Date: 2003-06-09
From: Clarks Creek Stealth Compsite

To: William Penn Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: broken clouds

Day 88 Avg Mls/Day 13.3Weather: Partly cloudy, high temp 73 Clearing overnight low of 57.Today's Nature: Ring snake. Also a snapping turtle we rescued from the highway crossing. DeerHotfoot and Bearly hiked out first after 6:30, then me at 7 and Sue Bear sometime after that. You'll recall we all tented at the same site last night.Right away we entered the game preserve. I read the posted notice that said hikers were allowed to camp in the preserve as long as we obey certain listed rules. This is contrary to what we were told by the caretaker/overseer of Peters Mtn Shelter yesterday. Some of us may have gone on had we not been misled. The older couple working there kind of bothered me. You may recall I stopped early, around 1. I almost stayed there. They weren't doing anything when I was there...on a lunch break. The caretaker seemed a little arrogant. When I told him I might stay and offered to help he gave some wise crack like I could clean out the privy. Then he went on to say they should not have built such a nice shelter...that they should have just added a couple of smaller "Shaffer" ones. Oh yeah, he took credit for building this one. Now believe me, I do appreciate all the work all of the different Trail Clubs do for the AT. I think all thru-hikers appreciate it. How could you not? With this guy you just got the feeling it was his shelter and he'd rather not have you. On the other hand remember Jim Stauch from a few days ago. He was the opposite...made you feel welcome while he was proud of his good work. Okay, that's all my opinions for now.I hiked the morning by myself handling a few rocky places and many wet ones...lots of standing water. I stopped for a lunch break around Cold Spring Trail. Took off my boots and socks while I ate a package of trail mix. As I was getting ready to leave, Sue Bear shows up. We then hike on and off together the rest of the day. The first time we met back up she had stopped at a Swatara Creek where it was too deep to cross on the Trail. I helped her find a way around on a fallen log a few yards up stream. Just as we crossed we heard Hotfoot and Bearly walk up. We directed them around it. We all hiked on a few hundred yards and stopped for a break. Sue and I realized we had not gone back and done the section on this side of where we were originally stopped. So, we went back and did every blaze. You are allowed to leave the Trail where it is impassable...high water, blow downs, etc. But you should get back on a the earliest accessable point...which is what we did. We didn't want to miss a blaze.The 4 of us hiked together for a short while. At the road, Hotfoot found a snapping turtle and placed it back on the grass. Just after the road we found a cooler with cold soda. The timing couldn't have been better...thanks to Ganj and D-con '01 - '02. Not too long and we were climbing Second Mtn. Hotfoot and Bearly stopped for the night to tent while Sue Bear and I hiked on. The rest of the day's hike was along a ridge line. Through the trees you could pick up glimpses of great views into the valley.   Around 5:30 Wicked Wizard and Stringbean passed me. They were going to stop at William Penn and eat, then hike on to at least the 501 Shelter. Sue Bear decided to join them. I had a Mountain House supper and am tenting again for the night. I believe the only person in the shelter is a hiker named Trucker; everyone else hiked on.I need to slow down a little in order to meet an old friend in Leigh Gap on Monday. So tomorrow, I'll hike 4 miles and hitch into Pine Grove where I'll get a room for the day and night.Thought for the Day: There's always a way around everything.