Date: 2004-06-09
From: Bake Oven Knob Shelter, PA

To: Day 74: Leroy Smith Shelter, PA
Miles today: 23.4
Weather: scattered clouds

With a 23.4-mile hike planned for AT Day 74, I got up at 3:30 a.m. and hit the trail by 5:25 a.m. Had I realized just how hot (mid to upper 80¢s and dry) it would be today and the extreme difficulty (i.e., slow to cover) of the rocky terrain, I would have gotten up even sooner. As it was, I didn¢t get to the Leroy A. Smith Shelter until 8:10 p.m. ¢ one very long, tiring, hot, dry and painful ¢ but exciting ¢ day!The AT leading out of the Bake Oven Knob Shelter continues to be very rocky ¢ boulders to climb up and down and sharp rocks that must be stepped on even on the ¢level¢ areas. From around the 5.8 to 6.8-mile points, the AT descends about 500-feet to reach the George W. Outerbridge Shelter where I stopped for my morning Power Bar snack. Shortly thereafter I came to a piped spring where I drank (after filtering) and replenished my water supply. After descending another 500-feet over the next mile, I crossed the Lehigh River on a large bridge (PA 248) and then immediately began an exceptionally difficult and potentially dangerous climb up Blue Mountain. The latter is over 1000-feet of exposed rock climbing in one mile ¢ what FUN! I¢m sure glad it wasn¢t raining, otherwise I might have been forced to wimp out and take the alternate Blue Blaze trail.Once I got to the top of Blue Mountain, the AT remained incredibly rocky and desolate as I traversed the level summit. After a half-mile or so the rockiness diminished but the desolation of this EPA Superfund Cleanup Site continued. The death of nearly all of the vegetation in this 10-mile wide area was caused by a century of zinc smelting activities in near-by Palmerton, PA. The EPA closed these activities in 1980 and revegetation efforts began. The guidebooks claim that AT travel through this area is safe, but I assure you that if there had been any water (there wasn¢t) there is no way I would tried to use it to quench my growing thirst.Just before leaving this rather depressing area, I stopped for my afternoon Power Bar snack. The break was nothing special (other than being hot and exposed), but when I attempted to leave I did something rather stupid. I tried to use my right leg to help fling my heavy pack up onto my back. Ouch! This really hurt my right knee and for the rest of the day I was forced to walk very very carefully using this leg as I traversed the rocky trail. It got a ¢little¢ better by the time I got to the Leroy Smith Shelter and it was fine in the morning ¢ what a relief, I don¢t know what I would do if both knees were put out of commission. I can walk on my hands, but I¢ve never tried it with a 50-pound pack¢¦When I finally got to the shelter at 8:10 p.m. it was nearly dark, so I quickly unpacked and tried to hustle down the Blue Blaze trail to get water. Normally this would not have been a big deal, but this time the trail was another half mile down a steep hill and by the time I got back I could barely see without my light. There were two other NOBO AT through hikers already in the shelter and they both were already in bed, and frankly they were not too happy with all the commotion I was making ¢ next time (unless it is pouring rain, sleet, hail or snow) I will tent camp, no matter how late it is. Naturally I apologized for the disturbances, but as I told them I had little choice since there were essentially no other safe water sources anywhere near the AT in this area.