Date: 2008-05-25
From: Stealth site .5 mile past Eagles Nest Shelter, PA

To: Stealth site .1 mile past Windsor Furnace Shelter,
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: clear sky

I only woke once around 4:00 a.m. from some animal trapsing around in the leaves, I slept like a rock. It was a nice nite, 58 degrees when I woke @ 6:00 this morning. I'm trying to get up earlier to take advantage of the daylight.I was actually hiking @ 7:22 this morning. I was feeling pretty lethargic, and knew today had some climbing involved.I just got into a trance of sorts, but have realized as of today that I have been a little too rushed wen the terrain gets rockier. I mean, it's not like trying to go at my normal "friendly trail pace" was going to accomplish anything but probably get me hurt, so I started taking more time on the rocky sections, which were still not as much as I had anticipated.I had a milestone early today..I hit 1200 MILES!! I made my 1200 out of sticks on some green moss. It was little, but that's ok. I took a break and celebrated with some Lance Cheese and Chive crackers. I also called Scribe and Gadget to let them know where I'm at. They live in northern PA and have offered to slackpack me from Lehigh Gap to Delaware Water Gap, and I should be @ Lehigh Gap Wednesday (in 3 days). I left messages though...no answer.As I was sitting there, a young guy and girl came hiking up. Maureen and Terrance are brother\sister. She lives in Cleveland and him in Philidelphia, so she drove and picked him up to take him on his first backpacking trip. He looked slightly miserable! They asked what I was doing, and I told them celebrating an they were very excited for me. They offered to give me a ride if I needed one once we got to Port Clinton, but I didn't need it. I thanked them anyway.I knew the descent to Port Clinton would be rough, the topos were a verticle line for about 1\2 mile (but you're going down before that too). I almost bit it, but my hiking poles saved me once again.I got down to the bottom and it comes out to train tracks for the Reading Railroad (like monopoly!). I walked across them and saw a picnic table and down a steep hill was a river! The Little Schuykill River to be exact. Well, a light bulb went off...I was grimey, stinky, coated with salt and sweat...it was time for a swim! Oh...but wait, I don't have any other shorts but my hiking shorts, and I didn't want to hike in wet shorts all afternoon. Hmmmm...my brain is churning and *DING* I had the most brilliant AND hilarious idea yet. I could wear my bright orange JRB pack cover as bottoms!! LOL....and I did!!Ok, so this is in civilization folks, there were 2 guys fishing on the banks of the river, but I didn't care. I walked down the steep embankment, stood behind some trees, took of my hiking pants and slipped each leg through the holes created when you attach the top and bottom loops of the pack cover, so the elastic was around my waist. It hung down to my calves..but it worked! I was laughing so hard, and guess what, I TOOK PICTURES!! So I walk into the river with these 2 fishermen probably thinking I was insane. It felt SO good, cold, but absolutely refreshing. I rinsed my body off, but didn't wet my hair or it would have taken 3 days to dry (it's very thick). I didn't want to get out, I could have stayed there all day. It was in the low 80's today..just perfect.When I did decide to get out, I had one issue. See, JRB (Jacks r Better) also markets this pack cover as a gear hammock and water basin (meaning the silnylon will hold water for awhile.)So when I wanted to get out, the cover (which was hanging down to my calves) was full of water! I had no way of emptying it until I was totally out of the water which meant I had to be very careful, or I'd give a free show to those fishermen. I can't imagine what it looked like, but as I exited the water (slowly), I was grabbing all this material and trying to hold it up, but half of it was still full of water. I looked like I had elephantitis of the groin!I'm dying laughing by the way, and I finally managed to empty it, so I took another picture. One is pre-swim, the other post-swim. All I have to say is that the Jacks probably never thought of marketing this thing as a bathing suit bottom, but it worked!So feeling refreshed, I slipped my hiking pants back on (I wear my camisole in water, it dries super fast), and I went back to the picnic table to have lunch. I put my pack cover over a bush (no pun intended...oh gosh, did I just say that?) and it dried out totally by the time I was finished with lunch.While I was eating, Maureen and Terrance drove off and offered a ride again. Really sweet people.I did get ahold of Scribe and Gadget during lunch. They're going to pick me up @ Lehigh Gap on Wednesday. I can't wait to see them and that will also be day #7 without a shower, so I already can't wait for that either!At 1:15, I started my final 6 miles of today. I hiked through Port Clinton (a tiny town) and under the PA 61 bridge, and finally back into the woods. Up up up Blue Mt...for about 2 miles. It went by pretty quickly and all that sweatiness came right back...oh well.I stopped for water @ the Pocohantas Spring and ate a Snickers for some energy on my last 3 miles (with more climbing). I ran into 3 day hikers, and we started talking. I asked if any of them knew the weather, because I'd heard t-storms Monday and Tuesday. One of the guys pulls out a small weather radio and gives me the forecast! Storms tuesday afternoon and rain on wednesday. I'm concerned about the elevation, because tomorrow I climb to 1250 ft and stay there till I go down to Lehigh Gap. These hikers new the terrain and told me the only exposed ridge is @ The Pinnacle, but I'll be there tomorrow, so hopefully I can find protection from the lightening. I thanked them profusely for the info, and moved on. Oh, they also told me there were 2 guys partying @ the Windsor Furnace Shelter, where I thought I might go or tonight, but that doesn't sound so good to me now.I didn't realize there was a public park, Windsor Furnace? I see a little bunny in the "wilderness" and then come around a corner and thereks tons of people walking on a nice gravel path, a bridge over a nice stream. So I knew I was close to the shelter by now, and decided to get water @ that stream and hike past the shelter to stealth camp. I really didn't want these partying guys to know I was even here.It was a pretty walk, lots of people, and then @ 5:09 I saw the shelter sign, but kept going. The trail is going up again (towards The Pinnacle) and I really don't know if I'm supposed to camp here, but I went way off the trail with a bunch of downed trees for cover.I could hear people coming down, and would be still, because I really don't want to be noticed. I'm waiting till almost dark to deploy my tarp, and am covering my bright orange gear up for now. I know nobody will see me unless I make noise and they start looking for some animal out here.When I found this spot, there was a tiny baby rattle snake all coiled up on the leaves. It didn't budge when I took its picture.I set up camp, made dinner, hung my food, and am in my hammock on a warm (67 degrees) perfect evening.I did something dumb though. I got a little sloppy with my new suspension technique, and when I sat down to get in my hammock..down I went! LOL Nothing hurt, I just didn't make sure the one strap was lined up properly, so it slipped. Made me laugh at myself. I got up and fixed it no problem, and have been securely hanging here all evening now. It's no fault but my own.I'm conemplating not deploying my tarp tonight. I've been enjoying watching the birds and squirrles right outside scurrying around in the leaves. Planning about 16.4 miles tomorow, so I need to get some sleep.~CertainCut and Paster Note:I would love to hear the reaction of Jack and Jack when Certain tells them about the new use for their pack cover/water basin/gear hammock! I have the same one and am trying to picture how that would work...sort of like really big granny pants! And I won't even mention that Certain fell down in her hammock. Oops.- Persistent