Date: 2023-06-02
From: Lookout Hostel, mile 1246.7

To: Tent site at 1265.4
Miles today: 18.7

Hiking Day 79, Ending Elevation 1413 feet We left the hostel at 6:30 a.m. and headed north across Route 309. I was beginning to think we might have an easier day, when we began the climb. In fairly short order, we found ourselves clambering on the Knife Edge. We had heard about it but thought it was further away. It was just as difficult as we were told it would be, very slow going and lots of potential for catastrophic falls. In spite of Felix¢s propensity for taking off, I had to cut him loose on the rocks. It was impossible to safely cross them with him tied to me. If I slipped, I¢d take him with me and if he missed a jump, he would have pulled me down. Fortunately, he had to focus on the crossing so that kept him too busy to be chasing things. This adventure just confirmed our decision not to go on yesterday¢¦.this would not have been fun with us all tired and in the heat of the day. Instead, we were fresh and a nice breeze was blowing.After the Knife Edge, we came upon a known water cache, which we took advantage of, and unexpectedly a little trail magic too. Some electrolyte drinks, which made all the difference for what came next.I thought the Knife Edge was going to be the main event today but it wasn¢t. People told us the rocks would get more difficult, but I missed the part about non-technical rock climbing, which was what we did after we crossed the bridge over the Lehigh River. I have since been told this was Lehigh Gap. Someone suggested we take the alternate Winter Trail as the climb up to the ridge was challenging ¢¦again, no mention of actual climbing, as is in finding hand holds and toe holds and keeping your balance with a hefty pack on your back. If the Knife Edge was challenging and even scary in places, this section of the trail was downright death defying: one missed step or slip and that could easily have been the end of us. Again, we cut Felix loose, and that little guy is amazing. There were particularly wide gaps and high jumps he had to make with his pack on and he was a champ, definitely out of the doghouse from yesterday (but still on a short lead!).Oh, and if the rock climbing wasn¢t a sufficient challenge, we had thunder and lightening starting up around us¢¦all we needed was rain on the rocks to make them slippery. Fortunately, the rain held off until we reached the exposed top of the ridge. There it dumped on us so quickly that I didn¢t even get my umbrella up in time and once I did, Felix and I just stood under it for the 15 minutes that it poured from all directions. Kerry got his rain gear on but mine was buried and I didn¢t want to get my dry stuff wet. As it turned out, I learned my Zpack is not waterproof, but water resistant. A good lesson to learn in summer rain¢¦.although it had never leaked water before, so I¢m wondering if it¢s just wearing out.Anyway, at this point we were 3 miles out from our final resting place (does that sound ominous?) and I thought that if it didn¢t rain again, I had a fair chance of drying out. It did spatter on us but there was a warm wind blowing and my clothes dried more or less. So did Felix, but he was a bit damp so he gets to sleep in the vestibule at least for awhile.It wasn¢t supposed to rain until tomorrow so we¢re not sure if we¢ll have some more tonight. We needed the rain and hopefully, it will be cooler tomorrow and the sun will shine again! We¢re about two days out from Delaware Gap, and hoping that the worst of the rock clambering is over, but if not, oh well¢¦I¢m sure we¢ll manage. What a day!People in the hostel this morningSteve who we met one night before Bears DenTinker, a 76 year old man who discovered late in life his pAssion for hikingSprite and her dad, Sparks section hiking since the roller coaster, meeting up with TinkerYolo, You Only Live OnceAnd some others whose names I didn¢t get.