Early alarm today, it went off at 5:15am and we were rolling and on the road a little after 6am. After a few days of below average hiking, today we are once again committed to 20+ mile days for a while.
Leaving the PC
We walked a half mile through Port Clinton to return to the trail and then an additional half mile along the river before beginning our first big climb of the day. The climb started out quite steep before moderating a bit and then becoming steep again. Approximately 1,000 feet of elevation gain in 1.5 miles. It was certainly also a bit rocky, however, on the Pennsylvania rock rating curve, below average. Once the climb was complete I ended up on a ridge that I followed for the next few kilometers. The beginning of the ridge had a couple of short rocky sections, but after a while it leveled out and became a fairly calm couple of miles. About 5 miles into the day I started descending towards a water source where I was able to fill up on water for the second climb of the day. Since today is the weekend, there are quite a few hikers out there, many of them with dogs. So I got to pet some of them, which was nice.
After a short rest at the water fountain, I began a relatively steep climb up to the Pulpit. At first the climb was quite pleasant, although a little steep, as it was relatively free of rocks. Unfortunately, that intensified and changed as I went up. But the views from the top of the Pulpit were very nice, probably the best I’ve seen in Pennsylvania.
The section of trail following Pulpit Rock was very rocky and heavy for the next few miles. This was especially hard on my left ankle, which doesn’t like the angles at which the rocks caused my ankle to contort. But eventually the trail, after a couple of nasty rock mazes, turned into a relatively smooth and wide path.
The beautifully wide and level trail stretched for three wonderful kilometers. In the middle of that, I took a lunch break at a tent site on the side of the trail. There I used my freshly filled spring water collection bag as an ice pack on my sore left ankle and made sure to elevate both legs. Coming out of lunch I could feel a marked improvement in the sensation in my ankle. Of course, it didn’t last, but it was nice while it lasted.
Shortly after lunch the good times stopped and we turned off the nice big trail and were once again tortured with rocks. Followed shortly after by the third and final major climb of the day, 1,100 feet over 2.5 miles. The climb itself wasn’t too bad, although the humidity from the impending storm was definitely felt, causing Dubs to sweat profusely. Although, even though I’m in the green tunnel, I was grateful that it wasn’t sunny this afternoon, nor do I think it was as hot as was forecast. After completing the climb, I had about a mile of smooth sailing before heading into more boulder fields that once again plagued my sore ankle. I had to traverse several of these rock fields for the next two kilometers, which slowed my pace significantly. Luckily, I was at a higher elevation and at least getting a little bit of a breeze, which felt great.
Surprises
At 5 p.m., just 3 miles from the Allentown Hiking Club Shelter, our destination for the day, I stopped for water at an off-trail spring. While collecting and filtering, I checked the weather radar and it was clear until 9pm. Awesome.
About 30 minutes later, while talking to one of my brothers, I thought I heard thunder, so I pulled out an earphone and listened. Sure enough, thunder could be heard in the distance. I couldn’t do much, so I waited for him to stay at a distance and continued talking to my brother. A few minutes later, the thunder had reached a crescendo and I jumped off the phone to focus on the hike. Moments later, the sky opened and I spilled out. Better yet, I was working in a rock field at the time. I decided to take my time and not rush after recent events, figuring it’s better wet than injured. Within 5 minutes I was soaked to the skin and accepted my wet fate. The rain continued for another 30 minutes, pouring and thundering. Finally, the rain slowed and stopped just before I reached the shelter. Shooter and Birdie were waiting for me there, as well as Forester, a section hiker. I claimed a spot at the shelter and began the process of drying off and getting ready for dinner and bed. Including elevating my feet and changing the bandages. I fell asleep in the shelter with the sound of the rain bouncing off the roof of the shelter…
Day 91 Statistics:
22.4 miles
4,101′ ascent, 3,025′ descent
Port Clinton to Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
37 DSLC…
Stove use times: 14
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