Date: 2017-07-13
From: Eckville Shelter Tent Site 

To: New Tripoli Campsite 
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: few clouds

7/13Eckville Shelter Tent Site to New Tripoli Campsite 13.3 milesTotal miles:  1245.9Despite getting to bed very late last night after our trip with Bekka, I still got up at 6:10 this morning.  I sorted my food and packed it in my food bag, broke down camp, and was on the trail by 8:45.  There was a very steep ascent out of Eckville to a ridgeline I would then follow for miles. The morning was quite warm and humid, and I was soaked with sweat long before I reached the summit at Dan's Pulpit.  There is a trail register there, and I saw that Monty passed through three days earlier. He left a long message, but it was in French, so I was unable to decipher it. The trail was extremely rocky through Dan's Pulpit and for several miles after that.  About five miles into my hike, I came across a blue blaze painted on a large rock with a sign on a tree above that read, "Balance Rock."  I was hot, sweaty, and tired and decided to pass by the side trail without exploration. Then I stopped. I have been checking out all of the side trips I can, so I returned to the blue blaze, found a nice, comfortable rock, balled my hat up under my head, and took a nap. Refreshed after my twenty minute snooze, I climbed over the rock pile to see what Balanced Rock was all about. I scrambled over the ridge to find three large boulders stacked up together, balanced upon one another.  The bottom boulder stuck out further than the others, and the word, "Lift," was painted on the protrusion.  Always up for a challenge, I walked/crawled out to it and gave it a go.  Unfortunately, there was no one there to record my Herculean effort, but to no one's surprise, the tons of rock refused to budge.  There was no good angle to get a photo of the "balanced" rocks, but I did the best I could and returned to the trail. Much refreshed from my nap, I continued on through more very rocky terrain.  I thought that perhaps I had arrived at the continuous rockiness, but then the trail smoothed out as it had yesterday, and I found myself hiking along an old roadway again.  I hiked awhile with Scribbles, who is recovering from a bout with Lyme disease.  We stopped at the Allentown Hiking Club Shelter for lunch.  It was here that I finally met Molotov, who, coincidentally, is also recovering from Lyme. Molotov became a bit of a legend his second night on the trail when he was attempting to light his alcohol stove while in the second story area of a two story shelter, and accidentally ignited his fuel bottle instead.  Reacting quickly, he threw the flaming bottle, where it landed amongst the numerous hikers preparing for bed on the lower level of the shelter.  Fortunately, no one was injured and no property went up in flames.  Molotov told me he no longer uses an alcohol stove, although, in all fairness, they are perfectly safe if used properly. I ate lunch and immediately returned to the trail. I guess one nap per day is proving sufficient. As I was getting water from a nearby stream, it began to rain.  As I've stated before, I enjoy a good rain, and continued along feeling quite rejuvenated. A thunderstorm ensued, and, while it rained very hard for awhile, the lightening never got closer than two miles to me.  I hike pretty fast in the rain, and soon arrived at PA 309, where the Blue Mountain Summit Bed and Breakfast/Restaurant is located. Dory and Splat suggested this morning that we meet there for dinner, and who am I to turn down a suggestion for yummy, high calorie food that hasn't been toted on my back.  I was pretty much soaked, but I left my pack on the porch and went inside.  Dory and Splat were at a table with Tyedye, and I joined them. I enjoyed an excellent cheeseburger (mozzarella with all possible toppings) and fries. In deference to the weather, I ordered a locally brewed Stout, which was also excellent. Dory and Splat had gotten a room for the night, but I felt like hiking on.  I was less than two miles from my intended campsite, so I was soon back on my way.  It was still raining steadily, but no more thunderstorms. I was headed for the New Tripoli Campsite, which is located down a very steep 0.2 mile side trail off the AT, just past a large power line cut.  Immediately before the power lines, I found a good looking campsite right off the trail.  I contined past the power lines, but when I saw the steepness of the side trail, I decided to set up camp in the site I had seen before.  That is, until I took a closer look.  That site would have provided little protection against wind in the event we have another storm tonight, and I counted at least six dead trees standing among the site.  After reconsidering, I returned to the access trail to the New Tripoli Campsite and hiked down to it, where I found a wonderful clearing near a little stream.  i quickly set up my tent in a steady rain.  Dead trees, or widow-makers as they are often called, should not be overlooked.  A soft, windless rain continues to fall as I write this. In the past thirty minutes, I have heard two large branches and one entire tree fall in the woods.  There are no dead trees near my tent, so I am as safe as I can be. Tomorrow morning, I will be facing the Knife Edge, an exposed, rocky scramble along a ridgeline.  I am only about fifty miles from Delaware Water Gap and the end of Pennsylvania, so I am expecting the intense rock work to begin tomorrow.  After that, I'll be in New Jersey, my next state on the trail to Maine.