March 29, 2019 by BoobOnARock

I Think It May Be Spring!

Thank goodness, right? If your winter was anything like my winter…ugh.

Father Winter was a big tease with lots of potential, but no big exciting events. In Maryland, we would get icy mix, a little snow, then it would melt and we were left with a few damp, chilly days in the mid-40s. Brrr…rrr

Thank you Goddess of Spring for finally taking control!

Last weekend, I led a “newbie backpacker” trip. We had 4 new and 5 experienced backpackers. The newbies had completed two shakedown hikes prior and felt somewhat prepared.

We began our adventure at Shippensburg Road trailhead on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania. Saturday started as winter…very cold and windy! We got moving!

As we hiked the seasons turned. A lovely day indeed!

In general, we took this stretch slower, and with more breaks than I would take if I were going alone. Which makes perfect sense for new backpackers. They had plenty of time for adjusting the pack, stretching, resting, and enjoying the woods!

We rolled into Tom’s Run Shelter mid-afternoon, plenty of time for the newbies to set up.

It was a cold night and one newbie had not brought the recommended 20 degree bag. She learned and will pack accordingly next time. Sometimes, we have to learn the hard way. 🙂

Spring rebounded on Sunday! The trail was a slight disaster with tons of water flowing down it and many blowdowns that had to be climbed over, under, or around! Our newbie, who hadn’t slept much due to being cold the night before, just about petered out on the last hill of the day. We got some extra food in her and took it slow…she was determined to finish! She dug deep and conquered the last hill!

Everyone finished sucessfully at Pine Grove Furnace State Park with smiles (and a few emotional tears). I am so proud of these women! We stick together, push through our fears, learn from our miscalculations, and always Hike On!

December 1, 2015 by BoobOnARock

AT-PA Rt. 501 to Swatara Gap Rt. 72

The last section of Pennsylvania!!! Woot!

It wasn’t clear whether I was going to be able to get this state done before the end of the year. I was determined, however, and put an all out call to any of my Facebook friends who might want to do this last 12 miles with me…and one of them said YES!!!!

My friend, Lola, and I opted outside on Black Friday! I had to leave pretty early from Frederick, Maryland to get to Swatara Gap by 8:15 am. I pulled up beside the iron bridge with time to spare…only to notice that there are new signs declaring cars will be towed. Well, this is new to me. The last time I was here it was okay to park on the side of Rt. 72…NO MORE! So when Lola cruised in behind me a few minutes later we backtracked, going around to the back of the creek, on the old State Road, in order to park in the “real” parking lot. Just an fyi folks…no parking on Rt. 72 anymore! (maybe it was always illegal…but lots of people did it, including me, and never got a ticket or anything)

Ready to go! Last section of PA underway!

With one car properly parked, we headed to 501 to begin the last section of PA for me!!! This day was meant to be. Warm temps, blue skies, …Black Friday? Felt like an early spring day!

We were greeted with a fantastic view just south of 501. After that it was pretty decent hiking (with the understanding that it is Pennsylvania and there are the regular amount of rocks along the way).

A nice sunny spot was waiting for me at the William Penn Shelter. I took the opportunity to soak up the sun while chomping on a crisp apple…oh the delights of fall. “What the heck?…Oh, my phone.” It was in my right pocket and digging into my hip in a way that was none too comfortable, so I rolled to my left hip and yanked it out. Apparently, my chapstick felt the need to also exit my pocket in a leap for freedom and promptly fell through a crack in the floor of the shelter to the ground below. The one item I hated to lose. *sniff* “Bye-bye chapstick…so sad you are gone.” 😦

Moving on, the trail resumed the regular rocky until after the old powerline view. For about a quarter mile there are some bigger rocks which required a bit of rock hopping. “Come on rocks, dance with me!” I muttered under my breath as I tipped forward, then backwards, on one of the looser specimens. At this point, I looked to my left and right. I stopped, calling back to Lola, who was doing a bit of dancing of her own. “Look at that” I exclaimed, pointing to the woods beside the trail. “Do you see ANY rocks over there???” It was a rhetorical question, as there were NO rocks to be seen anywhere EXCEPT where we were walking…teetering…whatever. Oh, Pennsylvania, you amuse me…

1000 miles going southbound!

It seems my feet have gotten soft since my backpack in PA this summer. As we approached the steep downhill into Swatara Gap, they were quite vocal in their disapproval of this 12 miles! When I stepped onto the road, after following the trail underneath I-81, it felt so good! Level ground, no rocks!

Whelp! PA section is complete!

Yessss!!!! FINALLY FINISHED PENNSYLVANIA!

It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, and there are some sections I would love to do again! I loved this state most for the people who hiked it with me. Dirigo, Python, Google, CanDo, Queen V, Lola and many other women I met through Trail Dames. Also, my brother, Albie, who hiked a portion of the trail between Pine Grove Furnace and Caledonia SP with me. He showed me that I could do a 15 mile day! Brothers are awesome!! 🙂 🙂

On to Virginia and softer trails! Hike On! 🙂

August 25, 2015 by BoobOnARock

AT – PA with Trail Dames of MD: Coming Together, Sharing the Trail & Making Memories

One of the best groups I have ever led on a hike! I led this hike for Trail Dames of Maryland last Saturday…ten miles on the Appalachian Trail. We started at Shippensburg Road and hiked south to Caledonia State Park.

This being the beginning of my semester, I don’t have much time to elaborate! However, this mix of personalities just clicked, creating a wonderful, supportive, fun experience. These women are the reason I volunteer to scout, organize, provide shuttles, and lead hikes! 🙂 🙂

Hike on!

The Dames at Shippensburg Road Trail Head

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July 2, 2015 by BoobOnARock

AT – PA Wind Gap to Delaware Water Gap (then to parking in NJ) ~18 miles

Day 7: June 26, 2015 Last day!

Snuggled in my sleeping bag in Stempa’s garage I said out loud, “I just had a sadistic thought.” Of course, Google and CanDo insisted I share. “Well, if it is going to rain on Saturday, then why don’t we just hike through to Delaware Water Gap tomorrow? It’s only 16 miles.” Google had been thinking the same thing and soon CanDo was in agreement.

So off we went to Wind Gap, again slack packing…Delaware Water Gap or Bust!

Of course, there was a climb coming out of Wind Gap and it seemed to go on for a long time! As usual, once on top it was the usual rocky and we were able to move pretty quickly along the ridge.

We DID NOT bypass the rocks! It was such a gorgeous day to be on the trail and we wanted to go up and see the view!

Our first landmark was Wolf Rocks about seven miles north of Wind Gap. So glad we did not take the bypass as the weather was great, the sky was blue and the Rhododendron was in bloom. Just gorgeous!

Up on Wolf Rocks

Rhododendron!!

Google wondered if we would have thought these rocks were as easy if we would have had to climb over them on day one or two. Regardless, they were flat and didn’t tip over! Beautiful walking across them!

CanDo in the thicket…or the thick of it!

Beautiful Day for a long hike!

One rock at a time! Google and BoobOnARock coming down from Wolf Rocks.

Coming down off the rocks was slow-ish…but still not too daunting. So off to Kirkridge we went!

Woohoo! Props to us, we made Kirkridge by 12:30 pm!

This was a personal challenge day for me and I felt good about progress so far and that my body actually felt good. My face showed my determination to finish this off.

Determined!

Why I wanted to get done, I am not sure. Maybe because seeing that little Bongo on the trail the day before made me miss my own Sidekick Pauli and the rest of the pack. Whatever, I was on my way and not going to be denied Delaware Water Gap today. 🙂

A few more rocks, a fire road walk that seemed to go on forever, then the descent into the Gap was all that was left.

Regular Rocky Trail

Google

A lot of Fire Road Walking prior to Mount Mimsi

A lot of Fire Road Walking prior to Mount Minsi

The best…like a serpent coming up out of the ground! Across the Gap.

Of course we got ice cream! How do you think we made it 18 miles? 🙂

It was a great week of challenges met!!

I wish I could say I was finished with the AT in PA, but I need about ten measly, little miles between Swatara Gap and 501. No problem…I will be back PA when my ankles are again their normal size! 🙂

Enjoy the Flipogram and Hike on!!!!

July 2, 2015 by BoobOnARock

AT – PA Smith Gap to Wind Gap ~8 miles

Day 6: June 25, 2015 My Dad’s Birthday

We hiked this section starting at Wind Gap and hiking south to Smith Gap. There were more thunderstorms in the forecast, so we agreed to another night in Stempa’s garage.

I thought about my Dad today as I hiked backwards to Smith Gap. He has Alzheimer’s and his mind is not what it used to be. My moving south, instead of north, confused me at times and I wondered if my Dad could relate. We ran into hikers that had passed us yesterday. My Dad runs into thoughts daily that have passed him over the years. Is it now, or is it then? Have the years passed since meeting you, or am I meeting you for the first time? I hate what is happening to my Dad. I hate what is happening to my Mom as she experiences my Dad’s erratic behavior. I hate that I cannot help my sister and brother who are taking on the brunt of the responsibility for making decisions for my Mom and Dad out there in Hoosierland. I hope someone reminds my Dad that it is his birthday as I hike down this trail backwards.

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The first climb going south out of Wind Gap is a climb, but not one that deserves much attention. Here are a few things that stuck like glue in my memory of our hike from North to South.

CanDo at Hahn’s Lookout

1) There was a negative guy wearing snake guards who I never met but I knew him intimately through the stories of other hikers. My eyes scanned the trail and shelters for this guy all day long…never ran into him! My takeaway…Be positive, Be polite, Be helpful if possible, and for God’s sake, smile at people on the trail…they are spreading stories about you the minute they run into another hiker!

No sign of Snake Guard Guy.

2) A thru-hiker at the shelter carried avocados with him. He put a whole avocado on a bagel, making an impossibly huge, awkward sandwich that I thought he would never be able to fit in his mouth…um, yeah, I was wrong! As impressive as that was though, it was his care in packing out the pitts that stole my heart. ❤ ❤ 🙂 🙂 Well, that, and when his friend got to the shelter, he insisted on the friend relaxing while he went the half mile down to the third spring (the only one with water) to refill all of their water bottles. My takeaway…Good friends are hard to find and once you have them make sure to continue to nurture that relationship.

Breaktime at Leroy Smith Shelter with the Bagel & Avocado eating thru hiker. 🙂

3) There was a trailer park across the road from the Wind Gap parking area, and Stempa was surprised none were trying to help these hikers who were out of water. My takeaway…People may not be able to help a hiker if they are in a position where they are having trouble just keeping their lives together. Or People may just not want to help … or may not know they can help. They may see a hiker and think “Wow! that guy must have a great life if he can just come out here and go for a long hike.”

It’s a great life being able to buzz around on the trail! Water or no Water, part of the fun is figuring it out! 🙂

4) Met another section hiker who, just by coincidence, was waiting at Smith Gap in her car when we arrived. She gave us a ride back to Stempa’s, without a second thought! We exchanged contact info…I plan to help her with the Maryland section, shuttles and such. My takeaway…never shy away from the opportunity to build your network of hiking friends!

An Unexpected Ride to Stempa’s smashed into the back of an SUV. 🙂

5) Met Bongo! A boston terrier hiking the trail with her humans. Adorable! You can follow Bongo’s journey through her human’s journal.

Bongo!!! Human’s admitted that she slackpacks occasionally. Love this little cutie!

It was a fun hike, but lacking the drama of climbing out of Lehigh Gap! But what I know for sure is this: Sometimes the trail itself does not excite, but the people are ALWAYS interesting! 🙂

Delaware Water Gap or Bust…Hike On!

July 1, 2015 by BoobOnARock

AT – PA Lehigh Gap to Smith Gap ~12 miles

Day 5: June 24, 2015

Okay. Yes. Um. I’m ready? Maybe. Okay. Yeah. Let’s Go!

The most anticipated day on this section. I had Googled it, YouTubed it, and sufficiently freaked myself over it! Then I pronounced we needed to slack pack our way up Lehigh Gap. I got no argument from Google or CanDo. Hmmm. What a surprise. 🙂

I had also found out that the water sources were pretty much nonexistent on the ridge between Lehigh Gap and Kirkridge Shelter (where there is a spigot!). So why not also stash water at Little Gap in CanDo’s car. This would make our packs even lighter! I still carried a liter and a half plus Gatorade…but it felt super light with everything else stashed at Little Gap!

So here we go!

Car is locked, let’s go!

Climbing was steeply uphill through the woods at first. No problem!

When I saw we were coming out of the tunnel of foliage, I knew the hike was about to get real. My heart started fluttering…argh! too many darn YouTube Videos!!

The First Look Down

Not so bad…except the blazes go straight up after this. 🙂

I took a deep breath and just told myself “put one foot in front of the other. This is just another mountain, just another pile of rocks, I got this!” So I climbed along the exposed ledge. No problems. Doing good! Oh FRICK… WHAT THE HELL??? I have to go where???

I had a “come to Jesus” moment when I got to a place that really pulled on everything I got to get up on the next level of rocks!!! It was like this: My feet were teetering on a thin little ledge and my arms were fully extended, fingers curled into notches that were barely more than slight indentations in the rock face. I looked down…oh, absolutely NOT going back down! I looked up and like a mantra repeated the “F” word several times in a row. I told myself there is no room to be self conscious about how I get this done. So I hurled myself up hissing the “F” word, pulled with my arms inhaling the “F” word. I was pushing like crazy with my legs, my feet flailing and scraping the rock face..more “F” word mantra with occasional short grunts. Cripes, it felt like child birth!!! Pain in a different place, but still! But I had that baby, yes, I did!

My “Come to Jesus” Moment

No thinking, Just Climbing! (Thanks Google for the pic!)

Google & BoobOnARock
Making our way UP!

Crawling over the top…Not a pretty picture, but major concentration going on here. Climb up, throw poles, climb to poles, throw them again…

I continued to cleave to that mountain until I crossed over the top of it and had a nice sit down by the FLAG…God Bless Freaking America…where you are free to kill yourself on any mountain you want! Whew!!!

I made it!! Happy Day! This is so cool up here! 🙂 (Thanks CanDo for the pic)

We made it to the top in an hour and a half, unbelievable…we thought it would take much longer. For sure, wanting to get off those crazy rocks is a mighty motivator! 🙂

Once at the top, the walking is easy and the views are absolutely gorgeous. I went between feeling like Maria in Sound of Music, to Heidi in …well, Heidi. Wildflowers, cool temps and great breeze. It almost felt like hiking in New Hampshire. 🙂 🙂

Google on the ridge

Superfund Sign
To find out more about Palmerton & Environmental Travesty caused by Zinc Smelting you can access the Lehigh Gap Nature Center Site
http://lgnc.org/conservation

On the approach to Little Gap, Google stopped to talk to the Ridgerunner about the water situation. We were all mulling over different plans in our heads, but none of us was talking out loud about anything yet…just thinking. The Ridgerunner mentioned John Stempa, who we knew from the FB section hiker page. Google texted a hiker friend for his number…then we packed up our packs, refilled on water, WATER…like I was now carrying my full pack and nearly 5, FIVE, liters of WATER. Camel I am NOT!!

Up we climbed out of Little Gap, slowly. Very slowly up a rock jumble hill. Stepping oh, so carefully, I felt the swing of that water and tried my best to stay ramrod straight!

Arrived at Delps Trail and campsite at 4:30 pm. CanDo headed for the woods, while Google and I dumped our packs and started talking. The water situation. We had enough for tonight, but the spring at Delps was dry, so what about tomorrow?

Taking a break!

Nice Campsite, but no water!

We went back and forth. Google checked her phone and saw that her friend had provided Stempa’s number. She puts in a call, maybe he can give more info on the water situation.

John Stempa did more than that! What a guy! He enticed us to hike another 2.7 miles to Smith Gap by offering us showers, water, dinner and his garage to sleep in! We took the bait and hiked that last 2.7 like a boss (after ditching most of the water we had struggled to carry for the last 5 miles).

Dinner at the Kunkletown Pub with John Stempa. 🙂

If you are ever hiking in the area, look him up…a Trail Legend! $10 to stay at his place, extra for dinner at Kunkletown Pub!

Delaware Water Gap or Bust…Hike On!

June 29, 2015 by BoobOnARock

AT – PA Eckville Shelter to New Tripoli Campsite 13.3 miles

Day 3: June 22, 2015

Well, after an evening of thru hiker tales, including one about a hiker who took part in “hike naked” day, I conked out before it got dark in the Eckville Shelter!

Up early, ate my granola bars, and was ready to go! I swore off oatmeal after the last backpack. Why? I mean it is so good for me! It’s gross. It’s mushy. I have never liked oatmeal and do not see any reason I should eat that crap on the trail…unless it is cold out…then I suffer just so I can have something warm to eat. But I am working on an alternative to that also… 🙂

Watched several hikers leave as I sat at the picnic table and waited for Google and CanDo. Wondered for a moment if they would be offended if I just started hiking. But then I decided it was probably better to stick together since I didn’t want to do anything crazy without someone to spot me!

After getting back on the trail it resumed the regular rockiness. After a bridge crossing, the trail ascends steeply to the ridge. Nothing like a climb to get you warmed up in the morning!

Cute little bridge crossing this morning.

After passing the side trail to Hawk Mountain it is just another mile slightly uphill to Dan’s Pulpit. I was looking forward to this as it would give a view back to the Pinnacle…and I love to be able to look back at where I hiked before. It was blessedly sunny today, which allowed for a good view at Dan’s Pulpit.

Dan’s Pulpit looking at the Pinnacle

Pennsylvania raised its rocky head afterwards! Lots of fun rock jumbles meant tedious walking. Nothing like stepping on a rock that decides to dance with you! Add to that rising temperatures…whew. Every once in a while a great breeze would catch me unaware and I would just be like “Yesssssss!” The heat and the rocks had us slowing down a bit and I was happy to pull into the Allentown Shelter for a break and lunch. 🙂

Passed the Tri-County Corner

Yay! the Shelter at 7.4 miles.

Lunch!

I chugged my Gatorade, took off my shoes and rubbed my feet! These rocks were getting to be serious business. But after the shelter…smooth sailing. We got to Rt. 301 relatively quickly. It was flat fire roads again with beautiful ferns lining the path. Overhead, the blue skies and puffy white clouds went on forever. A gorgeous, hot day!

Nice trail after the shelter!

We found the turn off for New Tripoli Campsite without any drama…but when we started to go down steeply I was momentarily discouraged. Down, down, down. It seemed like forever! It was totally worth it. Great campsite with access to a very nice water source, a stream. How delightful to soak my feet in the stream after a hard day hiking. 🙂

Awwwwwww…..nice and cold!

It was a long day and when I climbed into my bag I fell asleep almost immediately. Tomorrow – the big day, Knife Edge and Bake Oven Knob. *snore* ZZZZzzzzzzz

Delaware Water Gap or Bust…Hike on!

June 29, 2015 by BoobOnARock

AT – PA Windsor Furnace Shelter to Eckville Shelter 9.1 miles

Day 2: June 21, 2015

When we turned in the night before, everyone camping around the shelter had instructed us to yell if Scott Jurek ended up coming through. The buzz was up and down the trail, all of us wanting to cheer him on when he passed us!

Bag Lady dutifully checked in late … just to see if he was really still in Port Clinton. She had a look of concern on her face…he is on the move! WHAT!!! It is raining, storming, lightning, thunder!! But the tracker was erratic…and by the time we figured out his location he was nearing Eckville Shelter. 😦 So much for technology! He passed us while we were hiding out in the shelter!! Records wait for no storm apparently.

All those who were looking forward to seeing Scott on the trail were just a little bummed out. We had been soooooooo close! Well, we had that I suppose.

Bag Lady was only hiking with us for the first two days and decided she was going to take a blue blazed trail to bypass Pulpit and Pinnacle. We tried to convince her otherwise, but she was ready high tail it out of these wet, wet woods and rocks. So we said our goodbyes, and she headed to the right on Hamburg Road and we headed up the AT to the left.

I never get tired of being in the woods after a good rain.

Headed up!

As we began to climb a rock pile near the Pulpit, we all agreed that Bag Lady would not have approved of this trail! It was not a bad climb, just a lot of rocks. I thought it was fun, but of course, you know…this is only the second day and the excitement of climbing over rock jumbles is still fresh. 🙂

Climbing the Jumble!

This is where we heard the voice from beyond…

As we neared the top of the jumble, we heard a voice from beyond, ” Deeeebbbbbiiiee?”. That is Google’s name, and we looked at each other and busted out laughing…Bag Lady?!!! Bag Lady had gotten turned around and had ended up climbing an even steeper hill only to end up back with us! Oh, the humility! Welcome back, Bag Lady!

We all came together at the view from Pulpit Rock. The rain was gone, but the heat and humidity was back in full force. The sweat was dripping down my back and when I took my pack off, the straps were soaked. But the breeze felt so good as it cooled me off considerably!

View from the Pulpit

Leaving Pulpit Rock we hiked on together and in a few miles we found a nice break spot at the Pinnacle and a found a few of our reptile friends as well!

Rock Pile at the Pinnacle

Climbing over the rocks to get to the Pinnacle Ledge

View from the Pinnacle

Look! Bag Lady is waving!

My Reptile Friend is quite handsome!

Then it was a long descent to the Eckville Shelter. The last part of the hike was a flat fire road which was pleasant but hard on the feet after a while. We had been hiking it for about a half hour when Google stopped and whispered “listen!” Bullfrogs! I found two frogs talking to each other on a log…so cool!

Then we kept walking, dodging puddles, as we made our way down the fire road until Bag Lady left us to get her car in the Gamelands Parking lot near Eckville. She was going to drive around to Eckville Shelter and meet up with us before heading back home.

A long, flat road…not as easy on the feet as you might think!

Arriving at Hawk Mountain Road, we turned right and walked the last o.2 miles to the Eckville Shelter. OH!!! What a lovely place! Hummingbirds, flowers, a barefoot quality lawn! And, and, and … a shower! That’s not all…the caretaker, Mic, gave us popsicles!!!!

When you ask a question Mic will ask, “Did you read the map?”

Love the Hummingbirds!

Hikers gather-A bubble of thru hikers came in.

The shelter

Sitting and Chatting with Mic

After Shower and Rinsing out clothes (thanks CanDo for the photo)!

And the final sweet spot…Bag Lady and CanDo went to get us Gatorade, cold Gatorade!!

Delaware Water Gap or Bust…Hike on!

June 29, 2015 by BoobOnARock

AT-PA Port Clinton to Windsor Furnace Shelter 6.1 miles

Day 1: June 20, 2015

Google, Bag Lady, CanDo and I met up at our hotel on Friday, June 19. We cruised by Cabela’s in Port Clinton since CanDo had a last minute gear issue, then had a great dinner before returning to our hotel for the night.

In the morning, it was raining. Pouring actually. Oh, to start a section hike in the pouring rain would be demoralizing, not to mention just plain crappy. We got in our cars and headed up to Lehigh Gap. We were leaving two cars at the east parking lot in the Gap. After getting each car parked and our gear into Google’s car, we headed back down to Port Clinton.

Then, glorious divine intervention! The rain stopped!

Google parked in the lot just south of town on Rt. 61. CanDo decided to hike the Blue Blaze to the AT, while Google, Bag Lady and I took the longer route through town. The barbershop already had a few thru hikers hanging out in front and they called out a friendly hello as we passed by. The barber tried to distract us with cookies, but we were focused, determined, and ready to hike!

Continuing down the street, a cute beagle let us know we were on his territory as we walked by his fenced yard! Turning the corner we were now on the AT and soon saw CanDo waiting for us at the gate.

Google & Bag Lady

We were now officially on our way! The walk along the Schuylkill River is very pleasant, although there were a few muddy spots this morning. We chatted about Scott Jurek. He was currently about 35 miles behind us…Bag Lady had been tracking him all week. We had all been discussing the possibility of seeing him during our trek, and now it looked like he might pass us somewhere on the trail today!!

When we started climbing Blue Mountain out of Port Clinton conversation all but stopped as the terrain became steeper. Google and CanDo pulled ahead, while Bag Lady and I kept a more casual pace (translation: slow as molasses but not as sweet).

Climbing Blue Mountain

Bag Lady & I found Google & CanDo waiting for us at the top!

It was a long climb with a full pack, but eventually the endorphins kicked in leaving me giddy! Suddenly, everything was great…the weather, the view, the trail, being outdoors, life, oh…I thought someone was going to slap me I felt so good! 🙂

The trail from the top of Blue Mountain to the shelter was surprisingly decent. There were some small rocky spots, but plenty of smooth trail too.

Descending around the rocks

Pocahontas Spring sign

Consulting the Map

Not a bad trail!

A little more rocky, but still decent!

Back to sweet trail

Hamburg Road

Windsor Furnace Area

Our packs were covered in case of rain, but we arrived at the shelter high and dry! We set up, ate dinner, and checked in to see where Scott was on the trail. He was approaching Port Clinton! Then the tracker showed he had stopped for a while.

Waiting for Scott

We checked in a while later, Scott was still in Port Clinton…and it had begun to rain. Then it started storming…Scott was still in Port Clinton at 8:30 pm…guess he was spending the night.

One more check in…yep, still in Port Clinton!

Headed to bed, but by all means feel free to hike on!

June 18, 2015 by BoobOnARock

Getting Ready for PA: Pack Weight & Water

Woohoo!!! Headed to Pennsylvania tomorrow for a section hike on the AT! We will be out 8 days, with a hotel stop in Lehigh Gap. I have been working on my pack all week, you know, so it wasn’t completely overwhelming here on the day before I leave. I have a Dana Designs Mazama pack. Not the newest or the lightest, but it is my backpack and I love it. It has a lot of pockets and helps me organize my stuff! As you can see I actually have it fully packed this morning. It’s a good idea to check the total weight before slinging the pack on for that first big climb out of Port Clinton, PA! Here is what is in the pack:

In the mushroom cap:
First Aid
Headlamp &Extra batteries
Pocket knife
Map
License/$$$

In the Main Cavity: Sleeping Bag
Pad
Cooking Stuff including Esbit stove/fuel tabs
Food for 4 days
Extra Clothes-Exofficio lightweight bug pants, long sleeved lightweight pullover, extra socks, and a windbreaker pullover.
Water bladder & water bottle

In the Outside Middle Pockets
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Water Filter
Toilet Paper/Hand sanitizer
Gatorade bottle

In the Bottom Pockets Poncho Pack
Cover Hat

In the Back Net
Tent
Camp shoes

Total weight = 31 lbs

I always come in at about 30. I am okay with this weight.

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During the summer water sources start to dry up. This is the case with the section we are hiking. Most of the time we are on a ridge with little opportunity to access a water source. Since the temps are going to soar into the upper 80s and 90s each day we need to be sure we can stay hydrated. I have space to carry 4 liters plus 20 Oz of Gatorade…but that may not be enough over a full two day period. We have the advantage of having 3 cars with us. We are planning on buying a few jugs of water and placing a car with the jugs in the most critical areas. This should solve the problem…and, honestly, if nothing else, just make us feel better!

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So now I am ready. At this point I need to stop thinking and start hiking! Up to the rocks we go! Hike on!

Girl Gone Hiking

One step, then one step more

Category Archives: AT-Pennsylvania

I Think It May Be Spring!

AT-PA Rt. 501 to Swatara Gap Rt. 72

AT – PA with Trail Dames of MD: Coming Together, Sharing the Trail & Making Memories

AT – PA Wind Gap to Delaware Water Gap (then to parking in NJ) ~18 miles

AT – PA Smith Gap to Wind Gap ~8 miles

AT – PA Lehigh Gap to Smith Gap ~12 miles

AT – PA Eckville Shelter to New Tripoli Campsite 13.3 miles

AT – PA Windsor Furnace Shelter to Eckville Shelter 9.1 miles

AT-PA Port Clinton to Windsor Furnace Shelter 6.1 miles

Getting Ready for PA: Pack Weight & Water

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