|
WEEK 11 - June 1 to June 7, 1981 |
June 1, 1981
Restocked and rebooted in Duncannon. Naturally, there is no real shoe store there but I bought a pair of work shoes at a clothing store and they have felt fairly good for the first 15 miles. This is Pete’s birthday and he went into Harrisburg to buy himself a present - a new tent, his present one having a large tear in the side. I have switched breakfast menus again, now trying Pete’s combination of Pop Tarts and a cup of granola. The morning was quite cold but pleasant walking today. Fewer rocks, also, and I negotiated them better in the new boots. My feet felt better in the evening than in Duncannon. All flat ridge walking except up to the ridge this morning and down this evening. I have noticed green may apples and blueberries. I wonder if I am outrunning the may apple season north. Last night I stayed with a weekend camper who gave me a hamburger.
June 2, 1981
Went from spring near Rt 325 to Boyd’s Spring. I am completely off the shelter schedule but I need to hurry to make my mail drop in Danielsvile. It rained a bit last night and sprinkled a couple of times today. But I got soaked by the growth along the trail, not the rain. Fairly easy walking mostly, but no scenery to speak of. Pete’s breakfast menu was more filling initially but no more satisfying in the long run.
June 3, 1981
A slight misty rain this morning and heavier rain this afternoon. This is the third straight night of rain. Mark, who is also here, says this is his fifth straight night of rain. It must be following him. Maybe to get out of the rain I will have to put 60 miles between us. Stopped at Ney’s shelter with a slight cramp in my ankle - only the second time this trip it has bothered me enough to make me stop early. I am surprised that the rocky, rocky, rocky trail in Pennsylvania have not done it in along with my poor departed hiking boots. Mark is the person responsible for the senior girls from Becket Academy. They were supposed to be here but none showed. The "Becketeers" are seniors from a private school who, as part of their degree requirement, must hike 675 miles of the AT. They are "problem" students and this is supposed to teach them self reliance, confidence, etc.
June 4, 1981
Met some more Becket people today - this time a group of juniors. Traveled all the way to the Allentown shelter today in hopes of making my Danielsville mail drop by Saturday morning. I only have $4 to get me to the next drop wherever I pick it up. I seem to be getting somewhat used to the rocks. They have become just another obstacle taking extra time and energy (and concentration!). It was sunny this morning but overcast by noon with distant thunder rumbling but no rain as yet. Managed to catch up with another thruhiker today. He and his brother had taken a day off. (The brother is still in Philadelphia.) Little to see today despite the 28+ mile distance - all of the views were of overcast hills. Also at the shelter this evening are two southbound women who warned me of the rocks ahead. (Maybe I should be warning them, or maybe it’s no different.) Pennsylvania is fast running out of miles.
June 5, 1981
Got to Little Gap today, hid my pack in the bushes, and walked into Danielsville to check on tomorrow’s post office hours. Luckily they are open in the morning. The next available post office in Port Clinton is closed on Saturday. On the way I found $3 raising the total for the trip to $3.71. Starting back up to the trail I stopped in a telephone booth and called Brian, Connie’s brother-in-law to see if there is news of her. She was in the area where the two hikers were murdered at about that time as nearly as I can figure. It turns out that Nancy had driven down to Harper’s Ferry earlier this week to visit her and that the news media were interested in interviewing Connie. Brian and Nancy invited me to stay the night so I accepted and got treated to dinner, breakfast, brunch and a huge lunch to carry when I pushed on the next day. Nancy had gotten used to thruhiker appetites in Harper’s Ferry and constantly offered me food.
June 6, 1981
Pushed on today to Smith shelter just eleven miles from Little Gap. Stu and Pete caught up with me about mid-afternoon and we arrived to find that Smith was temporarily a non-shelter. The AT maintainers were painting and oiling it so we all slept under the stars. One of the people working on the shelter was a through hiker in 1979. The workers treated us to steak, beer, Jack Daniels, and pleasant conversation for the evening. I had a cramp or sore ligament / tendon on the back of my right knee all day so it was good that I planned a short day. On to the hostel in Delaware Water Gap and the end of Pennsylvania tomorrow.
June 7, 1981
Arrived at the Church of the Mountain Hostel in Delaware Water Gap today. It was twenty miles, the first ten of which was almost entirely rocky. Some excitement today as Pete came upon a snake (black with cream colored bottom) which coiled and hissed at him. (I saw similar behavior from a black/yellow checkered snake < (hognose snake) > yesterday. In addition that one could puff up it’s head.) I was somewhat behind and Pete called for me to come look. I looked closely, decided it was harmless, and stepped past but Pete was reluctant to do so. I prodded it with my walking stick to try to get it to move. Suddenly it began writhing and rolling on the trail. This continued for about 30 seconds after which it lay on its back coiled like a watch spring. It was "breathing" lightly and flicking its tongue but further prodding produced no reaction. I flipped it over onto its stomach and it promptly flipped back over onto its back! Pete stepped by it. Pennsylvania is practically complete.