Date: 2007-09-29
To: Mombasha High Point
Miles today: 15.8

mi. 15.8sleep hammockdest. Stealth site near Mombasha High Point day 79 I got a good start today, I wanted to make good time to the outfitter. I packed up, eat up, and said my good byes and headed south. Today I passed by one of those things they put the trail to just for the fun of it. It was pretty cool though. It is called the Lemon Squeezer. Rightfully so. You pass down a couple good climb downs. Right underneath a big overhanging rock. Then you pass right between 2 rocks while walking down. This goes o for about 10 yards. Oh and they start out at waist level and end up well over my head. Oh and they start out about 2 feet wide and ends about 2.5 feet wide. I had to take off my pack and carry it through as i walked sideways. There was a trail around it, but what is the fun in that. I got to rt. 17. All of 10 miles from Campmor and an EMS store. I tried for 20 minutes. No luck hitching. I thought then maybe I should walk down to the town .7 away and see about a bus schedule. I walked about .5 down along the road. Then around a turn there was no shoulder. Just 6 inches between the lane and a wall. Did I mention this was a busy 4 lane road. I decided to walk back to the trail at this point. I tried hitching again. No luck. Too many families or people in cars that cost more than my college education. I did use the payphone there and call home and send some emails. Kind of a strange place for a phone. The trail is really the onkly thing there. I wasted well over an hour there. I never did see a bus. Too bad Runway got ahead of me. With a woman I would have had a ride in no time. And once again people wave to me as they drive by. Come on I have my thumb out I am not waving at you. Don't wave as to say you see me but there is no way I am going to pick you up. That is almost as bad as the waving of the finger as to say now now you shouldn't hitch hike. I would rather people do nothing if they are not going to pick me up. After that debockale I headed south. I think for some reason I am not ment to get a new pack. In unionville I am going to try and stay with someone that takes in hikers. That is in 2 nights. Hopefully I can talk him into taking me to an outfitter. As of now I need a new pack, my camelback leaks (again at the same place, don't buy them), my other leki pole's spring gave out, I am going to trry and replace the thermarest I found, and my steri-pen is not working. I tried new batteries in the death ray, but it still doesn't work. I even think I am really easy on gear. I justhave 79 days of use on most of it, not counting short hikes before. Most people probibly put that on their gear in 3 or 5 years. Stuff is going to go bad on me. It just usually seems to be all at once. Today water is short again. I got off at one of the roads that said water .5 in the guide. I walked for aways. Nothing. I should have walked farther but a some point you have t give up. It had t be a least .5. Shortly after getting back on the trail I had one of the coolest wildlife experiences so far. I was walking up an incline thinking about how little water i had, about 1 liter, and how far it was to the next water which was about 6 miles. It was after 4 now. When all the sudden about 10 feet in front of me a hawk takes off from right next to the trail. In it's tallens was a gry squrrel it just killed. I could see it hanging down as it fell away. It happened way to fast for me to take a pic. It was cool though. After that I was trying to look around a little more. I was also getting short on water. I did want to try and camp close to a good lookout. I was starting to eye the 2 nasty looking ponds I walked by. When what do I find at a road crossing by my best trail magic to date. Some water jugs left by some locals. I was great. I filled up and drank up. Using about a gallon. I didn't want to use too much for others would have some. There was only just over a gallon left when I was done. I got up to the overlook. It said on a clear day you should be able to see NYC. Well it is a clear day. Definitly cant's see it though. I did find a good spot just before it to camp. Already some firewood there. The rest of the night is filled with journaling, emails, and reading next to the fire. If I can get out of the hammock early enough, I am just down from a great view for a sunrise. We'll see how cold it is.