[at-l] 1st trip report

[halflifelost6@hotmail.com (Rich Bowyer)]

5-4-01 (Friday)
PA rt. 309 south to Windsor Furnace.

    Friday the 4th was blazing hot, probably near 90 degrees.  We started 
about 3:30 or so and stopped at Tri-County Corner for the spectacular 360 
degree views.  Well the trees have grown some and perhaps there is a view of 
20-25 degrees in a Northerly direction.  Camp was made on this warm and 
thirsty night just in time to finish the chores with twilight upon us.  A 
brief rain shower at 11:30 PM had me pulling the fly down over the mesh bivy 
and another shower woke me at 3:30 AM bringing cooler temps and into my bag 
I crawled.
    Up at 6:30 to the thrumming of a grouse (what a birthday present!), we 
soon broke camp.  It was a beautiful morning to be outdoors, sunny, breezy 
and 60ish.  After a handful of gorp and a short drink with the last of the 
water we hiked the 3 miles to Dan’s Spring and filled up.  Back up the hill 
we made a hot breakfast and some delicious coffee.  Birds abounded 
throughout the weekend with rose breasted grosbeaks upon the ridge tops and 
red eye vireos more frequent in the lower areas.  My favorite woods bird, 
the wood thrush, was a prevalent singer all weekend.  A lot of oven birds, a 
few scarlet tanagers and a few different warblers were spotted as well as 
some indigo buntings.
    Upon further review of my map I realized I planned to camp Saturday 
night in the watershed.  Bummer.  We wanted to push a 10 mile day so as to 
get home early Sunday.  We did the 10 miles and cut down the blue blaze to 
my car parked near Windsor furnace.  We would save the 8ish mile trip to the 
pinnacle for another day.  Saturday we had a nice dinner at the Blue 
Mountain Inn and since Bob, now nick named “Mapster”, was too tired to camp 
we headed to Port Clinton.  We got a room at the Port Clinton Hotel for 39 
bucks and it was no deal.  I would pass and sleep in the woods in the 
future.  A bit North at the end of town was a good place for breakfast on 
Sunday and I am sorry I didn’t get the name.
Sunday gave us a 6+ mile slack pack from Windsor Furnace south to Port 
Clinton.  A cool morning and a wonderful day.
I learned that I am not quite up to a 10 mile trip with a full pack.  My 
legs were a little sore but not serious.  My ankles are a tad weak and my 
feet were in nearly unbearable pain.  If I don’t get relief with new boots I 
am destined for a life of slack packing.

Thanks to all of you for all the advice you have given me these past few 
months.

Rich “Bowyer”
...who really needs a trail name

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