Day 8 - 3.6 miles - PA 183

Short hop today.  Shakin is still not caught up to me and I have not heard from him as to a status.  Base Camp (Sandy) agreed to come pick me up and I will have to re-link with Shakin in Port Clinton.

Woke to heavy rain which continued while I broke camp. Nothing like putting back on those very damp clothes, socks and boots in the cool morning.  Better than a cup of strong coffee.  Had everything packed with the wet tent being the last item put in its stuff sack, only to suddenly realize that I wasn't wearing my glasses.  Yup - left in the tent.  Luckily I didn't break them, but they were so smeared with dirt that they were half useless.

Yes - that is the AT trail.

I have come to understand the wisdom of the PA trail designers.  They make AT hikers trod the mountains' drainage routes.  The surface is durable due to the ground being washed away from the rock. It's a perfect erosion control design, but it sure beats the heck out of the bottom of one's feet, and in heavy rains you are always in a small stream either hiking up, over or down. Some of the water on top of the mountain was big enough that I was tempted to stop and drop a fishing line and see if I could catch some dinner.


My boots are now totally saturated.  I swear that I  have seen spores similar to these growing inside my boots. If you can't tell, the wet is starting to wear a bit on me.  Well, maybe the sun will come out tomorrow, tomorrow...