Saturday 10/24: Port Clinton, PA - shelter from the storm

Jonathan did make it out of New Jersey and to Delaware Water Gap, PA by way of New York City via bus, subway, and train. He made it to the hostel which is in the basement of the church about 9:00 last Saturday night (10/17), but found it closed for the night so he camped out back in a lean-to, and moved into the hostel in the morning when they reopened. He had acquired a cold and did not feel at his best so had planned to lay low for the day and return to the trail Monday morning. He had the hostel to himself though was told there had been a few other south bounders through a few days earlier. There is hope that he will encounter the community of hikers again, though not with the regularity of the north bound section.

He visited the outfitters store in town in the hopes of getting somewhere with boot replacement but had no luck. The store told him they have had previous experience with poor customer service from Vasque (the boot manufacturer) and will no longer carry their products. Readers beware.....do not buy Vasque products. Companies who do not stand behind their products on the trail are the exception; better to support the more hiker friendly manufacturers. He did buy a pair of gloves at the gas station and waterproofer for his rain gear. He struck out finding water treatment tablets so will need to be more selective in his water sources till he finds them.

He awoke Monday with cold symptoms in full swing and feeling achy and tired. He postponed return to the trail till Tuesday, napping and reading his way through the day. Another hiker, Stick Man, showed up Monday afternoon. He has thru-hiked the trail a number of times and is currently section hiking, south to the Shenandoah's. He is a slow hiker due to a failed back surgery, but their paths did cross again in this next section to Port Clinton.

Jonathan returned to the trail Tuesday, under clear skies and warm temperatures, and was able to put 20 miles behind him that day. He wished he still had a T-shirt but had been in such cold up in Maine, he mailed warm weather clothes home. He paid for those miles the next day and only hiked 5. He found a book in a hiker box at a shelter that once begun, had to be finished, so Wednesday was spent in the shelter between the pages of the book and ended with a satisfying campfire that evening. He was not minding the solitude.

This section of PA is relatively flat. The trail follows ridge line with only low dips down and back up. It is known for its brutal rockiness, but thus far, Jonathan has not found it to be too bad. Water sources are far apart which limits options. One day he had to venture off the trail to a town in order to resupply water. He was also able to get a cup of coffee, some bananas and batteries for his head lamp as well. He has done two night hikes this past week.

His goal for the week was to reach Port Clinton by the weekend in order to spend time off the trail with the Pennsylvania branch of our family. In order to accomplish this, he hitched the last 30 miles into town on Friday with a man whose non-stop talk was interspersed with biblical ramblings. It was rainy with the promise of heavy rains continuing for at least the next 24 hours. He wisely chose the ride in order to be sheltered from the storm within the generous and welcoming arms of family.

He arrived in Port Clinton Friday night, picked up his mail drop at the outfitters store there, resupplied water at a spigot outside the Port Clinton Hotel, had a pint of beer inside the hotel, and filled up on the home baked chocolate chip cookies from his mail drop prior to spending the night in a town pavilion that is available to shelter hikers. My cousin, Amy, and friend, Tim, drove from Birdsboro, PA to pick him up at their prearranged time and place early Saturday afternoon. They took him to my Aunt Cally's house in Fleetwood, PA where he spent the rest of the day and night in their collective company. Cally provided shower and laundry service, a bed with flannel sheets, the company of little dog, Jenny, and cats, Happy and Cassie, and the offer to darn his socks, in addition to the warmth and love of home and family. Amy not only provided the transportation, but also prepared a wonderful dinner of lasagna and salad of which he ate heartily, and also thoughtfully and lovingly purchased hiker food for him. He has more food right now than he can successfully carry, for I apparently oversupplied him in this Port Clinton mail drop. Cutting these previously packaged mail drops down to one hiker instead of the two they were prepared for is a little tricky. I don't quite have the hang of it yet. Perhaps Amy can use the food she purchased and he can find a hiker box to leave behind some of what I sent for a hungry hiker passing through Port Clinton. As I spoke to him Saturday night, he sounded tired but so satisfied to be surrounded by homey comfort, and the warmth and love of family. His respite with family will continue through Sunday. I wish I could share the moment.
~Amy