Day 85: Where Has All the Water Gone?

I woke up early. Very surprising. My alarm went off at 5:30, and I actually got up. Go Stucco! ("Stucco" is my trail name, by the way, for those who have asked... :) I packed up, and everyone else woke up and did the same. Scatters, One Life, Tattoo and I were out of there by 6:40, and it was a nice and breezy morning. The rumors about NO WET SPRINGS from 501 all the way to Port Clinton (23+ miles) had to be heeded, so we all camelled up and carried as much water as we could. I had three liters and a small Gatorade bottle, bit on a hot day, who knew how long it would last... Not-so-secretly, we were all counting on a little more trail magic... Water style.




Hiking. We took a few morning breaks to make sure we were getting enough calories and fluids in, and we took time to curse all the rocks. Pennsylvania has a reputation of being rocky. We get it. My phone died, so I couldn't take any more photos for the day, but it was pretty much just hot rocks.




It's pretty tough to hike in these conditions. One Life really wasn't feeling too well but he was doing a good job of keeping up. I was worried about a replay of when my friends Mike and Erin came out to hike. I didn't want to go through that again!

We came across a Sobo (a southbounder) who said that the spring at the Eagles Nest shelter was not completely dry. Thank goodness!! The guys were just about out of water. We got there and pumped from a puddle of silty water, but managed to fill up a few liters. Not sure what hikers will do if that dries up too. No trail magic, but without public roadways, there's almost no way but hiking to get it up there.

We recouperated a bit at the shelter before leaving to conquer the last 8 miles. I was ready to be in town. I was ready to NOT be hiking anymore. The heat was draining. The constant rock-path decisions were draining. Carrying the heavy water was draining... And no option to stop!

I was worried about running out of water and about the state of my feet, so I took off without stopping. When I stop, it feels like the blood rushes into my blister areas, which makes it harder to get going again. Not stopping seems easier to me, though my feet were a-screaming at me...

I got to within a few miles of town when an animal jumped right out into the trail about ten feet in front of me. This animal is one of the most feared by hikers. More than the bears, rattlesnakes, and spiders combined. It was a skunk.

Hello!

It looked at me and I screached to a halt. Back up. Back up. Back up. It ran off a few feet and looked back at me again, hind legs in firing position. Back up! It scampered off a bit more, but I could still see it. I really really didn't want to get sprayed. Especially not on one of the hardest days to get through so far. I was so close to town!!!

I took a break and ate a granola bar as I watched it. I banged my poles together and it seemed to have retreated into the trees. After a minute, I inched forward and spotted it back in the brush. I went for it and ran. Freedom! I managed to avoid all spray and hoped my friends behind me would do the same. Oh, skunks...

Last few miles!!! Ugh. So worn down! And my feet were oh-so-unhappy with me. I kept moving down one of the steepest declines ever (over 1000 feet in .5 miles - glad I'm not a Sobo today!), and I made it to the road. Ahhhh! I headed into town and found the one hotel that serves food. I wanted to get a few drinks to take back to the trail head for Scatters and the guys, but they didn't have to-go cups (or a friendly bar man). And the kitchen was closing! I ordered 4 burgers and hoped the rest of the crew would come to the same hotel. Serenetina, No Longer Chef, Casper, Red Lobstah, Hedgehog, Deja Vu, and a few others were there chowing down. Powder was there, too, and said that I had just missed Russell. His sister had come to pick up the dog for a while. Russell just wasn't doing too well with all the rocks and the heat. He'll be enjoying the AC in Connecticut for a few weeks.

Scatters got there not too long after I did, and we ate fries until the bar was closing at 8:45. We took the food and headed to the pavillion, and we ran into One Life. He'd made it (in Crocs down that steep hill!!?!), but he wasn't feeling good at all. We got to the pavillion and got some Gatorade in him before he ate a burger with the rest of us. Tattoo made it in too (very angry at the mountain). One Life felt a little better, but we are all hoping a good night's rest and LOTS of fluids will help most.

We are all going to take a zero tomorrow. Not much to do in Port Clinton, but we heard there's a Dairy Queen within a 10 mile radius. We will find it and maybe hang out in the AC for a while. We gotta beat this heat!!!
(24.4mi 14st)


-- Posted from the trail...

Location:The Pavillion in Port Clinton, PA