72-73: Save the 501 and Eckville shelters!

Our day began with a good ground dotted with rocks, as expected. There were some quite classic crest views to which we have become accustomed throughout our time in the Middle Atlantic.

We stopped for lunch in one of the two shelters operated by the National Parks Service. The Eckville shelter has a nice liter closed with a cold outdoor shower, electrical outputs to load and space for hikers to pass. A caregiver lives in the house on the property.

Nick and I turned to shower and lunch. The cold water was refreshing and we have a shared bar of Dr. Bronner to use when the showers are not full of soap.

After lunch, we continue to make a bit of elevation up and down, followed by a fall of Port Clinton.

We needed a small refueling, so we contacted a wonderful transport driver in the city to take us to Walmart. The 0.8 road road to the store had a very incomplete and narrow road on a bridge to walk and lately I felt very distrustful of the drivers.

We obtained our replenishment and some Walmart Hot items and returned to the path. We organized our food, we obtained river water and ate our dinner under the same bridge, we refused to walk.

Port Clinton’s exit was incredibly steep and difficult with the additional weight of a complete water capacity. There would be no water in our camp and the ten miles that followed.

The next day, we had a quite pleasant walk further from Port Clinton. The weather has been consistently in the mid -80s with full humidity. It has been brutal.

Our destination for the night was the sister refuge for Eckville’s. Both Eckville and 501 are ready to be demolished under the instructions of the current administration, after the first of the year. It is a pity because these resources are invaluable for hikers and we even offer a reason to spend money in these small cities.

We did not go to the city of Pine Grove, but we certainly asked for a brunch to take from a local restaurant.

We take shows again and recharge some of our electronic products in the caregiver’s residence. An angel of paths called Kevin stopped to leave some fresh fruit and other supplies for passersby. We have to talk and it turns out that it is a type of maintenance in Hershey Park! I used to go a lot when I was a child and this extraordinary man gave us two tickets to use when we would like. Trail Magic Strikes again!

He told us that we created hell and made a conversation about these shelters. It would be so radical if a local trail club could take care instead of demolishing them completely. Of course there are maintenance and repairs, but with some donations (and I know that hikers are usually willing to give for the cause), they could be saved. These gems are very important for hikers and the community in general, and it is unfortunate that our current administration ignores them.

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