Date: 2012-06-13
From: 501 Shelter

To: Eagles Nest Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

Okay so before we start talking about how the day was, I have to share this hilarious entry into the Eagles Nest shelter log book. Some of the hiker's out here are so funny and this one is great because it is sooooo true. Okay here we go"How the trail in PA came to be this way."Conversation from an early trail blazing expedition:Bob: Hey Tom, let's bring the trail up over tis big pile of rocks.Tom: Well, I thought we should bring it down here over this big pile of rocks.Bob: Yeah, but look- some of these big ole rocks wobble when you step on them. The hikers wil appreciate that challenge.Tom: But this pile has some of those flat rocks stood up on knife edge. The hikers will really enjoy trying to walk on them. We have a dilemma.Bob: Hey! Let's just take the trail over both piles!Later that same day...Bob: Tom! Look at this! It looks like a river of rocks. Let's take the trail right over this rock river. That will really be a challenge to hike over.Tom: I don't know Bob. This seems like some tough stuff to try to walk on. Why don't we put the trail over here on this soft dirt?Bob: Nope. It's going over this river of rocks.Tom: Can't we ever run it through some soft dirt? Bob: Only if the river of rocks run out, then we can take it over some soft dirt to get to another river of rocks.Tom: or a big pile of rocks!Bob: check!"Thank you early PA trail blazing expidition. The trail turned out just the way you wanted.Hahahahaha. Huff read this to us as we were setling in for the night. So vry funny, I had to record it word for word. We added onto it somewhat.Magpie: hey what's missing? A swamp, let's run it through some swamps. But only if they'recnneced by creekbeds, the hikers will enjoy techallenge ofwalking on the big tippy pile of rocks with wet shoes!Huff: Plus! Rocks never quite dry so they'l grow a thin layer of moss. That'll slide right out from under the hiker feet.Puff: I'm lichen the moss.Hehehe as you can see we make our own entertainment out here. That and the word of the day is rocks! That'll probably be the word of the day tomorrow and the next day and te next day too. I did sleep really well at the shelter last night with a full belly of food! Every time the loud pounding rain woke me up, i'd smile and snuggle deeper into my pad, happy to be so warm and dry. We slept in until 7 am today and had hot breakfast of oatmeal and tea. Luxery people, pure luxery. I weighed my pack on the scale beofre leaving and with 5 pounds of water it cae in at 32 pounds. Not bad at all. We wereall very chbipper as we left cracking jokes and enjoying sunshine after yesterdays rain.   But this quickly faded as we hit the rocks again. This first pile reminded us werewe were. It's very painful and frustrating to walk through these sections because the rocks are such varried shapes and sizes and scattered horribly. They twis your ankles in weird ways ith every new step and dig into your feet from all sides. We had contemplated going 19 today but that was quickly shot down as by the time we got to the shelter after 15 we were done. Another funny thing: at the 501 shelter someone had clipped out a newspaper picture with caption and posted it to the wall. It was an image of rocky trail and it read, " sections like this serve as a treat fo r hikers, acting as a sortof foot massage." Evry