Date: 2011-07-08
From: Day 120 Eckville Shelter

To: Day 121 Allentown HC Shelter
Miles today: 7.4

Well it did rain and I was up in a flash and secured my rain fly.  I was up with the birds at 5 am and actually feeling pretty good. We took way too much time packing up and just talking with the other Hikers, so it was now 9:30, but the rain had let up. It also wasn't hot, only 72* but of course the humidity is around 99%.  As with most days we start uphill, today it was another 800' over 2 miles. Let me state the obvious, the AT in Pennsylvania is rocky, big rocks or boulders and this section of the trail rates up there with some of the rockiest and toughest portions anywhere.  Many of these rock fields are 100's of yards wide, where the only way to get across, is to step from rock to rock, there is no ground to walk on and with the rocks being wet, well that just adds a whole new level of fun and excitement. Keeping my balance and trying not to slip and fall, took a lot out of me with the rocks finally taking a toll on my thighs, by mid-day they were starting to let me know they needed a rest. Other than my thighs, I felt terrific and was totally excited about being back on the trail again. By 4:30 we had made it to the Allentown Hiking Club Shelter and stopped for short rest, a snack and to get out of the rain. After studying our options for the rest of our hike to the Delaware Water Gap and after checking the weather radar, (ATT cell service available) we decided it was better to stay here for the night and hope for rain free hiking day tomorrow. Tramp went to get water but not being back after 30 minutes I began to get worried and went looking for him. I remembered him mentioning 2 different water sources but I wasn't sure which one he went to. After reviewing our guide book, I set off looking for him all-the-while calling out his name, or on this case I yelled "Marco"  Marco is what I call him around non Hikers and I thought it might carry better than shouting "Tramp". I got no response. I returned to the shelter to leave a note in case he returned and I wasn't there. As I was about to leave, Tramp came up the trail and explained that the water source he had to go to since the first one was dry, was a bitch. It took him over 40 minutes to get there and back.  All he had to do was to fill a 5 liter sack with water right out of the spring, no pumping necessary. Back at the shelter he hangs the 5L sack either on a tree limb or a nail in the shelter high enough for him to attach a hose with a gravity filter in line, and attach his water bottle to the open end, release the clip, and he gets clear, clean filtered water.  The filter can process 4L in 2.5 minutes, that's pretty fast and look no hands. Tramp explained the last section before the water source is literally climbing down hand by hand, rock by rock, and, hoping that water is really there and that it hasn't dried up also. Water was there but it was a real bitch getting there and back. We pitched our tents and made dinner. Two other hikers stopped by but when they heard how hard it was to get water, they hiked on. So after a somewhat early dinner I retired to my dry and bug free tent.  Although it is still raining I am looking forward to getting a little extra sleep tonight............Today we are still on page 115 (Allentown Hiking Club Shelter) in the A. T. Guide by David Miller  (the green book)Temps, it's 69* in my tent right now (8:30) With on and off  rain, mainly on, some thunder but we are expecting heavy rain and TStorms later. There is no one actually in the shelter tonight and just 1 other tent.  Light to no wind. .....So in spite of a little pain in my thighs, once again life is beautiful on my piece of Appalachian Trail, albeit wet,  and it feels Great to be back. .....Total AT miles hiked today 7.4.........This is going to be a 4 Advil night......... Nite all