[at-l] Re: RockHuggers (Part of my AT journal - longish)

[Debbie_Smith@millipore.com (Debbie_Smith@millipore.com)]

Grey Owl said: <<I know this to be a fact as during last years HATT hike I
cracked a rib at Wolf's Rocks.>>

This reminded me of a part of my hike around the Lehigh Gap area (just
south of Wolf Rocks).  Here's a bit of my journal from that day... I guess
I didn't realize that the rocks were just loving me and wanted a hug :-)  I
guess they loved my feed a LOT!

Twilight
GA>ME '98

=======================================
July 15

Hiked down into Lehigh Gap Rt. PA873. Crossed the bridge and went up the
road to find the trail on the other side. It's a good thing there are
arrows on the pavement or I would have missed the trail. I climbed up to an
old road and took pictures of the AT sign because it's one of the few that
says GA -> ME instead of ME -> GA. Then the climb began. I had no idea what
I was in for. Up, up on a couple rocky, steep washout areas. Then across a
big boulder field from which I could see the bridge and everyone else from
the shelter now crossing and looking like a marching line of ants. The
Trail climbs about 1600 feet in a mile and a half! I stopped and took
pictures, then started the scramble. After only 10 more minutes I was
balancing precariously on rock ledge and praying silently that I didn't
fall. I realized that I should have stowed my poles but now it was too
steep and I was moving from foothold to foothold with no available place to
remove my pack. At times I felt like I just couldn't reach the next point.
I had to push my poles ahead or lay them on some ledge a couple times to
use my hands to pull myself up! I knew no-one was coming behind me today
and if I fell I was S.O.L. Finally I made it over the crest of the steep
part and hiked on a smaller grade. I found a place to take off my pack and
realized I was dripping with sweat, both from exertion and stress. I took
off my pack and boots as the noon whistle blew in town. I watched some
buzzards soaring on the currents above me for a while, searching the rock
below and I told them with a smile they'd have to wait for me for some
other day.  I rested then continued up the hill where there were now
occasional small clusters of trees among the rocks.

Finally I reached the plateau and the trail joined another old road. Lots
of bushy and grassy vegetation but not many trees. What trees there were
grew in small island clusters with little or no undergrowth so from far
away you could see and count the tree trunks but the tops all blended into
one green canopy. But there were only a few of these green islands. Then I
came to the 'Wastelands' and was unprepared for what I saw. What a place!
All of the old trees lay across the land like bleached bones thrown away
many years ago. And this went on for miles... some dead trees standing
stark and white against the sky while their fallen brothers lay at their
feet. I guess this is the legacy of the old mining efforts in this area.
Zinc? I think so. I hiked along on the old road, exposed to the sun,
feeling like the lone survivor on a post-war planet. It was very strange
and unsettling but beautiful in it's stark nature. Everywhere were signs of
man - old roads, some machinery, but also death, spread wide. Just about 4
miles out of the gap on the left is an old spring that (I guess) has an EPA
warning sign. I found the side trail - it's marked with a wooden sign that
faces north - but didn't go down to investigate. I was being very careful
with water because I knew it was scarce. Across, then just before Little
Gap the trail left the old road and went back into the woods. I was really
tired from the heat and the effort so I stopped and took a 1 hour nap even
though I still had about 11.5 miles to go. Got up and moving again, down
into the gap and across the road. (Oh yeah, great campsites just before the
spring!) Empty gallon jugs where someone had come and left water for the
hikers - but it was depressing because they were empty.

The climb out of the gap was steeper than it looked but the boulders were
'arranged' to provide a makeshift staircase. I climbed and rested, hating
the rocks. And then IT HAPPENED! The rocks took their revenge! My foot
caught on a rock and I swear the rock reached up and grabbed my foot and
twisted. I tried to regain my balance but my poles slid too and I fell,
raking my right forearm across the rocks and scraping my right shin down
the rock. Blood flowed onto the rocks. I cursed. I cried. It stung like
hell! I sat for a minute to recover then started yelling at the rocks. "Are
you happy now!? You have my blood, are you satisfied? Can I go in peace
now? Or is that just a first taste for you!" Luckily I had my poles so I
didn't do a face plant!  I got up and continued and didn't even bother to
wipe the blood off. The cuts were really stinging because the fresh sweat
ran into them but I kept on - another 5 miles to the Delps side trail where
I could get water from a spring. I stopped to rest and my feet hurt as
ever. My knees were jangled. My ankles were stressed from the continual
rocks - yes the last 40 miles of PA are the worst! got to Delps trail about
5 to find a note from the ridge runner that the spring was dry. Great. Oh
well, boots-off for a break then on another 6 miles to the next shelter!
Days like this make you wonder what you're doing out here. Up and down
through rocks. In Smith Gap you cross a road but at least it was a sign
that there were only 3.5 miles to go.  Started to rain a mile later. Moby
Dick caught up with me (he'd been in Palmerton when I passed) and we hiked
together the rest of the way. He told me he had run out of water about 8
miles before so I gave him the rest of mine, then hoofed it on, getting to
a trail to powerlines but it was the wrong one! I was just about to despair
when I heard people closeby so I was heartened! I went back to the AT and
in about 120 yards hit the correct side trail. Down to the shelter. I was
completely exhausted. I sat a while and Moby Dick arrived and offered to
get my water while he got his. The spring was 0.5 miles down! My feet hurt
so badly I couldn't even get up. I sat there rubbing the balls of my feet
and massaging my toes depending on what area complained the loudest. I
rested. MD came back and I filtered water, ate and drank about 3/4 nalgene
bottle. That made me feel sick. I got chilled. Dehydration had obviously
set in. After a while I felt better and talked a while. Moby Dick is a
great guy, only 25 but very well read and interested in the classics. He
puts in the funniest register entries out here! It's funny though, when you
meet him he's a bit stoic and not vivacious or fun like you'd expect. He
just has a great wit. Rain in the night.

Day 122   July 16

Today's riddle: What's worse than 20 miles of jagged, jutting, foot
wrenching rocks? Answer: those same rocks, but wet in the rain!