Date: 2009-06-20
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: Allentown Shelter
Miles today: 16.5

Day 89, 16.5 miles, 6 am - 3:45 pm   Oh, man, last night we had to camp with "Rock Dawg" or as I call him "Smokie the Drunk" (STD.) Awful alcoholic. He talked at full volume, nonstop, repeating himself at least 100x times, in the same loop of speech. He chained smoked, set things on fire in the shelter at midnight, and then he started snoring at full volume after he took sleeping pills and vodka and passed out. We were already set up in the shelter, and by the time he came in at 7:30 p I wasn't inclined to move, but by 9:30 p I wished that we had. Oh well. I found myself wishing that he would die in his sleep. He said that he might head for this shelter today, but I doubt he will make it. He is carrying a gallon-literally-of vodka and he also has stainless steel pots. That and being a chain smoker will slow him down. He should get a job in schools, just to show how messed up being an alcoholic can be. It would probably scare people into not drinking.    Anyway. Very early there was no rain, and we walked past nice pastoral views of small towns, rolling hills, and floating inversions. Unfortunately, at the 2nd overlook, the rain blew in and stayed with us for the rest of the day. There wasn't much to see after the Pinnacle and the Pulpit, but it was still a drag. At least the poncho worked well today.    So, again, the trail today was either flooded, muddy, or rock covered. Or covered by a lake. After our 1 hour tea break at Eckville shelter the rocks really intensified, and it slowed us down. Tricky to walk on wet boulder fields.    We ran into a distraught ultra-marathoner today, I can't believe we passed people running on such a shitty day in flooded terrain. Crazy. Her running partners sprinted ahead of her, and she was not anticipating the terrain or the weather. They were running something like 35 miles today. I said hi, and asked if she was OK, and she started crying and saying that she ran out of water miles ago. She calmed down when we told her that she had only 3-4 more miles to the road, and by luck we were on a side trail to a spring. We took her to the spring so she could refill on water, and we talked for a few more minutes to reassure her, and she mentally recovered. I am glad we could help her. All her running partners told her was to "follow the white blazes" and then they just left her. I personally would be freaked out-alone in an unfamiliar environment, with wet rock to "run" on, in an all day rainstorm. She was soaked to the bone, really. After she got it together she thanked us and continued on.    Other than that, alot of rock hopping and ignoring the rain. We got spots in the shelter--4 here already, but all are thrus and not loud drunk 'local boys.' The spring here is overflowing, you could practically take a swim in it is was so deep and flooded. Tomorrow Palmerton, with only dregs to eat over 17.7 miles. I hope we get to town early but I doubt it. I'm starving and I have a lot of chores to do. Hopefully the rocks won't slow me down too much. * * *Later, in Mass., I talked to Ironman and Braid and they both said they stayed in the shelter with STD on different days. Poor guys. It was a washout week and everyone was sheltering. At least he didn't set anyone on fire or have a blackout. Matt had earlier suggested that STD probably just lived between Windor Furnace, Eckville, and Allentown Shelters. I guess he does.