Date: 2007-06-26
From: William Penn Shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 27.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Well I had a good nights rest even though it was really warm last night. I woke up around 6:00 but I couldn't get myself to get out of bed so I dosed off for another hour or so and then got up and packed up relatively quick because I wanted to get some miles in before the heat really picked up. I got on the trail around 7:45 and started going at my usual pace. There were some cool overlooks within the first mile but it was so darn hazy I couldn't see more than maybe ten feet out. I stopped to check out the 501 shelter not about 4 miles in and met Hungus and Hopalong who were just leaving then I saw Couch at the shelter. This shelter has a caretaker who is a Forest Ranger and he came up to me all mad about hikers drinking in the shelter because apparently it is not allowed there. I told him that I just got there and I didn't know anything about it. He was really steamed and wanted to take it out on someone but they had all left. It is kind of a good idea to try and follow the rules because what we do affect the future hikers of the trail, but there is no way to stop beer thirsty hikers especially when a shelter like this one is so close to a town. I passed quite a number of hikers today and stopped to hang out for a while but they were clearly not motivated to do too much so I kept moving. I passed about 9 thru hikers today by about 12:30. I really didn't stop that often unless it was for water. The views were all hazy anyway and the trail was pretty rocky in some places so I kept plugging along because I was still planning on making it to Port Clinton if I could. I came to the last shelter before town at about 2:15 and got water and rehydrated and ate what little food I had for snacks and decided to suck it up and go the last 8.6 to town. I kind of got my second wind at this point and cruised over some pretty rocky sections and finally got to town around 6:00. I kind of planned on just camping in the town pavillion because there was really no places to go in Port Clinton and I had no idea how I was going to get to a place to resupply. So I just started moving towards the pavillion when I saw this Volkswagon van coming towards me with someone in the passenger seat waving at me. It was a hiker named Gimpy with this gentleman in the drivers seat. I asked them where they were going and the man said he owned a hostel out side of town which was free and he had some supplies there and a shower if I was interested. I said sure I was and hopped in. Man was I ever happy to get a shower and a cot to sleep on for basically free (showers cost $1.25). We even got a ride to this local restaurant where I got an awesome Reuben and some wings. I was also able to get enough food to make it a couple days down the trail. I really couldn't have asked for anything more. It was all really too good to be true after the longest day mileage wise so far. I love this trail I really do. People are always going out of their way to help us hikers out. Well it looks as if tommorrow is going to be another really hot day so I'm not sure if I'll be able to go too far again. I'm supposedly entering the hardest part of Pennsylvania so we'll have to wait and see. I'm really not all to concerned because things just usually work out for the best in the long run.