Day 87. Lots to cover today. First of all, we are both feeling pretty good after reaching our planned destination around 5pm. Although it was a difficult day in many ways, we ended with plenty of time to enjoy a quiet and restful evening. Or so we thought … more on that later.

For Happy’s first day hiking the AT, it could have been worse (it could have been raining). But he would say it could have been better too. Unfortunately, no sooner had we crossed the Hudson, the trail shot straight up. We were met with a very steep staircase of a trail, which was very strenuous, and also crowded with day-hikers headed to the popular “Anthony’s Nose” lookout. All in all, it was not a good first experience for a new AT hiker trying to get comfortable in their new surrounds.

Side note, but he’s still Happy. Look at him with this white blaze!

We also quickly realized Happy’s pack is significantly heavier than first thought. After doing some walking calculations, we expect his backpack is between 40-45 pounds. Compared to mine at 25-30, that’s a big difference in comfort and speed. Our pace was a slow and steady 1 mph all day, as we traversed the remaining ups and downs with many breaks.

In the early afternoon, we arrived at the Appalachian Market, a combination gas station and deli that is common in NY. Happy dropped his pack, laid down on a picnic table and started dictating a list of all the heavy food he is throwing away … gouda cheese, powdered milk, etc. I can’t say I blame him, those items would be too heavy for me too. We hydrated up with some Gatorade, had a snack, and headed out to finish the day’s hike.

A half-mile later, we took a side trail to tonight’s campsite … a ministry that allows hikers to sleep at the old sports field on the edge of their campus. The field also has a covered pavilion with electric outlets, a water spigot, a portapotty, a fire pit and a shower building (though it is locked). It is a little run-down, but it is a beautiful place, and we are fortunate they open it so graciously to hikers for free.

This is the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center; a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, dedicated to the reconciliation of people with themselves, each other, and God. In their words, it “offers people of many different religious traditions and all walks of life an opportunity to slow down and encounter the Spirit in their lives.” You can read more on it here.

Shortly after we arrived, a few more familiar faces wandered in. Starman, who I haven’t seen since the Smokie Mountains is here, plus a few others: Transformer, Shaggy, Bubs, and others whose names escape me at the moment. In all, there are nearly a dozen hikers camping here. At first, we all setup in the pavilion, since we know rain is expected tomorrow. However, once hammocks we’re strung and beds laid out, a gentlemen walked over and told us he had the pavilion reserved for the evening. He has a bonfire party planned for 50 people until midnight.

Fifty people?! Midnight?! The pavilion, fire pit, and picnic tables were all forfeited and we grumbled sullenly as we gathered up our belongings and moved to the far side of the field. We still had a place to camp at least, but peace and quiet was forfeited for the night as well. Happy is … for lack of s better word, happy … to use his fancy new 1-person tent, but it’s a small consolation compared to everything else we had to give up. Needless to say, after the day we had, this was not how I hoped it would end.

We made the most of it though, finding our own private corner to camp by ourselves, and even carried over a picnic table for dinner.

After review of today’s difficulty, and the knowledge of tomorrow’s rain, we may take it easy and do a smaller 5 mile day tomorrow. I initially planned for us to go 12 miles to Clarence Fahnstock State Park, but that is looking less likely. We’ll play it be ear and see how Happy feels in the morning and later that afternoon.

Side note, as I lay in bed typing this, Happy yelled out something to me before falling asleep. “I want you to know, I’m having a great time.”

Me too dad, me too.

Hello Neimans (Sharkbait and Happy)

• Start Mile: 1404.0
• Start Time: 10:00
• End Mile: 1411.3
• End Time: 16:45
• Miles Hiked: 7.3
• Miles to Go: 779.6
• Lodging: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

Day 85. Week 11 video is up, week 12 coming soon. I’m enjoying a relaxing day off with my in-laws, soaking up the sun and as much food as possible in New York. My bus ride this morning was quick and painless, and I arrived in White Plains around 10am. I had to transfer in NYC, so if anyone wants a quick and easy route to the city during future thruhikes, this is a pretty easy option. And it comes a couple hundred miles before the Pawling train stop which is more common.

It is weird to be in non-AT civilization again, but it’s also very nice while I relax. I’ll try to get the week 12 video up today as well, and will post it here when ready. It’s nice to be able to sit on a couch with a TV and not have to walk for a couple days. But I can already tell my mind is getting excited to get out there again soon!

Hello Neiman (Sharkbait)!

• Start Mile: 1294.7
• Start Time: 00:00
• End Mile: 1294.7
• End Time: 00:00
• Miles Hiked: 00.0
• Miles to Go: 896.2
• Lodging: Family in Westchester

Day 84. I had hoped to upload last week’s and this week’s YouTube videos today, but the church hostel does not have WiFi available. I’ll hopefully get those up tomorrow instead, as I don’t like falling too far behind.

Today’s Zero day was exceptionally nice. I slept in late (on a very comfortable couch), I went to Walmart to get a few accompanying items to my resupply box, I took in a movie (Deadpool 2), I went out to lunch, and I read an entire Calvin and Hobbes comic book. It was a very relaxing day indeed.

I also planned out and reviewed the itinerary for NY with my dad. Since he has fresh legs, I will need to drop my mileage down to 8-12 a day, and wanted to make sure we had a workable plan that he was comfortable with. It looks very doable and we both are excited to get back on the trail together in a few days.

Emotionally, I am so glad he is coming when he is, as I could not use the company of my backpacking (and life) role model more than right now. What better way to turn my spirits around, then to go on an adventure with the guy who introduced me to it all? It’s a nice new phase of the hike. And speaking of phases, let’s recap…

• Phase 1 was tramily hiking througjou GA, TN, and NC. It was a highly social experience and provided tons of daily fun while in the “honeymoon” stage with dozens of others.
• Phase 2 was partner hiking in VA, where I hiked with another person for a few days, then another for a few, then another, etc. It was still exciting and fun, with tons of great sights and experiences with new and different friends every few days.
• Phase 3 was solo hiking in MD and PA. The first half was great, with all the historical sights to take in … but the second half was really tough. Horrible terrain, crappy weather, and being primarily alone every day was very difficult for a social butterfly like me. I would like to forget this phase altogether, as it puts a temporary dark blemish on my overall feelings of this experience.
• Phase 5 is family and friends in New England, starting this Friday with my dad. It will be great to have people to hike and camp with again, and is the spark I need to reignite my passion to be out here and finish strong. Let’s hope it lasts to Maine!

I hate that I am skipping the next 100 miles, as it throws off the natural progression of the trail northward, and puts a hole in my “thruhiker” status. It’s frustrating, but I know it is necessary in order to enjoy the next section fully. I thought about it a lot today and realize there is not much else I could have done, and that it will just have to be part of my journey and story. I’m ok with that, and won’t let it change my feelings or perception of this 2,190 mile hike. As I mentioned yesterday, I will finish those miles when I can, hopefully soon after, and fulfill that temporary void in my travels.

Tomorrow I head up to Westchester to spend time with family and do a thorough cleaning and drying of gear. It will be the first double zero I take while out here, and feels good to have it so (actually, it will be a triple Zero after Friday). Then the adventure continues. I’m not sure I’ll blog tomorrow, I may take the day off from that too.

Hello Neiman (Sharkbait)!

• Start Mile: 1294.7
• Start Time: 00:00
• End Mile: 1294.7
• End Time: 00:00
• Miles Hiked: 0.0
• Miles to Go: 896.2
• Lodging: Church of the Mountain Hiker Center

Day 83. At long last I have reached Delaware Water Gap and the end of Pennsylvania. And I will tell you, I am glad to put this rocky, dry, godforsaken, Keystone State behind me. If you’ve been reading this, you probably know that already, but I’m saying it out loud anyway because it makes me happy to acknowledge it.

Pennsylvania was awful for me. Most people have the “Virginia Blues”, but I had the “Pennsylvania Blues”. The weather was brutal, my moral was low, and my eagerness to hike was challenged each morning. Many days were spent questioning my purpose and goals to this hike, while tripping over pointy rocks. But that is yesterday’s news and yesterday’s attitude. With PA behind me now, I am once again eager and ready for the next chapter of hiking the AT. Hello Neiman!

Of course, as a going away present, PA gave me a full day of rain to hike out in (how sweet). Fortunately though, I got up early enough to break camp dry. I woke at 5am and packed everything up by 5:30, knowing the rain was supposed to start at 6:00. And wouldn’t you know it? At 6am on the dot, it started coming down. But I didn’t care, I slept great, packed dry, and was ready to hike wet all day if needed. I had one thought going through my mind … this state will not win, and I will get the last laugh!

The rain wasn’t too bad, though it was incessant and made today’s rocks quite slippery and dangerous. There was a ridge walk today that was real bad, for example, being compared to the descent of Dragon’s Tooth in Virginia. A bypass trail was available to take you around it during bad conditions like this, but I was feeling extra brave today and took it on head first, rain and all. YOU WILL NOT BEAT ME, PENNSYLVANIA!

After that, it was pretty easy. Just more of the rocky dirt trail I am now accustomed to. So as usual, I hiked with my eyes at my feet and attempted to keep my ankles and toes intact. Given this, it’s amazing that I once again almost stepped directly on a snake. Another big and harmless Eastern Kingsnake, but scary nonetheless as I paused with foot mid-air. Actually, given that he was sprawled out on the trail during a cold rainy day, I thought perhaps he was dead. So I did what any intelligent and mature expert outdoorsmen would do … I poked it with a stick.

At first he didn’t move, so I assumed my original hypothesis was correct. Then I poked it again to be sure … and this time, he moved alright! Like a flash of lightning, he struck out, attempting to sink his fangs into my hiking stick. The movement was so unexpectedly fast, an embarrassingly girlish yelp escaped my lips as I jumped 17 feet backward. The snake then folded itself up and stood on its folds in an upright position, as if preparing to strike out again. Needless to say, I took a very long detour around him (our eyes never leaving each other), and apologized vocally for disturbing the peace. Ugh, snakes. Yuck.

Continuing on, there were some great views of the Delaware River as I made my way down into the gap. The rain was coming down pretty hard by then, though, so I quickly moved on from each. The one photo I did stop to take is below, which shows some of the nicer countryside PA offers east of the Appalachian Trail.

Descending further, the trail then emptied out in the town of Delaware Water Gap, right at the NJ border. It was still early (2pm), so I took the afternoon to tour the tiny Main Street attractions … an outfitter, a bakery, a pizza place, a post office, a jazz club, and a church.

The church acts as a free hiker hostel, having converted their basement to a bunkroom with shower, bathroom, and living room. I dropped my stuff off there (claiming a couch for bed) and went to explore the town. The outfitter didn’t have much, as it’s mostly just used as a base camp for the white water rafting adventures they host here. My favorite stop was the bakery, which had AMAZING pie, donuts, and a grill. I spent an hour there, in confection heaven, before grabbing my resupply box at the post office and going back to the church.

The hostel is packed with hikers, and not in a good way. All the bunks are full, all the couches are full, and the floor has hikers spread out on every available square inch. Given the rain, many hikers Zeroed here today and more (like me) came in. I saw some familiar faces, like Scutch and Apollo, but they were only resting temporarily and headed out soon after I arrived. Gandalf is here as well, but everyone else is new/unknown to me. It’s loud in here, it’s crowded, and no one is anywhere near going to bed as I type this at 9:30pm. I’d be pretty upset if I was planning to hike in the morning.

But I’m not hiking. With a plan to visit my in-laws on Thursday, then pick up my dad on Friday, I am going to take the next 3 days off. My body and feet are pretty beat up, and I welcome the long rest. I could hike on tomorrow if needed, but this town happens to have a Greyhound bus leaving early Thursday morning for White Plains, which is where I need to go. So I am going to tentatively skip over the next 100 miles to Bear Mountain, and pick up the trail again there on Saturday. I will plan to finish those miles this year still, likely right after I summit Katahdin. But unfortunately not now.

Hello Neiman (Sharkbait)!

• Start Mile: 1274.6
• Start Time: 06:15
• End Mile: 1294.7
• End Time: 14:30
• Miles Hiked: 20.1
• Miles to Go: 896.2
• Lodging: Church of the Mountain Hiker Center

Day 82. It was another sunny day (yes!) filled with very rocky trails (no!). I heard warning from the caretaker at 501 Shelter a few days back that the climb coming up from the Lehigh River is treacherous and steep. He wasn’t lying, as it was straight up a loose rock scree field for nearly a full mile. It was definitely a fun challenge, requiring mostly 4 limbs touching at once, but a rough way to start my day. See pic above.

Side note, I heard a bobcat last night! At least I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. Around 2am, I heard rustling as something slowly walked by my tent … and then it meowed. I don’t know enough about wild cats to know which ones meow, but I know it wasn’t a thruhiking domestic kitten. Just as I questioned my ears, it meowed again, then slowly moved on. Given the mice that frequent shelters, I’m not surprised it would hunt here, and other hikers have claimed to see bobcats as well, so I’m convinced.

I had a little trail magic this morning too, just before reaching the river. A section hiker by the name of General Store was set up at a road crossing with snacks, drinks and chairs. I had a nice 2nd breakfast, thanked her, and hiked on. Then things got tough.

If I was smart, I would have closely evaluated today’s hike last night. And if I did that, I would have noticed there is no water along the trail for today’s entire 24 mile march. None. A couple side trails of over a half-mile to water towards the end, but that’s it. Instead, I learned of this folly when I stopped for a morning snack around 11am. I had about 1 liter left at this point … and 18 miles to go in the hot sun. It was going to be a tough and painful walk, so I started rationing my remaining water tightly.

About half the day was in the open, where the sun beat down relentlessly sans shade (trust me, after the week I had, I’m not complaining). But then I moved back into the forest where there was ample tree cover to help cool me down. Even with the green tunnel’s aid though, by mid-afternoon I was drenched with sweat and severely under-hydrated. Not outright sickly, but I could tell I was weak and clumsy with fatigue. And every mile was moving more and more slowly.

After hiking 14 more miles, I was only 4 from the end now, but completely out of water and in pretty bad shape. Visions of ice cream and Gatorade danced in my head while my feet tripped endlessly on protruding rocks of the trail. Luckily, this was when I passed a side trail to a piped spring. It was going to cost me 1.2 miles round trip, going down and back up the side of the mountain, but I decided it was better than trying to finish my day this dehydrated.

That side trail was barely a trail, as I meandered endlessly through the woods and down the mountainside. It was marked with blue blazes, but barely showed any wear to the ground. I doubt more than a handful of hikers use it each year, and only when desperate (like me). When I finally reached my prize, I nearly dunked my head under the tiny flowing pipe when I did. I also yelled out a very loud sigh of relief. I drank 2 full liters right there, avoiding all common sense to drink slow in these situations, then refilled my bladder and began the slow march back up. I had left my pack at the top, so at least I was light on my feet for the long detour.

Being fully quenched, my energy and wits were also recharged and I felt much better continuing on. The last few miles went quickly and I eventually reached the shelter. I chatted briefly with the half dozen hikers there and decided to setup my hammock for the night. It is supposed to rain all day tomorrow, but I’m going to try and break camp before it starts in the morning. If I sleep in, I know I’ll at least have a dry bed waiting for me 20 miles away in Delaware Water Gap tomorrow night. I can handle hiking with wet gear if I have to, with that in mind.

Hello Neiman (Sharkbait)!

• Start Mile: 1251.1
• Start Time: 07:45
• End Mile: 1274.6
• End Time: 18:30
• Miles Hiked: 23.5
• Miles to Go: 916.3
• Lodging: Leroy A. Smith Shelter

Day 81. For every bad day there are 50 good ones. And today was definitely one of the good ones. For as low as my spirits were last night, there were uplifted immediately upon waking this morning and sustained those lovable levels throughout the day. In other words, I’m feeling much better and the usual excited Hello Neiman/Sharkbait AT hiker is back!

Today was everything I sulked that yesterday wasn’t. And it started with the most cherished of surprises … Trail Magic! I awoke at 6am to the sound of someone setting up a kitchen inside the pavilion, offering up hot coffee, banana pancakes and fresh fruit. This particular magician is a special one, as he spends the whole season traveling up the trail with the hiker bubble, providing hot food and good company to all. His name is Fresh Ground, and this is his 4th year providing this service he calls the Leap Frog Cafe. He started in Georgia like many of us, then continued to drive up and down the trail, stopping to feed hikers every couple days as he goes. I had never seen him nor heard of him until today, but was very glad I finally did get the chance. And on a morning I needed it most. 🙂

After that amazing breakfast, the sun poked it’s head out to greet us as well. See? Complain enough and the weather cuts you a break. And not just for a peek either, that beautiful golden orb burned all the rain clouds away and stayed out ALL DAY LONG. Needless to say, I was ecstatic and eager to go enjoy a great day of hiking now. I got a ride from another good samaritan back to the Eckville Shelter where I ended yesterday, and although it was a late start, I had a feeling I’d get in plenty of miles and rewarding views still.

The hike today started out with a steep climb, then miles of that same beautifully wide dirt road path. It somehow was even mostly rid of water, even though the onslaught of flooding was barely 12 hours old. It was so nice to be able to enjoy that trail, and I took an appropriate picture in gratitude of Mother Nature’s gift today (above).

Side note, between my lost weight and the haircut/shave Frank gave me yesterday … I barely recognize myself in my photos. I look 15 years younger, at least. I haven’t weighed myself since Harpers Ferry, but I bet I’m down over 20 pounds now. I like it though, and have to figure out how to maintain this boyish figure when my hike is done.

Halfway through the day, I stopped at a roadside restaurant for a snack called the Blue Mountain Summit. It was less than 100 feet from the trail at a road crossing and was a nice unexpected treat. A half dozen other hikers were there too (the ones who Zeroed at Eckville Shelter yesterday). As they were all very friendly, I mentally forgave them for their part in yesterday’s misery. After some amazing “Yuengs and Wings” (google it), I headed back out.

Then the fun started! Next up were some of the treacherous rock scrambles that give Rocksylvania it’s reputation. However, they were no problem when dry, and I actually enjoyed maneuvering around the ridge line of boulders with a full belly of renewed energy. The more memorable areas had names to strike fear in your heart, as any formidable foe would: Balance Rocks, Bear Rocks, Bake Oven Knob, and The Knife’s Edge.

The latter was exceptionally wild, as the Knife’s Edge referred to a steep and razor thin ridge of gigantic stone slabs that barely had enough space between for a clean footing. But you didn’t need that because you were meant to hike along the very top, where one slip on either side would send you toppling over the edge. And if that happened, more unfortunately angled slabs would slice you apart as you painfully fell down 20 feet or more. As usual, it’s tough to truly explain this experience in words nor a picture, but look at the photos below and just know it could have easily ended my hike for good.

After all that fun, I eventually made it to the Bake Oven Knob Shelter and set up my hammock for the night. I haven slept in it for over a week, and am happy to be swaying in its orange embrace this evening. This also marked the first time in a week that I ended my day feeling good both physically and mentally, with an eagerness to hike again the next day … it was a welcomed feeling.

Hello Neiman (Sharkbait)!

• Start Mile: 1234.7
• Start Time: 09:45
• End Mile: 1251.1
• End Time: 18:30
• Miles Hiked: 16.4
• Miles to Go: 939.8
• Lodging: Bake Oven Knob Shelter

Day 80. Warning in advance, I’m officially in a rotten mood for the 3rd time on this trip. I’m sorry I’ve been complaining a bit lately, but this weather is starting to take its tole on me, and I’m beginning to lose my romantic feelings for the experience of hiking here. Today could have been amazing, it should have been amazing, and it would have been amazing … had it not been another day of nonstop rain!

And not just because of my low spirits to hike wet, that was uncomfortable but not the real issue. It was all the rotten luck the rainy day brought with it. Today’s trail was mostly dirt and wide enough for 6 hikers at once. Today’s views were called the best in all of PA, today’s destination was another enclosed cabin with bunk beds.

BUT.

The wider trail was basically just a wider river. Consistently making any dry footing impossible, and slowing my progress to a crawl.

The views (Pulpit Rock and The Pinnacle) provided nothing but a white cloud of fog. And no dry rock to even sit and rest upon.

The cabin (Eckville Shelter), was full already from 7 hikers who took a Zero Day there. I can’t blame them fully, though I was pretty annoyed a shelter that only holds 6 people would be selfishly taken up for 2 consecutive nights by the same people. And even if I was willing to camp outside in the rain, the camping area was taken up by a boy scout troop.

Also, as long as I’m complaining, my maildrop of food wasn’t at the Post Office as I expected. I got mixed up on boxes and somehow forgot to have this one sent. I had to bum a ride to Walmart a couple miles away to get food quickly, which delayed my start and caused today’s destination to be what it was. Ugh.

By the time I reached the shelter at 6:15, I had worked myself into a frustrated mess. The hikers taking up all the bunk beds were not even there (went into town to see a movie), so I briefly chatted our options with Gandalf who hiked there today as well. He was going to squeeze onto the floor, but I knew I would not sleep a wink in that tiny sardine can if I tried the same. I’m quite claustrophobic when surrounded by other people, and 9 people in that 10×10 enclosed box would be too uncomfortable to imagine. No, not happening.

Fortunately, I found the phone number of a trail angel that lives nearby and gave him a call. He was happy to pick me up, take me back to the Port Clinton Pavilion, and then return me in the morning. It was beyond generous and he did it for no charge. I still gave him some cash and thanked him profusely regardless.

There is one silver lining to this. Tomorrow morning I will visit Frank again, the older gentleman that owns the barbershop in town. He is very hiker friendly, welcoming hikers to sit in his shop to dry off, charge electronics, eat donuts, drink coffee and more. He’s a very interesting guy with stories galore, and a room full of antiques and collectibles on display. He plays music during the day (both from a boom box, and the guitars he keeps in the shop), and gives a good haircut for just $8. I spent a couple hours there this morning before heading out, and look forward to stopping in again tomorrow if there is time.

If the weather doesn’t break, the next 3 days will be very difficult. The dreaded “Rocksylvania” section remains between me and New Jersey. This brings the hardest, sharpest, and steepest rocks the trail has to offer. I will make the most of it, and promise my bad attitude ends with this rant, but I’d much prefer a bit of sun to help too!

Hello Neiman (Sharkbait)!

• Start Mile: 1218.9
• Start Time: 12:00
• End Mile: 1234.7
• End Time: 18:15
• Miles Hiked: 15.8
• Miles to Go: 957.2
• Lodging: Port Clinton Pavillion

Day 79. Once again, the weather gods smiled down on me and it was surprisingly dry the entire day! The forecast has now had it wrong 2 days in a row, which made today’s 24 mile hike into Port Clinton very enjoyable. But is it too much to hope for 3 dry days in a row? My weather app says 100% chance of rain between 4am and 3pm, so I’m guessing this is the end of my unexpected gift.

All of us at last night’s shelter got up around 6am this morning, so we also hiked together as a small group. I haven’t had that much company in weeks, and it was a nice change to hike alongside a few others. With me were Reboot, Mr. Nice and No Need, and we all made it into town together. The hiking was pretty good, though still very rocky at times. I took the three photos below in succession, each 1/2 mile apart this morning. The trail altered back and forth between these three rock grades all day, so there were some nice sections at least.

In addition, there were some pretty swampy areas overrun with water. Furing this 3 mile stretch, finding solid footing was tough within 10 feet on either side, so alternate paths through the trees was required. Frustrating and slow, but common to others as well, as you could see some worn paths beginning to establish themselves. There were also a couple nice views today, which actually had something viewable … all in all, I’d take a hike like this any day out here in Pennsylvania.

Coming into the small town of Port Clinton was an extremely steep 1 mile dirt path decent. I’m thankful even more for the dry day after doing that section, as it would be treacherous and slick with mud. Basically a huge brown water slide. At the bottom, it empties out at a historic railroad station, which was used to support the coal and anthracite mining industry that helped establish this town (pic above). It looks to be a sort of museum now, so it was neat walking through and reading the informational signs on our way into town.

The town itself is very small, home to just one hotel, a few houses, a candy shop, some motorcycle shops, and a restaurant/bar. The latter was a treat, and I learned a lot about the town’s history while enjoying supper and a few beers. This place is called the Union House, and although only open on the weekends, is owned by Herm, the town’s local celebrity. Herm owns most of the town, including the 3 motorcycle sales and repair shops next door, but opens the Union House for fun with friends, and to keep his culinary skills fresh. He’s a great chef, having been trained professionally in Italy, and his cooking was worth the stop alone. The $1.50 beers and pleasant company of his friends didn’t hurt either.

The Union House also rents out rooms on the weekend, but it was too pricey for me at $70. Especially because further up in town is a giant covered picnic pavilion that hikers are allowed to camp in for free. I liked Herm and his friends lot, but my unplanned stay in Lickdale a couple days ago was expensive and I have a budget to keep.

When I got to the pavilion later, everyone was set up already, with a few new faces as well. All told, there are 9 of us here, but it would easily hold 40 people if needed. There is also an outhouse and free jugs of water on hand from the local church. Roof, water, and can … everything a thruhiker needs for a shelter. The one down side is the noise. It’s very loud here, as we are sandwiched between the highway and train tracks, but that’s hopefully something earplugs can fix.

Hello Neiman (Sharkbait)!

• Start Mile: 1194.8
• Start Time: 07:30
• End Mile: 1218.9
• End Time: 17:30
• Miles Hiked: 24.1
• Miles to Go: 972.0
• Lodging: Port Clinton Pavillion

Day 78. After a good night’s sleep and a hearty continental breakfast, Hokie Pokie and I headed back to the trail. We tried looking extra sad and pathetic, in hopes of a hotel patron offering us a ride to the trailhead 3 miles away, but no dice. So we dinner our rain gear and walked back up the Swatara Rail Trail that connects Lickdale to the AT, wasting an hour of hiking and kicking off our official mile counting at 10am.

The weather did end up being better today, with rain only during the morning’s walk. But when I reached the William Penn Shelter 8 miles in, I was still not feeling like hiking a long day. The usual combination of rocks and trail rivers were weighing heavily on my mind (and feet), and the grey gloom surrounding the hilltops didn’t add much either. Ehen I reached the next shelter a few miles later … I knew I was done. Not a horrible day, but not as much distance as I had initially hoped.

Like yesterday, the weather kept me from seeing much around me and enjoying any good views. There would have been a couple neat lookouts, if not covered in fog/cloud, including one that is popular for locals to hang glide from. Now that would have been neat to see! Ironically, the only other time I saw hang gliders was in Waynesboro years ago. Maybe it’s a Pennsylvania thing? I’d like to try that someday…

The shelter I stopped at also had a hand in convincing me to stay. It’s actually more of a cabin, fully enclosed with bunk beds, a table, games, and a giant 10 foot hexagonal octagonal skylight. This is the 501 Shelter, named for its proximity to Highway 501 a couple hundred yards away. It is maintained all season by a caretaker who lives next door and is only made available to backpackers. The caretaker kicks out any other riff-raff that try to take advantage of it for car camping, partying, etc. He introduced himself and gave us the run-down at dinner time, then went back to his house. It’s nice to know some people are here specifically to look out for us thruhikers.

Since today sort of ended up being a Nero Day, I spent my extra time researching and planning out the next couple weeks. Not so much where to go and end, but more on what to expect and what to do if I don’t reach Bear Mountain in time to meet my dad who is flying in. I have bus routes mapped out from all the major trail town between there and here, so I can quickly jump up to meet and continue on with him as planned. Not to worry Pops, I got you!

With these contingency plans in place, I feel better about taking it easy in this torrential rainfall. Tomorrow is supposed to rain all day (of course), but I’m going to try to push for the town of Port Clinton 24 miles from here anyways. I can’t avoid walking in the rain forever, and this would end at a possible hostel. After a nice restful afternoon today, I’m hoping my feet are up for the challenge.

Ending on a positive note, my friend Kari pointed out yesterday that I’d be able to note less than 1000 miles left after today’s trek. She was right, look at those beautiful stats below! I can’t believe how far I’ve come and yet how much is left, haha.

Hello Neiman (Sharkbait)!

• Start Mile: 1183.4
• Start Time: 09:00
• End Mile: 1194.8
• End Time: 14:10
• Miles Hiked: 11.4 (+3.0)
• Miles to Go: 996.1
• Lodging: 501 Shelter