Date: 2018-06-04
From: George R Outerbridge Shelter

To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 16.7

Today was a day. It started out with a pretty grueling climb that had quite the reputation. It was definitely the most risky climb i've encountered yet. On the way up the mountain i saw an older guy i recognized. I asked him why he was headed the opposite direction. He just looked at me and said "No way in hell. Can't do it". I was just thinking fuuucccckkkk what. There were parts where i was literally using my hands and arms to pull myself over rocks. I couldn't look down because i knew i'd freeze and be stuck. I had to keep reminding myself not to lean back, otherwise my pack would take me down over a drop. I kept thinking to myself, what would my dad say if he saw me hiking this?? Nothing good, i decided lol. I'm just following the blazes, folks. Another trail magic snag!! There was another cooler. This time full of Cokes and water jugs. Water has started to run scarce in this section of PA. There's few springs, far in between, and most run the risk of drying out. Thus i've found myself rationing my water throughout the day. SO, to see these jugs of fresh, filtered water was a GREAT surprise. And since there was already a group of hikers gathered around all drinking the cokes, I felt pretty inclined to have one as well. The only thing missing from these Soda Magics the past couple days is some Jameson and ice. But, here's to sober hiking. Cheers!It's weird being surrounded by so many NoBos. I feel like that weird transfer kid that shows up halfway through the semester and everyone's like who the fuck are you? lol. Like i'm doing the same trail they are, but they already have over a thousand miles under them. Feel like i can't call myself a thru-hiker yet just because i don't have enough street-cred , you know. Weird. Since it rained a lot last night, i saw tons of little baby salamanders. I don't know if i've mentioned them before, but they're these little bright orange spotted newts. Just babies. Chillin in the middle of the trail. After moving the 8th salamander off trail, i gave up. They're everywhere. Suicide Salamanders i call them. While i was eating lunch on a rock, i heard a near by russle coming from underneath a rock across from me. I stayed super still, expecting a giant ass rat snake to come slithering out. Instead it was this wee little mouse. He kept going in and out gathering foliage to take back in his hole with him. So cute. Today was nearly a 17 mile day. i'm starting to notice that on days where i hike over 13 or 14, those last couple miles are so damn long. By that time, i'm out of stuff to listen to and stuff to think about, so i'm just stuck in my head for like 2 hours. It becomes a purely mental hike and it sucks. At the shelter/campsite tonight there are a lot of us, all spread out. Probably over a dozen. So many names - Skywalker, Robo, Wolf Pack, Granite Man, Blood Beard, Wood Chuck, and more. Granite Man is this old, retired chainsmoker guy. I kept passing him on trail today every time he stoped for a smoke break. Later, I noticed all these patches on the side of his tent. I asked what happened and he said sometimes he smokes inside his tent and bumps into the walls and burns holes in them LOL. I spent most of the evening talking with Blood Beard and Wood Chuck after they lured me out of my tent, where i usually go to hide for the evening lol. Blood Beard tells me that he's actually super introverted, like me. He warns me though, that you can't be a complete hermit on trail otherwise you'll go crazy. Ya, I feel that.