Date: 2005-06-25
From: The Cliffs

To: Palmerton, Pa.
Miles today: 10.9

Last night was really windy, all night I could hear branches falling down around me. Some of them hit the tent and bounced off. Luckily, they were small ones because I heard some big crashes that were kind of spooky. I kept thinking a tree was going to fall down on me. I got an early start this morning. I was up before 6 o'clock. I was walking along, happily looking at the rocks on the ground. I went around this bend, and I looked up and came face to face with a 300 pound bear!! It was 6:10, I marked the time. I think we were both a little stunned. We looked at each other and he ran off. It was a good thing because I was planning on running off myself. I was kind of spooked for the next half hour, I kept looking behind me to see if I was being followed by a big, black bear. He was huge, probably as tall as I was if he were standing up. Lots of rocks. Especially going into Bake Oven Knob. It was as if I was in a junkyard, having to climb over wrecked and demolished cars. They were that big and high with spaces between them. Right dead in the middle of the rocks and the Trail, there were 4 tents set up. This was at 7:30 in the morning. I just tiptoed by them, I don't think I even woke anyone up. I found out later that these were the kids that were partying all night last night at Bake Oven Knob. They had been shooting off fireworks.I got to the shelter, I was expecting to get water there, but the spring was dry. So, I had to walk another 7 miles with no water. I pulled out my phone and caled Nicki, when I finally got hold of her she told me that she got called into work. She would not be available until 1 o'clock. I figured I would have to walk 2 miles into Palmerton. When I got to the next shelter, the George Outerbridge Shelter, I got some water and I drank about 2 liters of it. I then called Mike and Estee, who just happened to be on 248. They were close enough, it worked out well. I hung up with them and started hauling ass downhill to meet them down there. I got down there at 10:45. After a couple of directional SNAFUs, they got me right after 11 with a Subway sub and a large Coke in hand. I was in an air conditioned car. It was a good way to end the morning.We drove into Palmerton. At the end of Main Street is the Palmerton Borough Hall, and below that is the Hostel for the town. Estee dropped us off and took off. Mike and I went there and claimed a couple of bunks. I grabbed my laundry and went across the street to the laundrymat. We then went directly to the Parkside Inn for brews and food. We saw a bunch of people in town, some that I knew and some that I didn't. Horizon and Montana walked in at some point. Later on, we took Montana Lush with us and we went bowling at the town bowling alley. It was maybe 10 lanes and we had the place all to ourselves. We turned on the jukebox. Nicki had come by and took us on a little scenic tour of an overlook of a town called Jim Thorpe. It has this huge flagpole you could see off in the distance. We rode down into Jim Thorpe, it's a very touristy kind of town. Later, Mike and I had some pizza.   After bowling, Mike and I went back to the Parkside and had some more beers. We headed back over to the hostel and hung out with Horizon and Forever North. We went to bed at about 11 o'clock.