was really rocky though, a total boulder scramble, and the rocks were incredibly slick requiring much care. Most of these rocks are well beyond the angle of repose found on any loose slope on this planet. Add a slick surface and sometimes its a crap shoot as to whether or not the sole of your boot will stick. My new boots handled it well though and they proved to be entirely waterproof when used in conjunction with my gaitors. Good deal.Nice hike, even though there were no views, and the air remained cool after the rain. Eventually we left the rocks (for awhile) and traveled down a long and flat dirt road the remaining miles to the shelter - a nice change of pace. The flat terrain really irritated my heels though and I felt some new blisters trying to stake a claim on my heels. The glory of new boots.We arrived at Eckville around 4pm and found it was another enclosed shelter with solar shower, flush toilet, and caretaker called Lazee who keeps a hiker fridge full of pop and ice cream sandwiches. Jackpot. Lazee is a 3 time thru hiker and I was entirely impressed. He likes to make signs for hikers that explain the rules of the joint complete with phrases like "don't be an idiot and do this..." and "if you must be a slob..." etc. Amusing. Makes me wonder how many thoroughly bad mannered hikers he's seen in his day. Must be more then a handful, unfortunately.I hadn't showered since Duncannon or laundered since Lelos so I contemplated both. The chilly night air ruled out the shower but I did take some time to wash my shirt and underwear in the laundry bucket, with no hope that either would dry by tomorrow morning. Nothing seems to really dry out - the air is constantly humid. I'd rather it be wet and smell good then damp and smell like eau d' hiker. By 7pm we had a full shelter - Dad, Mack, Brianne, Pretty Bird, and Wandering Bear. We sat around outside and chatted it up through dinner (more lipton noodles and sauce) before a nice thunderstorm rolled in forcing us to retreat to the shelter where the noseeums proceeded to eat me alive. Those suckers are nasty. I threw on a long sleeved shirt and stuck my legs in my sleeping bag for cover. Then I read my book for awhile until bedtime. Semi-Joy and I are comtemplating a big day tomorrow - trying to reach the second shelter since more thunderstorms are forecast for tomorrow evening. I guess we'll just see how we feel as the day rolls on. I don't mind camping in the rain but it's tough to dry out your tent and gear once it gets thoroughly wet so the shelter is our first choice. I think ultimately my feet will decide for me.