Date: 2004-07-05
From: Allentown Hiking Club Shelter

To: Palmerton, Pa.
Miles today: 17.7

Day #113 "The sun, the moon and the stars, would have disappeared long ago, had they happened to be within reach of predatory human hands." Havelock Ellis During the early morning hours the rain came down until dawn. The good news was everyone was in the shelter. The bad news, rocks and moisture are not a good combination for an easy walk. Just to make sure there was not a dry spot available, it rained again minutes after Pipesmoke, Walking Stomach and I left the shelter. Five minutes north of PA309 I came across a Nalgene bottle on the trail. I picked it up thinking it may have dropped from someone's pack. A thousand feet further up the trail, laying on the ground is a backpack. I yelled out. No answer. I blew my whistle, still no answer. I did not want to touch the pack so I used my walking stick to lift it up. Under the pack was dry meaning it had been on the ground overnight. This was very unusual. Pipesmoke and Walking Stomach came up behind me and we all agreed the authorities should be notified. Pipesmoke said he would go back to Blue Mountain. Summit B & B to report the find. Walking Stomach stayed for awhile, then decided to hike on. A few minutes later she is calling to me that there is another pack on the ground in the same condition as the first. Pipesmoke came back and said the local police department is part time and we should notify the state police. The state police said it was a local problem unless a death was involved. There was nothing more for us to do, we left, hoping it was not a potential crime scene.Hopping from boulder to boulder on Bear Rocks and Bake Oven Knob was a test of physical agility in the afternoon. The slip and slide show effected everyone¢s balance. That was our challenge for today, to get through safely. Along the south ridge of Lehigh Gap in the Blue Mountains, the vegetation turned skimpy and had the appearance of new growth. The blueberries were huge and juicy, giving me energy to finish my day. Looking down into the valley a huge rusty building could be seen. The landscape drastically changed from green to bare, exposed rocks. The same look could be seen at Lehigh Gap and extending heavily up the north side of the gap. What happened has to do with environmental pollution caused by a Zinc smelting plant, the largest of its kind in the world at its zenith. The acid by-products from the smoke stacks would saturate the valley air through wind currents and travel across the mountains, killing all vegetation. The federal Environmental Protection Agency shut own the furnaces in 1980 and has been trying to correct the wrong by putting the area on the Superfund cleanup list. Past thru-hikers who have been through the area 5 - 10 years ago say it looks better now than it did then. Once I heard all this, I decided I was not spending the night if there was an eerie glow surrounding Palmerton or its inhabitants after dark.I was surprised to find a very nice town with hiker friendly folks. The uniqueness of the landscape and town made for an unusual free night stay at a building run by the city. The hostel is located in the basement of the old police department building. The big joke for hikers is to say you are going to jail for the night. I tried pushing the issue of getting one free phone call while in jail. Didn't work, I called Lady Kritter on my phone card to say goodnight and, oh by the way, I'm in jail¢¦