Date: 2005-04-28
From:  wind Gap - Travel Inn, Room 105

To: Kirkridge Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: clear sky

After an early breakfast at the local Mickey D¢s, I was shuttled back to the trail and was soon climbing back up out of Wind Gap, on a cool morning with a promise of a good day to come.   The prediction of ¢the worst section in PA¢ for this morning¢s hike was a little overdone, I thought. The trail is very rocky, and many of the rocks are loose, varying in size from a fist to a head, and all with sharp angles. I can see how this could be a nightmare in the rain, or with the slick wet leaves of the fall adding to the difficulties. But on a good day ¢ which this was ¢ with the sun shining and all right with the world, it was tough going, but certainly very doable.   Just before Wolf Rocks, I met with four SOBO section hikers, and they told me that there was water at Kirkridge Shelter. Virginia Tortoise had been adamant that there was none, and I had been thinking of a long thirsty 6.4 extra miles into DWG. On the Rocks themselves I met with two day hikers who kindly took my picture, and then it was a fairly straightforward stretch here to the shelter. Just before I reached the shelter, Gary ¢ who has hiked the entire trail over the last 15 years ¢ passed me. I met up with him again at the shelter and returned the bandana that he had dropped. He was just out for a day hike and left after finishing his lunch. The spigot here gives good water, but it is turned off when frost is likely ¢ thus explaining Virginia Tortoise¢s warning.   I arrived early in the afternoon, with the sun streaming down, and had a cooked lunch and took a little nap. I was awoken by a violent thunderstorm ¢ as sudden as that ¢ the dark clouds had moved in, as I dashed to get my hiking gear ¢ out to air and dry off the sweat of the day ¢ back into the shelter of the shelter.   As I sit here now, there are a series of dark storm clouds moving in again and, as I write, I can feel the smell of the rain, and yes! Here comes another squall moving across the valley.   The view to the south here is remarkable, with Lake Minsi in the foreground and the valley stretching away out to the horizon. The squalls are moving in with great speed from the west, with a rapidly moving curtain of rain sweeping down on us across the landscape. Then the skies clear ¢ I can see blue sky above me again now ¢ only to be obscured again by the next squall in line to move in.   Oh look! ¢ a brilliant rainbow just appeared to the east, very well defined, and it looks as if the ¢end of the rainbow¢ is down in the valley below me!   There is a satellite tower right behind the shelter, and I have already gotten my morning voice-mail from KT. I left her a message on her cell and will call her again later.   To day I thought about Crime and Punishment, as opposed to Sin and Forgiveness. You can pay off your debt to society for a crime without ever acknowledging any wrongdoing. For forgiveness you need to acknowledge the wrongdoing. Even after restitution and trying to undo the damage done by sin, there is still a residual penalty to pay ¢ the concept of Penance ¢ not the same however as punishment for a crime.   The clouds have cleared again ¢ it is as if the squalls and the storms never happened. The rainbow is gone.   What a day!Thought for today ¢ The unexamined life is not worth living.The unlived life is not worth examining!