I'm doing a bit of catch-up blogging today, but there wasn't much to write home about. I spent all of Friday at the Days Inn, resting and eating. A day off the trail has a feeling of hibernation, or even being in a cocoon. I thoroughly enjoyed a day of no plans though, and soaked up the comforts.
Saturday I started hiking out, walking from Lickdale back to where I left the trail. In my head I thought that I had a 4 mile hike to the next shelter, where I planned to lunch. I accidentally packed my map, so had no way to confirm my mileage without taking my pack apart. After an hour and a half I came across another hiker as the clouds were gathering. He told me I had another 3 miles before the shelter, and that's when I realized how badly I'd misremembered the mileage. This wouldn't bother me if I didn't hear an earth-trembling, thunderous, roar slowly catching up to me with each boom. I ignored the drizzle that fell for about 30 minutes, but then it picked up and I had no other option than to don my rain gear. I'd love to be able to say I was just in time, but in reality I was already soaked through.
I jumped under the cover of shelter the moment I arrived, mud caking my calves, shoes squishing water with each step. Two others were already there, avoiding the insanity that existed just outside the shelter. Soon we were joined by the guy eating lunch that I had passed earlier.
While I wasn't tired, and there was enough day left to make it to the next shelter, I decided to call it. I was rained out. Wet clothes are one thing, but wet shoes lead to bad things when hiking. Plus the trail was 4 inches of dark water, with sharp angled rocks hiding just under the murky surface. No good place to put your feet on the trail. At least it was a nice shelter, with a massive second story to stay warm and dry.
I awoke alone on Sunday morning, to wet gear and a shining sun. I decided that comfort was important enough to me that I'd really like to dry my clothes at the next town. Thanks to the generosity of my old hotelier buddy, Brad, I was able to relax for one more night at the Hampton Inn in Pine Grove, PA. Speaking of thanks, I'd like to say a couple more thank you's to Vince and Bill for the donations. It's crazy how expensive it is to be homeless! Or more aptly, a NoBo hobo.
I called a shuttle service from the bulletin board at the road, and Joyce picked me up with a cup of ice water to greet me. She told me all about the little town of Pine Grove, and we commiserated about people who deface trail shelters. She dropped me off at the Hampton, and I commenced relaxation.
I did my laundry, took a shower, and walked across the street to get some Subway. As I finished paying I looked outside to see another insane rain storm. Sheets of rain fell so thick that I couldn't see my hotel 100 feet away. I'm not sure how many curses I uttered as I walked that short distance, but it had to be some kind of record for obscenity density. I was having flashbacks to the beginning of this trip, where it always rained immediately after I dried my clothes, and I lived in a state of perpetual prune. Thankfully my clothes dried overnight.
Now it's Monday and I'm waiting for my shuttle back to the trail. I ate a wonderful Hampton breakfast, watched an episode of Newsroom, and then had lunch across the street at the DQ. All that's left for today is to see if I can fit 15 miles in after 2pm. Hopefully I'll find myself feeling strong, and maintain some motivation. If I can keep that pace up I'll be back to hiking NJ in a just a week. While the rocks haven't been nearly as bad as I was anticipating (though I do have 100 miles to go yet), I'm still looking forward to finishing up with PA. Jersey should be beautiful, so everyone tells me. I'm mostly looking forward to revisiting the bit I hiked before, so I can compare it to my experience there as a section hiker. I remember how much it kicked my ass when I was out of shape, so it'll be pretty amazing to hike it while relaxedly breathing through my nose. It's great being aerobically fit!
