Date: 2016-05-17
From: George W. Outerbridge Shelter 

To: Detzi's Tavern, Wind Gap, PA
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I headed out just behind most folks this morning but caught up and passed some as we rolled down to PA 248 and had our first look at the infamous climb out of Lehigh Gap. The site was polluted for years by a zinc smelting factory nearby, and only with recent efforts has vegetation started to return. But the hillside did look far more green than I anticipated it would, actually. Odysseus was hitching at the road, not sure why. I pulled ahead of white rabbit and large as the climbing began. The climb began with steep wooden staircases and gravel pitches, then turned to boulder hopping and a few rock scrambles. I climbed excitedly, thanking the powers that be that the day was overcast instead of blistering hot. Before I knew it, I was next to the American flag graffiti I've seen so many times near the top. There's a piece of trail back home at Sleeping Giant State Park, where I practiced for this hike, that ascends the side of an old quarry, steep as can be, and tops out at some marvelous cliffs called the Chin. Whenever I climbed up the Chin I had imagined myself climbing the Lehigh Gap. Not gonna lie. The Chin is harder! The trail began its detour around the top of the polluted barren ridge and followed a flat grassy track for many miles with views down into Palmerton and the zinc smelter that was responsible for the environmental issues. But first on my mind was my feet. They were absolutely killing me, like never before on the trip. I was in so much pain from the soreness of all the repeated impacts with the rocks, and God bless these boots, but the soles have worn through and I could feel every bump. I paced with white rabbit and blues down to Little Gap Road, where I gave my feet a massage and popped some Advil for the first time since Hiawassee. I also noticed at he road crossing that the upper of my left boot had begun to detach completely from the sole. Welp. It looks like I'll be using my new boots once I get home. The Advil seemed to help eventually, but hiking was agony for a lot of today. I was pretty certain that I couldn't do more than the 16 miles to Leroy Smith shelter. But then White Rabbit and I pulled in at around 3. Blues was quick to follow and then Audubon and Quixote. In the words of Blues, we wouldn't be "winning" if we stayed at this shelter. "Winning" for Blues was either going ten more miles - not an option - or going into Wind Gap and getting dinner and beer. I called around some places to see whether we could stay in Wind Gap. I had a surreal conversation with a motel owner who told me he was not open for business but could "take care of everything I needed," and then we began calling businesses. The Beer Stein, that used to host hikers, has stopped, but after nearly giving up, White Rabbit suggested I call Detzi's Tavern. I was immediately greeted by Joe, one of the three Detzi brothers, Joe, John and Jeff, who own the place, and he enthusiastically told me that we should come down and camp in the field behind the restaurant. It was too good to be true, and with my feet feeling better, I saddled up and we all pushed on. White Rabbit, the couple and I stuck with each other down to Wind Gap, and I enjoyed the more leisurely pace. The place they had wanted to camp past the shelter had no camping spot anyway, so we happily pushed down to the road crossing in Wind Gap. At the road crossing was a box of trail magic with snacks and little Debbie brownies and Mac n cheese boxes. I didn't need any more actual food, but I had a couple brownies, then we began walking the mile to Detzi's. Wind Gap may be the friendliest town I've encountered on the whole trail. We had multiple folks stop and say hi and ask how our hike was going, and a few others ask if we needed a spot to camp! We happily refused and moved on Detzi's, which was packed for a Tuesday night. The staff took us immediately though, and put us in a big booth in the corner. I sat at the table while the gang made sure that the camping was alright. It was, a big field out back, but blues, white rabbit, large and I all decided to camp underneath the branches of a giant pine tree, soft ground and my tent out of sight. It was the first time I had brought my tent out since Dismal Falls, before Pearisburg VA. Ridiculous. Dinner was very tasty cheesesteaks and peanut butter pie, as well as a few beers. After setting up camp, I went back in with Blues and Large and chatted with John who was behind the bar. He asked us whether we thought he should advertise camping. With all the recent closures of hostels because of poor treatment from hikers and overcrowding, we counseled him not to. Better to have this be a special occasion for the restaurant and for the hikers than for twenty people to be camped out there every night in June. We told him he should list his phone number, though, and describe his bar in the guidebook as "hiker-friendly," which is sort of a wink-wink way of saying there might be camping. I turned in far later than usual, comfy in my tent, and excited to finish up Pennsylvania tomorrow!