Date: 2008-05-19
From: Stealth site 2.7 mi before Peters Mtn Shelter PA

To: Clarks Valley , PA
Miles today: 7.2

Brrrr! It got down into the high 30's last nite! I did amazingly stay warmwithout the sleeping pad, but that was mainly because we had awesome protectionfrom the howeling wind due to being down from the top of the ridge. It was 43when I woke up @ 6:30 a.m.Last nite was this glorious full moon and when I got out to water the leaves,the sky was the crazy pinkish-orange color with the moonlight and clouds. Itwas like nothing I've seen before, but it was freezing, so I had to crawl backin. I did wake up a few times from a nearby deer making that weird squawkingsound they make. Incessant is still trying to figure out her temperatureregulation. She's a much hotter sleeper than me, so you could say she's inthat learning curve time of hammocking. She's got all the right gear, justtrying to figure out what combination to use.We finally got up with no rain! We packed up and were hiking by 8:39 a.m. Thesun came out from time to time, but it was still pretty cool. I hiked in myknit cap all day and glove liners on and off. I was feeling quite tired anddraggy all day. I asked Incessant to lead,which helps me pace better with her,and it's easier to carry on a conversation too.We talked about all kinds of stuff but got into a great conversation aboutdifferent religious philosophies and belief systems and the problems we bothsaw with institutionalized religion. We both come from very differentbackgrounds concerning religion, but amazingly share the same fundamentalbeliefs, we just use a different set of vocabulary to explain or express it.It hovered right around 50 degrees all day with some wind some sun and anoccasional sprinkle of rain still dripping from the trees. We knew we'd be drytonight though, so it was all good.We ran into a few people. A woman, Sherpamom, who hiked from Springer toDavenport Gap (end of GSMNP) this year. Her hubby met her at Standing BearFarm Hostel and they found a Golden Retriever who had been dumped off at I-40. They adopted her and named her Bear. Bear was out with them today and reallyloved hiking. Sherpamom is going to thru in 2010, so I'll be watching for herjournal...she was so excited. Great energy.We stopped briefly for a (rare) view on Table Rock Overlook. Fantastic view ofthe valley and mountain ridge across from us. We had a snack and decided tohead on to Peter's Mt. Shelter.We got to the shelter at 10:30 a.m. and needed water. Now let me tell you, it'sno secret the water source is a ways down with some 300 rock steps, but I'll behonest...it was a bitch. So, if you need water, do what you can to avoidgetting it here. The trail clubs did a beautiful job of making the steps, butit is 300 feet straight down and it took me 10 minutes to get back up! (nopack either! LOL). The water was flowing great,but I read in the shelterregister that at times it dries up. Man would I be pissed if I got all the waydown there to find a dry spring.Incessant actually got worried because it was taking me so long,so she startedcoming down to find me. Lucky for her,I was near the top again. We decided togo ahead and eat lunch so we wouldn't have to stop again. It's a nice shelter,but even cooler is a small shelter near by that was built by Earl Shaffer, theman who first thru-hiked the AT! Incessant took pics and we saw a group ofgirls hiking, but don't know where they went. Apparently there's a camp nearbyor something.So we headed on at 11:30 and I realized for the first time there was adiscrepency between a sign on the trail, the Companion,and my topos. The signsaid it was 6.8 miles to Clarks Valley, the Companion said it was 4.5 miles,and the topos said it was 5.5 miles. I tried to go by landmarks, but thingsweren't where they should have been according to my info, so for much of theafternoon, we didn't know where we were "exactly". Finally, I just sort ofmemorized what we had hiked and compared it to the topos and realized we were alittle over a mile from Clarks Valley! YIPPY! I'm not really sure which sourceof info was correct, but I'm betting on my topos of 5.5 miles, but who knowsright?The trail was pretty friendly today, but there were some very jagged rocky areason the tippy top of the ridge. Still wasn't as hard as yesterday's hike in theblowing rain.We knew we were close when we started descending and the trees changed. At alower elevation, pine trees showed up, and there were springs. We could hearthe traffic on PA 325 getting louder and both Incessant and I were just tiredtoday. At 4:45 p.m., we were at the road and we took some pics to celebrateIncessant's first consecutive 40 miler on the AT. Wow..she really faced somecrappy weather (rain every day we were out but today) and she just keptsmiling. I'm so proud of how she handled it all.Well at this parking area, there's a great stream and this fisherman walked upwith a trout! We'd been told by our shuttle ride that this area is one of thefew places around where you can catch wild brook trout that have not beenfarmed there and the fishermen are very secretive about the locations. Well,Bob,was just fishing and caught several. He offered to give us some andIncessant REALLY wanted it, but we had nothing to keep it cold in, clean itwith, or really cook it on. She was so disappointed.We hopped in the car and decided to randomly drive to the interstate to find ahotel. We ended up at a Comfort Inn, got checked in (the place is adisaster..they are converting to a Holiday Inn Express) and when we got to ourroom, the toilet was stopped up before we used it! I called down, and Juliocame up with a plunger, but didn't know how to use it. (who doesn't know how touse a plunger?). I instructed him, it unclogged, and after 1 use, it wasstopped up again (I swear..it was nothing WE were doing! LOL). I'm prettypissy now because I just want to pee, shower, and find food, so Incessant callsand asks to get another room. Well, they didn't have another room like the onewe had, so I said, "let's go to a hotel that isn't such a mess." We lugged allour stuff down, and NOW they can find a similar room. I don't like the energyhere at all, but we're both exhausted. I'm finally clean and am orderingChinese to be delivered. I think American Gladiators is coming on againtonight. I was told their laundry room is still open, so I'll do all thechores tomorrow. Time to relax and sleep.~Certain