“Pennsylvania — the place where boots go to die.”
~National Geographic
June 5, 2022
AT miles: 14.4
Ascent: 1759’
Descent: 2399’
Weather: high 70’s, sunny and dry
Sightings: a garter snake
High points: a truly great day for hiking, and seeing my kids’ favorite babysitter after 23 years!
Maybe clearing the rocks off the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania was the 11th labor of Hercules, and he never got around to it!
The birds seem to regularly wake me up at about 5:30 AM, so I was on trail around 6:30 AM. The first part of the morning was a real slog. The trail just seemed to pointlessly wander around with occasional rockslides to navigate. Thankfully sometimes the trail was like this:
There was a fairly nasty uphill about mid-morning and then the trail seem to resume is steady northward route. I walked through so much beautiful fern-carpeted open forest!
Pennsylvania in early June does not seem to have an abundance of wildflowers, and those that it does have I have mentioned before, but today I saw a new one: fly poison. It looks quite striking alongside the trail, but apparently if it grows in pasturelands cows and other livestock eat it and grow extremely ill!
Just before the trail descended to Port Clinton, I found this rather interesting piece of artwork alongside the trail. A New Age totem pole maybe?
The descent into Port Clinton was ridiculously steep. I fell once, decided that I needed to slow down even further, and continued on. Meanwhile Spotter, a 20-something thruhiker, galloped by, making me feel slower than molasses!
The AT followed along the Schuylkill River, crossed it, went back along the other side, and then headed back into the mountains. Port Clinton is a popular resupply spot, but I didn’t need any resupply so I kept moving.
Thankfully the slope up the northern side of Port Clinton isn’t nearly so bad. It was a hefty climb but nothing more. And once I reached the top the trail became sunny and gentle and I tripped along all afternoon quite happily.
I did see a garter snake. Unlike the other two, this one modeled for my camera!
Erin, my kids’ babysitter in the late 90s, lives nearby, and she has graciously opened her home to me tonight. I appreciate the food, the conversation, and the opportunity to visit with her again!
Today is a great day for a long walk in the woods!