Date: 2021-05-15
From: Stealth Campsite

To: Stealth Site
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: clear sky

I packed up and was on my way at 6:10 this morning. I knew there were going to be several challenging rock scrambles in the next 19 miles - and boy howdy, were there!First up 3 miles from my camp was Knife¢s Edge. Which turned out to be a roughly 150 yard rock walk on a very narrow ledge of rock that stuck up like a knife¢s edge. There were drops of varying but potentially serious heights on either side. At one point I was standing with both feet on the one-inch ledge of a huge boulder when I looked down to my left and saw a 40 foot drop to the rocks below. ¢Wow¢, I thought: ¢That drop would be hella painful, all it would take is one slip¢. I was reminded of sports psychologists who preach that success comes from a positive mindset, and that negative thoughts are no help. Then I thought about times I had not come through in the clutch and if negative thinking was an issue. THEN I REALIZED I HAD BEEN STANDING ON THIS TINY LEDGE FOR 30 SECONDS. I moved on. This section of Pennsylvania trail is very dry. The only water to be had is often a half mile downhill off trail. I had packed out with three liters and had drank one by 9 am when I came across a water cache. There were 25 one gallon jugs of water. This was the first of three caches on the day all provided by a local man who goes by ¢Mun¢. This was such a stress reducer. I still carried heavy all day with four liters as I was very thirsty for some reason or another. Not having to do a steep off trail mile for water was a blessing.I had 13 miles done by 12:15, but staring down at me was the 900 foot climb from the Lehigh river to the top off the ridge - in just 1/2 mile. I was finagling with my water bottles when an older couple came off the mountain and told me I wasn¢t going to get to the top just sitting there. I told them I was waiting for a reroute of the trail. They did tell me to watch out for rattlesnakes as they had seen one on their way down just off the trail. Alas, I never saw it. No bears in Virginia and no rattlesnakes for me in Pennsylvania. *sigh*I gave myself an hour to do the climb and was at the top in 45 minutes. Their were 3 or 4 places where I just hucked my trekking poles up above me as I needed both hands to climb. Falling was an unattractive option. Speaking of which, I had more close calls today than I have had the previous five weeks. Three where I was borderline going down and twice as many serious stumbles. The closest call came as I going over a nameless rock rise and as I went around a tree growing between the rocks my backpack got caught and then spun me to my right. I stabbed down with my trekking pole only to find a chasm between the stones. I was looking at a 3-4 foot fall right into my face (and I have a big face) when I cast out my left hand and caught myself on the edge of the rock. PHEW! It was close. But so far on my hike - no falls. The last part of the day was spent walking around the Lehigh Superfund clean up site. The EPA had been here for years working on an old zinc mining operation that has leached heavy metals into the surrounding waters.After the walk around there was one of those fun AT trail routes that took you up a rock scrambles, then turned left across it, then down to the left and then finally back to the right to the top. Meanwhile you can look through the woods and see a level gravel path the locals use to get to the overlook. Now, I¢m not complaining, the trail is the trail, but it sure goes out of its way to be a ¢challenge¢ for the hiker. I¢m ending my day at a stealth site about 19 miles  from where I started. My tootsies are no worse. I¢m going to try and do another 20-ish tomorrow so I can get to Delaware Water Gap on Monday and then take a zero Tuesday. If you have any questions hike-related, please drop them in the guest book and I¢ll answer them on my off day. It¢s possible I won¢t have a post up tomorrow, as all my electronics are about dead since I haven¢t charged in 7 days. Onward!