High Tech's '10 Chunk Hike

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
1164.3	Pa. 325, Clark's Valley, Clark Creek (550')	550
1164.4	Water Tank Trail (570')	570
1164.7	Spring (620')	620
1164.8	Henry Knauber Trail (680')	680
1167.6	Stony Mountain; Horse-Shoe Trail (1,650')	1650
1170.8	Yellow Springs Trail (1,380')	1380
1171	Yellow Springs Village Site (1,450')?trail register	1450
1173.1	Sand Spring Trail (1,380')?The General excavator	1380
1173.3	Cold Spring Trail (1,400')	1400
1175.6	Rausch Gap Shelter (980') ?18.3mS; 13.7mN	980

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
1176.1	Rausch Creek (920')?stone arch bridge	920
1176.2	Raush Gap Village (920')..sign	920
1176.5	Haystack Creek (840')?wooden bridge	840
1177.7	Second Mountain (1,350')	1350
1179.7	Greenpoint School Road then 150 ft. to Pa. 443 (570')	570
1180.3	Pa. 443 (550')?underpassGreen Point, Pa.	550
1181.7	Pa. 72, Swatara Gap (480') Lickdale, Pa.	480
1181.8	Swatara Creek, Waterville Iron Bridge, Swatara Rail Trail (460')	460
1182.1	I-81 (450')?underpass	450

501 Shelter
Day: 4-2010
Daily Mileage: 4.1
Mileage: 1184.3

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
1189	Blue Mountain Spring (1,300') William Penn Shelter?13.7mS; 4.2mN	1300
1191.2	Pa. 645 (1,250')	1250
1193	Kimmel Lookout (1,330')	1330
1193.1	Pa. 501 (1,460') 501 Shelter?4.2mS; 15.5mN Bethel, Pa. 19507 Pine Grove, Pa. 17963	1460

06/16/10 11:51 am

Easy hiking here, even an overlook or two. Got here, took a shower (even a cold one feels great) and now just relaxing. Figure I will do lunch here and hike a few more miles, but skies have been grey all morning so if it rains, that might change.

Last night I got a little cold (more due to the wind than anything else) and VERY STIFF. Took forever to loosen up, but other than that just a few aches and pains. I think the 3 mile day yesterday was a good idea. Feel a little stronger today but still have a way to go before doing significant miles, but meeting a lot of interesting thru hikers.

Last note: One mentioned "The Appalachian Papers" a new type of thru hiker's handbook he says is the best ever - he should know this is his 3rd thru-hike (I think he said he did one in the 70's and the other in the 80's).

06/16/10 5:27pm

Never got away from 501 shelter, was told by Shorts "to listen to my inner voice" right when I was literally just outside the door and just turned back around and dropped my pack. Trail magic soon followed with the most awesome s'more muffins, cookies and much more.

So far no rain, but still looks like it will any second. Stomach feeling a little weird, not sure it I am hungry or not, it's just my body adjusting trail life...I hope.

Still no sign of poison ivy....and I hope that continues. Feet doing ok, but the low mileage is helping that.

In the shelter with 7 thru hikers, a section hiker, and the wife of one thru hiker (who brought the food).

06/16/10 8:18pm

A bunch more joined us at the shelter. One guy told this really weird story about this ape, porcupine, human hybrid that "he knew it was friendly because it waved". All sorts of jokes were triggered by that story. Great group and lots of fun, but most of them hope to get to Port Clinton tomarrow and I am shooting for two days...Boy I am glad I stayed!

....OMG he's telling the story again with more detail. "It looks like all the creatures of the forest had an orgy". You just had to be there!

....OMG again! Now he is describing it and another hiker is trying to draw it in their journal. I hope to get a photo of this and post it.

Hertlein campsite
Day: 5-2010
Daily Mileage: 5.4 so far today
Mileage: 1189.9

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
1193.6	Pilger Ruh Spring Trail, Applebee Campsite (1,450')	1450
1196.2	Round Head, Trail to Shower Steps (1,500')	1500
1198.2	Shikellamy Overlook (1,390')	1390
1198.7	Hertlein Campsite (1,200')	1200

06/17/10 9:47 am

Doing a boots off break here before going onto next shelter (9.3 miles away).

With the good company, jokes, trail magic (food, cookies, ice cream etc) and then a number of downpours last night, I am really glad I "listened to my inner voice".

A few stretches of bolder hopping so far, but also some great views. Great, cool, breezy hiking weather!

Still feel a bit odd, mostly heartburn today, but it kept me up part of the night, along with my therm-a-rest having a small leak and my polar fleece sleeping bag not being able to hold back even the slightest air movement. But I might not be able to do anything about the last two in Port Clinton since I here Cabela's put The Happy Hiker Outfitter out of business.

Fort Dietrich Snyder
Day: 5-2010
Mileage: 9.0 so far today
06/17/10 12:38 pm

Just another break. Sitting in what I think is a redoubt of the fort with the rock wall in front of me (see pic). Great hiking so far, even saw my first deer of the trip. Making good time and feeling ok so far. Weather prefect for hiking today!

Eagles Nest Shelter
Day: 5-2010
Daily Mileage: 15.1
Mileage: 1199.4
06/17/10 9:58 pm

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
1198.8	Shuberts Gap (1,200')	1200
1202.1	Fort Dietrich Snyder Marker (1,440')? spring	1440
1202.4	Pa. 183, Rentschler Marker (1,440')	1440
1202.9	Service Road to Pa. 183 (1, 490')
1203.7	Black Swatara Spring (1,510')	1510
1207.5	Sand Spring Trail (1,510')?walled spring	1510
1208.2	Eagle's Nest Shelter (1,510')?15.5mS; 15mN	1510

Got here, saw the water source (which sucks) kept going to the shelter anyway. Did a pack explosion and set up my bed and took a nap. Next thing it is 5pm, Pitched the tent, since it is supposed to be 50 deg or so. Privy also "closed" due to lack of wood chips for the composter, but someone broke the lock...but now it is just about full. Ate, talked to three others who are here (one from Memphis) but now it is way past time for bed.

Too big of a day...feet killing me again!

Port Clinton
Day: 6-2010
Daily Mileage: 8.6
Mileage: 1208.0

Miles from Springer	Features	Elevation
1210.1	Shartlesville Cross?Mountain Road (1,450')Shartlesville, Pa.	1450
1212.8	Phillip's Canyon Spring (1,500')	1500
1213.7	Marshall's Path (1,370')	1370
1214.3	Auburn Lookout (1,400')	1400
1216.5	John Bartram?Schuylkill River Trail, Railroad Tracks (420')	420
1216.6	Schuylkill River (400')	400
1216.8	Port Clinton, Pa. 19549 (400')	400

06/18/10 6:40 pm
My Location: N 40°35'05.85", W 76°1'32.97"
127 m
map it

At the Port Clinton Hotel. At the bar by myself waiting for my cheeseburger, Everyone left town after lunch. Good hike from the shelter to here, nice overview, a few more rocks than yesterday, but I am sure there is much more to come. Got here, got a room, showered, ate lunch with most of the thru hikers from the 501 Shelter. Then I walked to the post office and saw the barber was opened across the street. Got my head buzzed and my face trimmed (see pic). I loved the place...it looked straight out of The Andy Griffith Show. Wood floors, rocking chairs, hand crank phone, antiques, even guitars ready to be played. It was a kick. Got my mail drop afterwards, went back to the room and did my wash. Also went to the Peanut shop, that too was a blast from the past. I even found chocolate babies. I haven't seen them since I was in middle school, so I had to buy some.

Left foot still in bad shape...

Got my food drop organized and in the pack along with clean cloths. Now just kicking back and relaxing.

'10 Hike Map