Date: 2020-08-16
From: side trail to Pine Swamp Rd parking

To: Tentsite at 1248.6
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: broken clouds

After a weeklong vacation from hiking I intended to head out yesterday, but I needed a day off to recuperate from my vacation from hiking. So I took a vacation from my vacation from my vacation. It was a useful day though, as I patched five holes in my Big Agnes AXL sleeping pad after testing it in the tub. A new hole appeared each time I patched the last. I didn't bother testing after the fifth because I knew there'd be another. All were the same type - a pinprick hole at the edge of a dimple in the top of the pad. Not due to abrasion or puncture, just a general weakening of the seams or material after 40-45 nights of use. A material defect in my view, and I'll be returning it as soon as I can get a new pad.Speaking of repairs, I did replace my phone with the shattered camera lens. The new one, Moto G Power, supposedly has the longest battery life around, plus has a better camera than anything short of a premium phone. So now I have no excuses for lousy pictures!I won't be getting a new sleeping pad for at least four more days, though, since the local REIs are all out of stock on ultralight pads. So in the meantime I'll keep reinflating the AXL every two hours during the night and hope for the best. I ordered the Thermarest Xlite, by far the most popular thruhiker pad. And in hindsight the one I should have bought to begin with, given its reputation for durability. My daughter Larisa, aka Snickers, is joining me today and tomorrow. She's completing 15 and 20 mile hikes for her Hiking merit badge on her path to Eagle Scout. Yes, not only do I have three boys in the boy scouts (now called Scouts BSA), but my daughter as well. She's also a girl scout, and is aiming for the highest rank in each: Eagle Scout and Gold Award. There was some trepidation this morning when we awoke to rain, but the storm system hitting the Philadelphia area was moving up the coast and had missed the trail. So we were soon on our way. Sara dropped us off at the parking lot near Eckville where my younger boys and I had left the trail last week. Snickers and I were in good spirits enjoying the cool temperature (high of 73) and relatively low humidity. A short but steep climb took us back up to the Blue Mountain ridgeline near the Hawk Mountain sanctuary. Then the fun began. The next four miles were mostly rocks, with some boulder stretches mixed in. Challenging mentally to stay focused on foot placement. But at least there were dry. Snickers had a store of you-know-whats to keep up her blood sugar throughout the day.Had a long break at the Allentown Shelter and enjoyed four miles of easy Jeep track to route 309 where we had huge burgers at the new Thunderhead Inn and filled our bottles at their spigot. The owner was very accommodating, offering us electronics charging and inviting us to bring our packs in. Just before the road I spied a party balloon hovering right at the edge of the trail with Happy Birthday on it and tied to a cellophane gift bag. It must have escaped from a party a few days ago and landed here. Since it was my 47th birthday just yesterday, I took it as a birthday wish from the trail. The trail really does provide, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. We took a picture then disposed of it in the dumpster at the restaurant. If the helium had still been lighter than air I could have tied it to my pack and actually saved a few ounces!It was past 7:30 when we left, having covered under 13 miles since 10:30 thanks to all the rocks. The two miles north of 309 were more Jeep track, and we pulled out the headlamps a mile in. Originally we had planned to tent at the New Tripoli site downhill from a power line but, since we didn't need water and the site was way down the mountain, we just pushed another quarter mile to a site right on trail on the ridge. Unfortunately after the power line the ridge turned into a mess of boulders, testing our patience and our headlamps. We finally reached the tentsite well after dark and quickly set up and crawled in for a well-earned rest. Fifteen miles - check!