(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Up real early for us - 6:15. Ate breakfast while looking out at the fog in the valley. It looked real strange. Bob had to do a 20 miler today so we were off at 7:20. Made great time. The weather is hot. Nice terrain - still rocky but not bad. Stopped at a bakery and stuffed ourselves with goodies, then continued on our way. The trail isn't marked very well. Missed a turnoff and had to go back. Stopped at fire tower to rest. Got to Gren Anderson LT at 2. Bob rested an hour before heading on. He has to be in Holmes, NY by the 14th because he is short on money and food. Sorry to see him go. We'll miss him. He's a really nice guy. Met Steve Emde, Joe and Sue who were staying at the shelter that night. They had the spring full of beer and all kinds of luxuries. Dan and John came truckin in at 7 PM. We kind of expected them to come. They spent a night in the Water Gap so they had been behind us.
(thru-hikers made a point to keep track of where other thru-hikers were - in front or behind - by talking to southbound hikers or reading trail registers along the way - the trail "grapevine". As most were kindred spirits, they enjoyed each others company (mostly) or simply wanted to keep tabs on their where-a-bouts)
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Saturday, July 6, 2013
July 6 1973 - shack in Stokes Forest - 16.5 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Good start (8:00) and the sun was shining. You could tell we were out of Penn. We walked a while and Bob caught up with us. Fantastic views and much varied terrain made the hiking more interesting. Ate lunch at a nice spot and lounged around. We kept walking past destroyed houses that were evacuated because of the proposed Tox Dam. There is a big controversy between the people and government over this. Stopped at a spring for an hour. Made last 3.5 miles. Found an old shack with a nice view and water nearby. We decided to stay. This is near Buttermilk Falls. Met 2 girls (Mary & Freddette) who spent the night there too. They showed us food tubes which looked neat. Bob was very talkative tonight. We all rapped away and had a good time. Saw first sunset. N.J. is beautiful.
( walking through this area and seeing the shells of houses and foundations - couldn't get the Neil Young song After The Gold Rush out of my head, so I added it to my nightly repertoire)
Good start (8:00) and the sun was shining. You could tell we were out of Penn. We walked a while and Bob caught up with us. Fantastic views and much varied terrain made the hiking more interesting. Ate lunch at a nice spot and lounged around. We kept walking past destroyed houses that were evacuated because of the proposed Tox Dam. There is a big controversy between the people and government over this. Stopped at a spring for an hour. Made last 3.5 miles. Found an old shack with a nice view and water nearby. We decided to stay. This is near Buttermilk Falls. Met 2 girls (Mary & Freddette) who spent the night there too. They showed us food tubes which looked neat. Bob was very talkative tonight. We all rapped away and had a good time. Saw first sunset. N.J. is beautiful.
( walking through this area and seeing the shells of houses and foundations - couldn't get the Neil Young song After The Gold Rush out of my head, so I added it to my nightly repertoire)
Juky 5 1973 - Sunfish Pond - 11.9 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Got up and headed for town (8:35 AM). Made great time - we really "smelled" town - latest expression. The trail and views were beautiful from the Minski fire tower on down. Best yet. Penn. goes out with a blaze of glory. Had a sundae in Delaware Water Gap. Went to P.O. and picked up letters and a package. We got new socks and I got new cutoffs - great (my others were about falling off). Went to grocery store but there wasn't a good selection of food. Ate lunch at a picnic table and wrote home. Just as we were leaving, we met a lady who gave us a ride to the National Forest Service Building. Also we met Annie Hall and Paul (Ga. - Me.). Walked up towards Sunfish Pond. Beautiful section. Met a guy Russ who gave us a 40 minute talk on salvation and the Bible. Got to the pond. Went for a swim and washed hair - felt great. Ate supper. Bob came by. We had a long talk. Camped with us for the night.
(we spent lots of hours the past weeks complaining about the trail condition through PA., and were quite smug thinking about the poor southbound hikers who enter into the state on this great trail making them think they were in for a smooth hike ahead! Our boots were taking a beating and so were our feet. I imagine Russ believed that Laurie and I were two young adults living in sin. We never got to interrupt him and inform him we are brother and sister. Bob Bell was the only serious hiker who used a rucksack instead of a framed backpack, ate poptarts for supper and used a sheet of clear plastic hung over twine as a makeshift pup-tent.)
Got up and headed for town (8:35 AM). Made great time - we really "smelled" town - latest expression. The trail and views were beautiful from the Minski fire tower on down. Best yet. Penn. goes out with a blaze of glory. Had a sundae in Delaware Water Gap. Went to P.O. and picked up letters and a package. We got new socks and I got new cutoffs - great (my others were about falling off). Went to grocery store but there wasn't a good selection of food. Ate lunch at a picnic table and wrote home. Just as we were leaving, we met a lady who gave us a ride to the National Forest Service Building. Also we met Annie Hall and Paul (Ga. - Me.). Walked up towards Sunfish Pond. Beautiful section. Met a guy Russ who gave us a 40 minute talk on salvation and the Bible. Got to the pond. Went for a swim and washed hair - felt great. Ate supper. Bob came by. We had a long talk. Camped with us for the night.
(we spent lots of hours the past weeks complaining about the trail condition through PA., and were quite smug thinking about the poor southbound hikers who enter into the state on this great trail making them think they were in for a smooth hike ahead! Our boots were taking a beating and so were our feet. I imagine Russ believed that Laurie and I were two young adults living in sin. We never got to interrupt him and inform him we are brother and sister. Bob Bell was the only serious hiker who used a rucksack instead of a framed backpack, ate poptarts for supper and used a sheet of clear plastic hung over twine as a makeshift pup-tent.)
Friday, July 5, 2013
July 4 1973 - Kirkridge Shelter - 14.6 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Todays hiking was poor. The hiking to Wind Gap had nice switchbacks but afterwards, we ran into the worst trail yet. Small rocks sticking out everywhere and the brush practically hid the trail. Kept tripping. Pa has the worst planned and maintained trails. After Wolf Rocks the trail got nice. Met 3 guys hiking south from the Water Gap. Got to shelter tired. Bob was already there. A group of boy scouts came by the shelter but camped nearby. Usually thru hikers have first choice on shelters. We are almost considered part of the group. Talk is going up and down the trail grapevine about a guy carrying a guitar. We're feeling really good about the whole trip and everything! Since it is the 4th of July, we climbed on the roof of the Kirkridge Retreat House along with the boy scouts and their leaders. Don set off a pack of fire crackers and scared everyone. Broke open a bottle of Cold Duck and shared it. Met John Silva - another Ga - Me thru hiker.
(OK - so I carried Cold Duck, Firecrackers and a guitar - VERY non-conformist! My pack was much lighter after this night)
Todays hiking was poor. The hiking to Wind Gap had nice switchbacks but afterwards, we ran into the worst trail yet. Small rocks sticking out everywhere and the brush practically hid the trail. Kept tripping. Pa has the worst planned and maintained trails. After Wolf Rocks the trail got nice. Met 3 guys hiking south from the Water Gap. Got to shelter tired. Bob was already there. A group of boy scouts came by the shelter but camped nearby. Usually thru hikers have first choice on shelters. We are almost considered part of the group. Talk is going up and down the trail grapevine about a guy carrying a guitar. We're feeling really good about the whole trip and everything! Since it is the 4th of July, we climbed on the roof of the Kirkridge Retreat House along with the boy scouts and their leaders. Don set off a pack of fire crackers and scared everyone. Broke open a bottle of Cold Duck and shared it. Met John Silva - another Ga - Me thru hiker.
(OK - so I carried Cold Duck, Firecrackers and a guitar - VERY non-conformist! My pack was much lighter after this night)
July 3 1973 - Smith Shelter on Katellan side trail - 12.1 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Had Alpen and blueberries for breakfast - what a treat. Got an early start - 8:05. Had a small climb out of Little Gap. We're not moving very fast today - must be tired. Caught up with Dan after 5.3 miles. He was eating a snack so we stopped. Went 3.6m. more and stopped at Smith Gap for lunch. Ate tons since we have lots of food after hitting town. The last 3 m. were incredibly long. The weather is crumby! All fog - has started to rain so we all have wet feet. Arrived at new shelter - nice! Two hikers, Pete and Laurie came in from the Water Gap. Another thru hiker named Bob Bell caught up with us. Had blueberry pancakes for supper.
(Dan was the slowest hiker we had met - made us feel speedy! He was usually the first to leave a shelter and last to arrive at the next.)
Had Alpen and blueberries for breakfast - what a treat. Got an early start - 8:05. Had a small climb out of Little Gap. We're not moving very fast today - must be tired. Caught up with Dan after 5.3 miles. He was eating a snack so we stopped. Went 3.6m. more and stopped at Smith Gap for lunch. Ate tons since we have lots of food after hitting town. The last 3 m. were incredibly long. The weather is crumby! All fog - has started to rain so we all have wet feet. Arrived at new shelter - nice! Two hikers, Pete and Laurie came in from the Water Gap. Another thru hiker named Bob Bell caught up with us. Had blueberry pancakes for supper.
(Dan was the slowest hiker we had met - made us feel speedy! He was usually the first to leave a shelter and last to arrive at the next.)
July 2 1973 - 4.7 AT miles - 3 miles to town
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
We didn't rush getting up this morning cause we had to go into Palmerton for supplies. We're practically out of goodies and lunches so instead of pressing to the Delaware water Gap, we hitched into Palmerton. Found an A&P, bought lots of candy, munchies, and general good stuff; went to the park to eat our potato salad and repack the food, then went to a restaurant for lunch. Hiked 2 m. back to A.T. and climbed out of Lehigh Gap. We had plenty of time and my stomach wasn't feeling especially good after guzzling down a milk shake in town so we stopped a few times on the way up. The views were impressive. We reached the campsite (4 m. after Lehigh river) and rested. A group of kids came by and stopped to talk. Dan found us cause he heard the guitar. Don and Dan found a blueberry patch so we picked another quart.
(Dan Welch was an electrical engineer with the Navy and would talk incessantly about thing nobody else could understand. He was simultaneously entertaining and exasperating)
We didn't rush getting up this morning cause we had to go into Palmerton for supplies. We're practically out of goodies and lunches so instead of pressing to the Delaware water Gap, we hitched into Palmerton. Found an A&P, bought lots of candy, munchies, and general good stuff; went to the park to eat our potato salad and repack the food, then went to a restaurant for lunch. Hiked 2 m. back to A.T. and climbed out of Lehigh Gap. We had plenty of time and my stomach wasn't feeling especially good after guzzling down a milk shake in town so we stopped a few times on the way up. The views were impressive. We reached the campsite (4 m. after Lehigh river) and rested. A group of kids came by and stopped to talk. Dan found us cause he heard the guitar. Don and Dan found a blueberry patch so we picked another quart.
(Dan Welch was an electrical engineer with the Navy and would talk incessantly about thing nobody else could understand. He was simultaneously entertaining and exasperating)
July 1 1973 - Outerbridge Lean-to - 12.4 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Off at 8:10. Made good time to Bake Oven Knob LT. Dan, Bill and Jim were already there. Rested and went on. We stopped for lunch and were getting ready to go when Dan came along - so we sat another 15 minutes. As we walked, we met 3 ladies picking huckleberries. We called them blueberries. A little further along the trail we found a great patch and picked a quart. The last 2 m. seemed long. Reached the shelter at 2:30. It has bunks. Bill and Jim were there. They left soon after - nice guys. Three kids were there camping - Chris, Scott, and Jim. They had all sorts of stuff - food, tape deck, battery operated light; you name it! Got our first freebees; 2 hotdogs each and assorted snacks. They were nice kids. Dan was really funny talking them into giving us food. A guy and kid came into shelter later. A skunk joined us later that night.
Off at 8:10. Made good time to Bake Oven Knob LT. Dan, Bill and Jim were already there. Rested and went on. We stopped for lunch and were getting ready to go when Dan came along - so we sat another 15 minutes. As we walked, we met 3 ladies picking huckleberries. We called them blueberries. A little further along the trail we found a great patch and picked a quart. The last 2 m. seemed long. Reached the shelter at 2:30. It has bunks. Bill and Jim were there. They left soon after - nice guys. Three kids were there camping - Chris, Scott, and Jim. They had all sorts of stuff - food, tape deck, battery operated light; you name it! Got our first freebees; 2 hotdogs each and assorted snacks. They were nice kids. Dan was really funny talking them into giving us food. A guy and kid came into shelter later. A skunk joined us later that night.
June 30 1973 - New Tripoli Shelter - 14.2 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Started hiking at 8:15 - best yet. We had a long climb out of Eckville. Made the 8 miles to Allentown LT where we ate lunch. A group of boy scouts were there. We talked to the leader then moved on. Next met a gut and his wife doing all of Pa. in short hikes. Then we met 4 young guys hiking south. Crossed Rt. 209 and had planned to eat at the restaurant but it didn't open until 5 P.M. She let us in for Coke though. We met 5 more people along the trail before arriving at New Tripoli Shelter at 3 P.M. It was tiny - fits 3 comfortably. Dan was there He was taking a short day. Three hikers came in and set up a tent. Then 2 thru hikers came - Jim Hodges and Bill Rhombin. Had tuna a-la-king for supper - good.
Started hiking at 8:15 - best yet. We had a long climb out of Eckville. Made the 8 miles to Allentown LT where we ate lunch. A group of boy scouts were there. We talked to the leader then moved on. Next met a gut and his wife doing all of Pa. in short hikes. Then we met 4 young guys hiking south. Crossed Rt. 209 and had planned to eat at the restaurant but it didn't open until 5 P.M. She let us in for Coke though. We met 5 more people along the trail before arriving at New Tripoli Shelter at 3 P.M. It was tiny - fits 3 comfortably. Dan was there He was taking a short day. Three hikers came in and set up a tent. Then 2 thru hikers came - Jim Hodges and Bill Rhombin. Had tuna a-la-king for supper - good.
June 29 1973 - Hawk Mt Sanctuary - 8.7 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
I woke up at 7:00. It was really raining hard. Fred, Mike, Dave and Dan all got up and got ready to leave. These thru-hikers march right out - rain or shine. Guess they have to make their milage. It is 16.5 m to the next shelter - Allentown. Don has a great way of letting me know he's not moving. He just lies in his sleeping bag and pretends he's asleep. He got up at 9:30. We ate and played cards - hoping - hoping for the weather to break. It stopped raining at 12noon. We left at 12:30. We went up a river they called the A.T. to Pulpit Rock and the Pinnacle. Great Views! Got to "the pleasant hamlet of Eckville" at 5 P.M. Nothing there but a bus stop we almost camped in. Stopped in the woods near a flooded stream - 10 yds r. of sign - Hawk Mt. Sancuary land - NO CAMPING! Set up tent. Pancakes for supper. To bed early.
I woke up at 7:00. It was really raining hard. Fred, Mike, Dave and Dan all got up and got ready to leave. These thru-hikers march right out - rain or shine. Guess they have to make their milage. It is 16.5 m to the next shelter - Allentown. Don has a great way of letting me know he's not moving. He just lies in his sleeping bag and pretends he's asleep. He got up at 9:30. We ate and played cards - hoping - hoping for the weather to break. It stopped raining at 12noon. We left at 12:30. We went up a river they called the A.T. to Pulpit Rock and the Pinnacle. Great Views! Got to "the pleasant hamlet of Eckville" at 5 P.M. Nothing there but a bus stop we almost camped in. Stopped in the woods near a flooded stream - 10 yds r. of sign - Hawk Mt. Sancuary land - NO CAMPING! Set up tent. Pancakes for supper. To bed early.
June 28 1973 - Winsor Furnace Shelter - 5 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Got up at 8:00. John went to the post office and got his package. Jay was getting ready to hitch home. We all went down for breakfast and gorged ourselves on bacon, eggs, toast and OJ - so much that Don's stomach was in an uproar. Jay left for Mass, I went to PO and store, John got ready to go and Don didn't do anything but lay on the bed and groan. Said goodbye to john, knowing that we wouldn't be catching up with him. We'll miss his optimism. Don and I left the Hotel at 11:30. Ascended steeply and then couldn't find the shelter, but a guy from the Hamburg Water Supply gave us a ride cause it started to rain hard. A guy named Dave (hiking for a week) came in and showered in the rain - it was really pouring. The next drowned rats that came in were two more thru-hikers - Fred Elliott and Mike DiNunzio. The stream water was muddy so we creeped up past the $500 fine signs and got water from the Hamburg Reservoir. These guys are crazy. We played attacking the Germans and were then apprehended by the Dobermans. Met Dan Welch (Ga.-Me.)
(Mike & Fred - as they were exclusively referred to - dressed like wild bikers, intentionally to spook off day-hikers who might infringe on limited shelter space. When they approached a campsite and detected Boy Scouts or other groups of campers, they would stop and wait while another thru-hiker friend preceded them into camp and started talking about the crazed hikers who were heading to camp here soon, which caused more than one group to relocate their gear at a safe distance. Later the story was told about them in the White's of NH, where at a shelter that displayed a poster acknowledging the efforts of thru-hikers and their need to travel light and how other hikers should make accommodations for them, Mike grabbed a guy by the collar, pushed his face to the sign and growled "got a tent Jack? Use It!". A few years later, Laurie, Wes and I visited Mike in the Adirondack's where he was an environmental scientist taking water samples in local lakes testing for acid rain.)
Got up at 8:00. John went to the post office and got his package. Jay was getting ready to hitch home. We all went down for breakfast and gorged ourselves on bacon, eggs, toast and OJ - so much that Don's stomach was in an uproar. Jay left for Mass, I went to PO and store, John got ready to go and Don didn't do anything but lay on the bed and groan. Said goodbye to john, knowing that we wouldn't be catching up with him. We'll miss his optimism. Don and I left the Hotel at 11:30. Ascended steeply and then couldn't find the shelter, but a guy from the Hamburg Water Supply gave us a ride cause it started to rain hard. A guy named Dave (hiking for a week) came in and showered in the rain - it was really pouring. The next drowned rats that came in were two more thru-hikers - Fred Elliott and Mike DiNunzio. The stream water was muddy so we creeped up past the $500 fine signs and got water from the Hamburg Reservoir. These guys are crazy. We played attacking the Germans and were then apprehended by the Dobermans. Met Dan Welch (Ga.-Me.)
(Mike & Fred - as they were exclusively referred to - dressed like wild bikers, intentionally to spook off day-hikers who might infringe on limited shelter space. When they approached a campsite and detected Boy Scouts or other groups of campers, they would stop and wait while another thru-hiker friend preceded them into camp and started talking about the crazed hikers who were heading to camp here soon, which caused more than one group to relocate their gear at a safe distance. Later the story was told about them in the White's of NH, where at a shelter that displayed a poster acknowledging the efforts of thru-hikers and their need to travel light and how other hikers should make accommodations for them, Mike grabbed a guy by the collar, pushed his face to the sign and growled "got a tent Jack? Use It!". A few years later, Laurie, Wes and I visited Mike in the Adirondack's where he was an environmental scientist taking water samples in local lakes testing for acid rain.)
June 27 1973 - Port Clinton Hotel - 7 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Out of Neyes by 9:30 A.M. and headed for town. Made fantastic time. We were really "truckin". We had to, to keep up with John. Ran down the mountainside (with John singing "Born Free" at the top of his lungs). We spent 2 hours in front of the grocery store, running back and forth for coke, ice cream, and candy. John had planned to go much further today but his food hadn't come in the mail yet. He decided to spend the night with us. We got our first two letters today from Mom and Gram. Went to Port Clinton Hotel and 4 of us got one room. Ate supper there (honey dipped chicken) - just terrific. One of Johns friends was there and we laughed until I had stomach cramps. Decided to go for a walk around town. When we got back to the hotel, three more hikers (Mark, Ned and John) were there. We sat there for a while laughing and having a good time and finally went to sleep at 11:30.
(during the past week, it was apparent that Laurie and Jay were not compatible hiking partners, so to avoid any further antagonism, Jay decided to hitch-hike home in the morning - 16 years old, from PA to MA. While repacking our backpacks, Laurie discovered why my pack was always heavier than hers - the bottle of Cold Duck champagne I was carrying, won by the two of us in a 3-legged skating race much earlier in the year)
Out of Neyes by 9:30 A.M. and headed for town. Made fantastic time. We were really "truckin". We had to, to keep up with John. Ran down the mountainside (with John singing "Born Free" at the top of his lungs). We spent 2 hours in front of the grocery store, running back and forth for coke, ice cream, and candy. John had planned to go much further today but his food hadn't come in the mail yet. He decided to spend the night with us. We got our first two letters today from Mom and Gram. Went to Port Clinton Hotel and 4 of us got one room. Ate supper there (honey dipped chicken) - just terrific. One of Johns friends was there and we laughed until I had stomach cramps. Decided to go for a walk around town. When we got back to the hotel, three more hikers (Mark, Ned and John) were there. We sat there for a while laughing and having a good time and finally went to sleep at 11:30.
(during the past week, it was apparent that Laurie and Jay were not compatible hiking partners, so to avoid any further antagonism, Jay decided to hitch-hike home in the morning - 16 years old, from PA to MA. While repacking our backpacks, Laurie discovered why my pack was always heavier than hers - the bottle of Cold Duck champagne I was carrying, won by the two of us in a 3-legged skating race much earlier in the year)
June 26th 1973 - Neyes Shelter - 10 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Started at 8:45. Made good time on the first 3.5m to Route 183. The next 6.5m. were on the same State Game Lands Road. It was very boring walking and rough on the feet. Saw a huge black racer snake on the side of the road. Met a man and his 2 grandsons coming from Neyes Shelter which was our destination for the day. We got there at 1 P.M. and lounged all day. This shelter is 4 sided unlike most that we have seen. There was much litter scattered around though. The biggest excitement for the day was fighting over whether or not the little brown drops falling from the trees were caterpillar crap or not. So it appeared to be a rather uneventful day until John Laming, a 19 year old Englishman, stopped at the shelter. He started April 5th in Georgia. Two other guys came in and set up a tent. John is a riot. He never stopped talking from the time he got there, til he went to sleep. We just listened in amazement.
Started at 8:45. Made good time on the first 3.5m to Route 183. The next 6.5m. were on the same State Game Lands Road. It was very boring walking and rough on the feet. Saw a huge black racer snake on the side of the road. Met a man and his 2 grandsons coming from Neyes Shelter which was our destination for the day. We got there at 1 P.M. and lounged all day. This shelter is 4 sided unlike most that we have seen. There was much litter scattered around though. The biggest excitement for the day was fighting over whether or not the little brown drops falling from the trees were caterpillar crap or not. So it appeared to be a rather uneventful day until John Laming, a 19 year old Englishman, stopped at the shelter. He started April 5th in Georgia. Two other guys came in and set up a tent. John is a riot. He never stopped talking from the time he got there, til he went to sleep. We just listened in amazement.
June 25 1973 - Hertlein camp site - 7.2 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
We seem to be having extreme difficulty in breaking camp early. (10:45 A.M.). We'll try again tomorrow, as we will have 10 miles to go. While breaking camp, the guys from Illinois passed us. Saw them again 1 mile after the spring. It was very hot today and the pathway rocky. Stopped at torn-down Applebee Shelter and ate lunch. Pilger Ruh (historical water marker) nearby. Met a middle-aged lady who told us of the pleasant walk to Hertlein and the beautiful rattlesnake at Shower Steps. Well, we passed that one up and as for the lady mountain goat, her trail was solid rock. The caterpillars (Gypsy Moth) have eaten everything in sight around here. Reached Hertlein. Two streams came together and ran into a pond backed up by a dam. Thought of the days when we built dams. There were so many tiny falls, rocks, logs - fantastic. I jumped in clothes and all. Don went partway in. We washed our clothes, strung a clothes line and then lounged for the rest of the day. Don and I played Washington Whist. Today was pleasant. The weather is always warm in this area. Foggy in the mornings too.
(for many miles the foliage was nonexistent due to caterpillar infestation. At night as we lay in our tent, Laurie insisted it was starting to sprinkle. I had observed tiny star-shaped droppings on the top of the tent and insisted it was the Gypsy Moths pooping on us - she was wrong, I was right)
We seem to be having extreme difficulty in breaking camp early. (10:45 A.M.). We'll try again tomorrow, as we will have 10 miles to go. While breaking camp, the guys from Illinois passed us. Saw them again 1 mile after the spring. It was very hot today and the pathway rocky. Stopped at torn-down Applebee Shelter and ate lunch. Pilger Ruh (historical water marker) nearby. Met a middle-aged lady who told us of the pleasant walk to Hertlein and the beautiful rattlesnake at Shower Steps. Well, we passed that one up and as for the lady mountain goat, her trail was solid rock. The caterpillars (Gypsy Moth) have eaten everything in sight around here. Reached Hertlein. Two streams came together and ran into a pond backed up by a dam. Thought of the days when we built dams. There were so many tiny falls, rocks, logs - fantastic. I jumped in clothes and all. Don went partway in. We washed our clothes, strung a clothes line and then lounged for the rest of the day. Don and I played Washington Whist. Today was pleasant. The weather is always warm in this area. Foggy in the mornings too.
(for many miles the foliage was nonexistent due to caterpillar infestation. At night as we lay in our tent, Laurie insisted it was starting to sprinkle. I had observed tiny star-shaped droppings on the top of the tent and insisted it was the Gypsy Moths pooping on us - she was wrong, I was right)
Monday, July 1, 2013
June 24 1973 - spring north of Swatara Creek - 15 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Broke camp at 10 A.M. We thought we had plenty of time - planning on making 6m. to Mt. View Motel. Surprise! Had a great walk in the morning. The reroute went past a grocery store - what a treat! We made a wrong turn once and lost some time. Got to the motel at 2:30 and found out there were no available rooms. So we moved on. A man and his songs (from Illinois) were backpacking for the first time. They left the motel ahead of us. Went by Swatara Creek and people were swimming so I went in. Don and Jay didn't join me - their loss. Started rough climb. Made it to top quite well but next water was 6 more miles. Had to push on because Jay was out of water. Got another blister. Don's heels look like craters from broken blisters. Reached the spring at 7:15 P.M.
Broke camp at 10 A.M. We thought we had plenty of time - planning on making 6m. to Mt. View Motel. Surprise! Had a great walk in the morning. The reroute went past a grocery store - what a treat! We made a wrong turn once and lost some time. Got to the motel at 2:30 and found out there were no available rooms. So we moved on. A man and his songs (from Illinois) were backpacking for the first time. They left the motel ahead of us. Went by Swatara Creek and people were swimming so I went in. Don and Jay didn't join me - their loss. Started rough climb. Made it to top quite well but next water was 6 more miles. Had to push on because Jay was out of water. Got another blister. Don's heels look like craters from broken blisters. Reached the spring at 7:15 P.M.
Friday, June 28, 2013
June 23 1973 - Rausch Gap Shelter - 11 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Broke camp at 8:35. Crossed Clark's Creek and started up a mountain. We met 2 snake hunters abd were relieved that they hadn't found any. After talking a while, we hiked on and reached the summit of Stoney Mountain. We met 2 guys at Yellow Spring site. They were on an overnight. Talked for a while. Don set a good pace but I had trouble keeping up. Stopped to talk to a birdwatcher. Passed old mining sites and came to Rausch Creek. After putting on bathing suits we sat in the middle of the stream and bathed. Reached Rausch Gap Shelter at 3:30. What a gorgeous place. It has everything imaginable from a patio to piped in water. An old time hiker named Warren Thompson was there. We invited him to eat with us. We still had an overload of food. Ed and Flo Bausch came in to camp soon after. This was a really nice day. Lots of nice people around. Enjoyable evening.
(Laurie forgot to mention the outhouse with the translucent roof which felt like you were in an odd spaceship)
Broke camp at 8:35. Crossed Clark's Creek and started up a mountain. We met 2 snake hunters abd were relieved that they hadn't found any. After talking a while, we hiked on and reached the summit of Stoney Mountain. We met 2 guys at Yellow Spring site. They were on an overnight. Talked for a while. Don set a good pace but I had trouble keeping up. Stopped to talk to a birdwatcher. Passed old mining sites and came to Rausch Creek. After putting on bathing suits we sat in the middle of the stream and bathed. Reached Rausch Gap Shelter at 3:30. What a gorgeous place. It has everything imaginable from a patio to piped in water. An old time hiker named Warren Thompson was there. We invited him to eat with us. We still had an overload of food. Ed and Flo Bausch came in to camp soon after. This was a really nice day. Lots of nice people around. Enjoyable evening.
(Laurie forgot to mention the outhouse with the translucent roof which felt like you were in an odd spaceship)
Friday, June 21, 2013
June 21 1973 - spring near Clark's Vally - 14 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
I am awake and it's still raining. Don and Jay are still sleeping since there is a slim chance of getting decent mileage today. The trail is extremely slippery. (end for now). Back again at 8:20pm. It stopped raining at 12 noon so we picked up and left at 12:30. Nice trails and views for the first 8 miles to Shaffer Shelter. Didn't stay there because the spring was brutal to get to. Ate and moved on. Tried to reach old Clark Valley Shelter that had been torn destroyed. Those last 6.2 miles seemed like forever. Finally found a spring at 7:30. Exhausted and bitchy, we crashed on the side of a mountain. I didn't feel like moving. We put up the tent about a foot from the spring. The ground was damp and slanted but it didn't matter at that time. If we slid out of the tent door we wouldn't know the difference. Had instant breakfast for supper. Don and Jay had Kwik Lunches. Went to sleep at 8:30.
I am awake and it's still raining. Don and Jay are still sleeping since there is a slim chance of getting decent mileage today. The trail is extremely slippery. (end for now). Back again at 8:20pm. It stopped raining at 12 noon so we picked up and left at 12:30. Nice trails and views for the first 8 miles to Shaffer Shelter. Didn't stay there because the spring was brutal to get to. Ate and moved on. Tried to reach old Clark Valley Shelter that had been torn destroyed. Those last 6.2 miles seemed like forever. Finally found a spring at 7:30. Exhausted and bitchy, we crashed on the side of a mountain. I didn't feel like moving. We put up the tent about a foot from the spring. The ground was damp and slanted but it didn't matter at that time. If we slid out of the tent door we wouldn't know the difference. Had instant breakfast for supper. Don and Jay had Kwik Lunches. Went to sleep at 8:30.
June 21 1973 - Susquahanna lean-to - 6 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Up at 7:20 and walked down to the spring to wash. Feeling extremely grubby and tired. Broke camp late - 10am and headed for Duncannon. Made the first climb ok - very surprised. Proceeded along the ridge to Hawk's Rock - a beautiful view even though the fog was quite heavy. We didn't realize how high we were. Made the first steep climb down over a remarkable rock slide and descended mountain into town. Ate lunch at Sparkle Restaurant, got some postcards, sent some extra weight home, and called home. Jay got some foam padding for his pack and Don's hip belt. After getting much accomplished, we left town (2pm) and crossed the Susquahanna River. Rested on far side of Clark's Ferry Bridge and then attempted a .4m climb at 80 degree angle that would make a mountain goat squelch. Just made it to the lean-to when a thunderstorm started. Decided to spend the night there. No floor. Had chicken tetrazinni, sang and Don played guitar. Asleep at 10.
Up at 7:20 and walked down to the spring to wash. Feeling extremely grubby and tired. Broke camp late - 10am and headed for Duncannon. Made the first climb ok - very surprised. Proceeded along the ridge to Hawk's Rock - a beautiful view even though the fog was quite heavy. We didn't realize how high we were. Made the first steep climb down over a remarkable rock slide and descended mountain into town. Ate lunch at Sparkle Restaurant, got some postcards, sent some extra weight home, and called home. Jay got some foam padding for his pack and Don's hip belt. After getting much accomplished, we left town (2pm) and crossed the Susquahanna River. Rested on far side of Clark's Ferry Bridge and then attempted a .4m climb at 80 degree angle that would make a mountain goat squelch. Just made it to the lean-to when a thunderstorm started. Decided to spend the night there. No floor. Had chicken tetrazinni, sang and Don played guitar. Asleep at 10.
June 20 1973 - Thelma Marks Shelter - 7 miles
(this daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Woke at 4:30 but we didn't get up until 7:00. The morning was warn and foggy. It took us a while to break camp, as we aren't exactly experts on this procedure. Started to hike at 9:00 after a breakfast of instant cream of wheat that settled like lead. Walked down the mountain, streets, etc. and proceeded to climb again. this seemed like a terrible climb and I was very, to say the least. Never thought I'd make the top but I did. the shelter was 0.1 m(iles) r(ight) of trail and 70 degrees down. The spring was another 200 yds down the mountain. We arrived at 2pm, rested; then the four of us (Dave was there too) pitched in and made a big meal. Group effort to wash dishes since we massacred the biscuits and burned the pan. I fell asleep at 9pm - dead tired.
Woke at 4:30 but we didn't get up until 7:00. The morning was warn and foggy. It took us a while to break camp, as we aren't exactly experts on this procedure. Started to hike at 9:00 after a breakfast of instant cream of wheat that settled like lead. Walked down the mountain, streets, etc. and proceeded to climb again. this seemed like a terrible climb and I was very, to say the least. Never thought I'd make the top but I did. the shelter was 0.1 m(iles) r(ight) of trail and 70 degrees down. The spring was another 200 yds down the mountain. We arrived at 2pm, rested; then the four of us (Dave was there too) pitched in and made a big meal. Group effort to wash dishes since we massacred the biscuits and burned the pan. I fell asleep at 9pm - dead tired.
June 19, 1973 - Camp Darlington Shelter - 1st day - 8 miles
(40 years ago today, my sister Laurie, family friend Jay B., and me and my guitar, started a 4+ week hike along the Appalachian Trail, from PA to the CT/MA border. People have certain "benchmark" events in life, and this was definitely one for each of us - much of which I have crystal clear memories of after all this time. This daily journal was kept and rewritten by my sister Laurie and presented to me as a gift - I now rewrite it here for you)
Up very early - 5:30am. Jay and his cousin Denise were coming to pick us up. We left at 6:10am and drove down to where the Appalachian Trail crosses the Penn Turnpike. Got our gear on and started hiking at 2:00pm. The first 6.3 miles were tar and dirt road - a wilderness path? Finally hit a smaller trail going up Blue Mountain. Thought we'd never make the top but we finally stumbled into Darlington Camp around 5:20pm. Six guys were already in the shelter so we set up the tent. We weren't very hungry between the excitement of actually being on the trail, and the exhaustion from not being in shape. Met a kid named Dave. Had a singalong. In bed - 10:00pm
(we surely thought we were gonna die on our first day out. Road walking, then missed a turn into the woods which we found as it came out further up the road. Apparently we missed some really good poison ivy patches. Despite our "training" we were NOT prepared for this level of exertion.)
Up very early - 5:30am. Jay and his cousin Denise were coming to pick us up. We left at 6:10am and drove down to where the Appalachian Trail crosses the Penn Turnpike. Got our gear on and started hiking at 2:00pm. The first 6.3 miles were tar and dirt road - a wilderness path? Finally hit a smaller trail going up Blue Mountain. Thought we'd never make the top but we finally stumbled into Darlington Camp around 5:20pm. Six guys were already in the shelter so we set up the tent. We weren't very hungry between the excitement of actually being on the trail, and the exhaustion from not being in shape. Met a kid named Dave. Had a singalong. In bed - 10:00pm
(we surely thought we were gonna die on our first day out. Road walking, then missed a turn into the woods which we found as it came out further up the road. Apparently we missed some really good poison ivy patches. Despite our "training" we were NOT prepared for this level of exertion.)
Friday, February 5, 2010
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