Trip Miles: 1216.50
Mike and Natalie woke early and made a mad dash for Hamburg 11.7 miles away. They needed to pick up N's mail drop before noon. With the rocky terrain here we weren't sure how long it would take. I wasn't far behind them, but my focus was on new shoes and some town food.
The trail did turn out to be somewhat difficult with runs of boulders thrown in to slow you down, no views, and little water. I passed a few hikers coming southbound who told me M and N were only ten or fifteen minutes ahead, so when there were clear trails I tried to pick up my pace. I never did catch them. I stopped for water at a spring a few hundred yards off the trail and they were flying.
When I reached Port Clinton, the town next to Hamburg, there were four other thrus there who were going to Pa. 61 to hitch to Cabella's, the outfitter. I figured I'd let the hitchhike parade thin out and walked down to a motel to get some h2o. It was so humid today I was dripping like an old faucet. I called Mike. They were already at the post office! They made it in four hours - Wow! I hiked to Rte. 62 and learned that the shuttle to Cabella's was coming soon. I took the ride in and Natalie and Mike were already at the store. N's mom, Linda, had sent some cookies in the mail drop so I made sure to get some. Mint chocolate chip, mmmm,mmmm. Thanks, Linda!
Soon we were all in new hiking shoes. I got my 13 1/2's, wore them for a couple of hours then traded them in for 14's. I'm a growing boy. The Cabella's is crazy big. It's like the Bass Pro at home, more a theme park than a store. We were there for quite a while shopping [yes Natalie, take your time], eating [there's a restaurant, fudge shop, and general store upstairs] and drinking endless refill sodas.
We walked to a steakhouse for lunch, lingering over our food for two hours, then did some resupply and headed back to the trail via the shuttle. It was six o'clock before we resumed hiking. We did a couple of miles up the longest vertical we've seen in a long while and set up camp.
The shoes feel good. Maybe Mike was right and Pa. won't seem so bad when my feet aren't aching.
Good Night All
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| The kind of trail I like |
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