July 16: Somewhere in PA   Miles Today : ~21 Miles to Katahdin : ~904

Ok, today, despite a good start to the day, was on e of my worst on the trail. This morning, George and Debbie took me out to Tom Sawyers Diner(TSD), the local 24 hour diner with notoriously cheap breakfasts. I loaded up with the grand slam, you know, I need energy. Breakfast was good and afterward, George and Debbie drove me back to where I left off in Palmerton, not before swinging by the locally famous Gilboy Auto first, however!

At about 8:30, I started my climb out of town. Thanks again George and Debbie for everything. The climb was an interesting boulder scramble up 1000 feet in a mile. Even this early in the morning the sun is baking me, it's going to be a hot one today.

The top of the ridge was very interesting, as only 20 years ago it was considered a natural disaster. Apparently, zinc mining stripped off all of the life off the mountain and just now the area is beginning to recover. The result is a tundra like ridge, very sparse brush growth with even less tree growth. The view, however, was spectacular for over 2 miles.

That concludes the good part of the day. After 8 or 9 miles, I found that I was almost out of water. I got to a spring only to find that it was dry, with a note saying there is no water for 6 more miles, not good. So I looked at my map and decided to climb down off the mountain, get water at someones house and blue blaze my way back to the trail at Wind Gap. I left a note for DB and Colorado telling them of my grand scheme.

So step one went well. I hike d down about a mile and a mile or so down the road, I found some nice gentleman willing to fill my water. My map, however, was not that good of the nearby roads and I ended up at a little general store. Here I bumped into a guy who was willing to give me a ride up to Smith Gap, only a few miles away from where I bailed. Cool! No sooner do I get out of the truck to start hiking do I notice that I don't have my hiking stick! Can you believe that I left my prized stick in the bed of the pick-up?

Well, to make a long story short, I became PeeWee Herman and went everywhere looking for my bike, er, stick. I did not check to basement of the Alamo, though.

After amny, many, many miles of road walking, I got a lift to Wind Gap where I found Colorado! He had tried to follow my blueblaze route with much different luck. When he got lost, a woman made him fresh tomato sandwiches and drove him back to the trail.

Stories of last night were told, but they won't make these bases! $.50 drafts are a wonderful thing. Well, Colorado and I, not wanting to get stuck in Wind Gap, filled up our water and hiked about an hour until we found a somewhat rock-free place to lie down. Regarding these rocks, let me say, no need. Seriously, walking over these things is one of the toughest, most painful, most stressful things that I have done. There are only about 10 more miles but they are supposed to be the worst 10 in the whole state. Yippee!

Tomorrow, Delaware Water Gap and Sunday will be a big fat 0 day. Tubing, here I come!

-Chomp

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