Date: 2005-07-08
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Palmerton Jail Hostel
Miles today: 25.1

9:17pm - In the Jailhouse NowAs of last night, Professor hadn't lined up a ride to the hiker feed. Consequently, I resolved to cover the 25 remaining miles to Palmerton. I got up early - though still later than Quixote and Gozar - and was faced with my first decision of the day. Should I wear a rain jacket or not?For most people, this is not a hard question. If it's raining hard (and it was this morning) then you wear a rain jacket or carry an umbrella. For a thru-hiker, though, it's a different matter. My rain jacket is also my wind jacket. If I wear the jacket, it'll get soaked and I probably will, too, through sweat. All I succeed in doing is making a dry item of clothing wet. However, the jacket does keep me warm while wearing it. The real question is, will I get chilled in the rain without the jacket. I gambled that it was a warm enough day.I chose poorly. I arrived eight miles later at the next shelter wet and a little chilled. I wasted no time in stripping off my shirt and pulling on a dry fleece. Che and Peanut were present; Che helped me warm up by offering me a few shots of yerba mate, a thick mash of herbs to which a few ounces of water are added. One drinks it through a straw, and it is then refilled with more water for the next person in line (it's often passed around a circle). It was hot, and it certainly hit the spot, complimenting my early lunch quite well.I set off into the rain once more, intending to take my next break at a restaurant right at the next road crossing four miles distant. As I trudged through the cold rain (this time wearing my rain jacket) I dreamed of a nice cup of hot tea somewhere warm and dry. But then a strange thing happened: it stopped raining. I walked up to the restaurant, put my hand on its doorknob, and then walked away. A cup of tea would be nice, but I didn't need it; I merely wanted it. I continued walking.Two miles later, my left shoe self destructed. As you may recall, I bought a new pair of shoes in Port Clinton. I shipped them up to Delaware Water Gap figuring that my current pair would last until then. I figured wrong. The rubber sole of my left shoe was in the process of separating from the foam midsole. I think I'll be jerry-rigging something up while in town. I only need 37 more miles from these shoes...A mile later I heard a slithering sound off to the side of the trail. I spied a harmless black snake eyeing me. I kept a cautious eye on him, too, and took my next step. It was then that I heard the rattle. Distracted by the black snake, I failed to see the rattle snake hiding beneath a rock I had stepped over with my leading foot. I hurriedly moved my rear foot forward, keeping it as far away from the snake as I could. Three miles later, I resumed breathing.The rest of the afternoon is a blur of rocks, ridges, and wild blueberries. I popped out of the woods before 6:30 and caught an easy hitch to town in a sedan. The guy's brother had twice hiked the trail, both times with a dog. He dropped me off at the police station.A few years back, Palmerton opened the basement of its old police station as a hiker hostel. The "jail hostel" is a basic bunk room, but hey - it's an old jail. How many times can you spend the night in jail but be free to go as you pleased? After registering at the new police station, I entered the jail to find a trio of familiar faces: Corporal, Ramblin' Man, and Dandy Lion. Dandy Lion especially was a pleasant surprise. It's been ages since I last saw him. After a shower, I joined the three of them at the excellent Tony's Pizza and scarfed down 3/4 of a stromboli, saving the rest for lunch tomorrow.Afterwards I took stock of the town. It seems to have everything a hiker could want crammed into three blocks - a grocery store, restaurants, an auto parts store (for stove fuel), and even a public library on the same block as the laundromat. Resupply and town chores should be a breeze.So where are the others? One theory holds that they stopped at Baker Oven Knob Shelter eight miles back. They weren't up when I left; 25 miles is hard to do without leaving camp before nine. It's also possibly that Professor found a ride and they're in Duncannon. Until they catch back up to me, I'll just pretend they were abducted by aliens. There's no rumor quite like an unsubstantiated trail rumor.