Nhandi and I needed at least one more test hike before departing for the PCT and it was great to be able to have some AT buddies join the fun. We planned to meet on Friday night at the Port Clinton Fire Co. Member-Only bar (they are always kind and inviting to hikers) so we could enjoy some $1 drafts while waiting on the rest of the crew. Unfortunately, Pipes got slammed in NYC traffic and did not arrive until around midnight. This is an OK problem to have since beers were only $1!!! Iron Man arrived an hour or so after us and we all got a nice pre-hike buzz. One of the locals joked that their favorite pasttime is to haul sharp rocks up along the Appalachian Trail and cover the path. Pipes picked us up and we drove north to the Fort Franklin Road crossing and then night hiked 1.9 miles to the Allentown Hiking Club's Shelter at mile 1240.
Full moon with spooky clouds tonight.
Not bad for a handheld moon shot.
Gearing up at the trailhead.
Nhandi getting ready for bed in the inaugural night in our new home.
Saturday morning had some great sunshine pouring through the trees and Pipes serenaded us with some music on one of his musical pipes. We ate breakfast, got packed up, and continued past the Allentown Shelter. I reminisced about my time here on my AT Thru Hike the previous year; the shelter was a huge drying out party for everyone that got soaked the night before when a huge rainstorm rolled through. We hiked up to Dans Pulpit where we took a break and enjoyed the view. I looked up my entry in the trail journal and had a good laugh at how last time I was here the skies were whited out and the view was garbage. Nhandi’s new hiking shoes were causing quite a lot of pain and blisters so we taped them up after devouring some snacks. Unfortunately, her foot issues continued during the start of the PCT.
0 miles Ursack VS 2400 miles Ursack.
Lovely morning to be in the woods.
Vultures in the sky.
The first blisters on Nhandi’s feet, foreshadowing issues to come on the PCT.
We hiked on and down to a valley which was completely flooded last year, so much that the high water damaged a small footbridge. I was again pleased that the weather was much sunnier and nicer during this section hike. It was a repeat but seemed completely new! Soon after we found an abandoned campsite. It was a cheap tent and sleeping bag that was pretty torn up. We decided to pack it out and continued back up out of the valley, passed the Eckville Shelter, where we found a good samaritan driving by who took the discarded tent off our hands. The crew continued up the uneventful climb until we reached the Pinnacle. This is a popular destination and we shared the views with at least a dozen other hikers. Everyone was relaxing and snacking and then I found a cave. I strapped on my GoPro, climbed down the crack, and explored the depths. I found a lot of trash and then an offshoot that grew smaller and smaller until I could barely fit so I decided to turn around. Pipes wanted to join so I explained the route to descend down the crack and then we walked around a bit before I exited via a much easier route. It was great hanging out but the day was wearing on and we had a few more miles to go to reach camp.
Packing out someone’s abandoned campsite that was left to rot.
Pipes, Nhandi (later to earn the trail name “Sea Lion”) Space Jam, and Iron Man. Photo cred @mattdoesathing
The crew hiked along the ridge for a bit until we reached the Pulpit Rock Astronomical Park which has a paved road linking the site to the campgrounds down below. We were just weekend warriors for this trip and had no problem taking the easy shortcut instead of the steep and rocky trail. When on our thru-hike the year before we were all “purists” and hiked every step of the trail, no short cuts allowed. We got to Blue camp (mile 1224.2) and scoured the surrounding area for wood to build a fire. The weather stayed nice as we shared stories and sipped whiskey around the flames but we soon went to bed. We hiked 15.8 miles on the day and that is quite a bit when your legs haven’t been constantly walking and training. The next day was gloomy, misty, foggy, and occasionally rainy. Luckily we front loaded the trip so we only had 6.4 miles to hike before arriving back at Port Clinton. The trail was again rocky and steep, as is tradition for the AT in Pennsylvania. Once back at our cars, we went to 5 Guys Burgers to smash some calories before we all departed and went our separate ways. It was a great hike, with super people, and it felt great to be back in the woods!
Space Jam and Pipes hiking past the Pulpit Rock Astronomical Park. Photo cred @mattdoesathing
Back at highway 61 / Port Clinton. Photo cred @mattdoesathing