Date: 2003-07-25
From: 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton, PA
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: few clouds

Had a rough time getting to sleep last night. I think I should try toget top bunks in shelters and hostels, not bottom ones. This may be partof my problem, due to my issues with claustrophobia. Also, the smell oftwelve funky hikers and all their gear in one enclosed space is notpretty...it can be hard to sleep with the odors that waft through. Now Iunderstand why most shelters are 3-sided! I did get some sleep, though,later on in the night, and felt pretty good when I woke up. We looked atthe profile for the day...it was very flat, except for two short climbsand a steep descent into Port Clinton. Reason, Cruiser and VSA had beenplanning on stopping for the night at Eagle's Nest Shelter, which wasnine miles before Port Clinton, then making it into town Saturday morningbefore the post office closed. Nine miles before 11:00 is not somethingthat I could count on being able to do...I'm realistic about my hikingabilities. I thought that I would be able to cam!p at a spot four miles out of town, where there was a spring. I set outearly, and very determined to do lots of miles...perhaps I could evenmake it into Port Clinton, and split a room with Sage and Iceberg Slim,who were going to do the 24 miles in. The first section was comprised ofbig rock climbing...better than walking on pointy little rocks, butrequiring lots of concentration. I was hiking with Little Dirty BarnMonkey and Bodhi through most of this. There was one scenic view, whereLDBM took Bodhi's picture...other than that, it was a view-free day. LDBM stopped to take a break with Starburst, then I stopped further onwith Bodhi at a campsite where we could get some water. I took a halfhour there, it was really a pretty spot. Sage and Iceberg Slim stoppedfor a bit and continued on ahead of me. Hiking alone the next section, Igot a good groove going...a nice speed. All of a sudden, I stepped on arock that wobbled under my foot. I tried to get my balan!ce with my poles, but I had too much momentum and fell hard, wedging my left leg against a square-cut rock by the side of the Trail. I wasable to get up with my pack still on (even more proof that my pack hasbecome part of me), and assessed the damage. I had scratched the side ofmy lower leg, scraped the side of my thigh and I could see the swellingfrom a deep bruise starting in the same spot. I took a few tentativesteps...it was sore but not too bad. I was shaky for a bit, but soon gotmy groove back. I was coming to the next spot where I had planned onbreaking when I tripped, almost falling again. I had been singing alongto the radio, but yelled much foul stuff when I tripped. It was then Isaw the backpacks ahead of me...oops! It was Sage and IcebergSlim...they had heard me, and we had a good laugh. They were finishingup their break and moving on, I stopped for a short break. The rest ofthe day, I kept running into them in that manner. The last time was atthe spot I had originally planned on camping. They had stopped !for a break, but I decided that I wanted to continue, and that if Istopped I wouldn't be able to. I kept on going...the last four mileswere painful, I must admit, especially the descent, which was almoststraight down. I limped into the Port Clinton Hotel to discover thatthere were no rooms available. Burger was at the bar and bought me abeer...just what I needed after the day's hike! I looked in the diningroom and saw Randy and Gerri, so I went in to talk with them. Theneveryone else started coming into the bar...Sage and Slim, Starburst,Little Dirty Barn Monkey and Bodhi. We had dinner at the bar and drank agood amount of $1 drafts of Yeungling beer. I will miss the cheap (butgood!) beer in PA! Randy joined us, and Gerri went to the B&B where theywere staying. We closed the place, said goodbye to Maxine, our fabubartender, and went to the pavilion, which is a free place for hikers tostay. Somehow, I managed to procure a couch for the night, and, afte!r staying up talking for awhile, hit the hay...what a long, but reallygreat day!