PA Hike #5 - 233 to Chimney Rocks to Richart E Thorpe Shelter to Birch Run Shelter to 233
[Day 1 - Yellow, Day 2 - Blue, Day 3 Green]
Rocky Mountain Shelter (AKA Richard E Thorpe Shelter)
Mileage: 1049.8
May 19, 1993
Hiked from PA 233 to Chimney Rocks back to
233 and on to Richard E Thorpe Shelters. (PA Sec 14
mileage 8.5) It was threatening to rain all day but all I
got was a few drops. Never saw the blue blaze to Snowy
Mountain Shelter...oh well. Learned a few things:
My internal frame is more comfortable than my external.
If you fill up an MSR fuel bottle all the way to the top
you have to constantly pump your stove.
I HATE NATES!
It is possible to loose a cane tip (yuppie tip) in the
mud.
Birch Run Shelters
Mileage: 1063
May 20, 1993
Hiked from Richard E Thorp Shelters to Birch
Run Shelters (PA Section 14 + 13 mileage 13.2 miles
according to trail guide) God it feels like 5 million.
Had to stop at Quarry Gap to fix a blister on my left
small toe and my left knee hurts a little...but I am not
complaining, the weather was GREAT (Mostly sunny but
cool)! Quarry Gap Shelters are in BAD shape. One's roof
is gone due to rot and the other's roof overhand got
damaged over the winter (but is still ok to sleep in).
Just to note: I started hiking at 6:50am and stopped at
4:00pm with a very long break for lunch (my guess about
1.5 hours) Well water is boiling bye...
PA233
Mileage: 1048.2
May 21, 1993
Hiked from Birch Run Shelters back to 233
(between Thorpe Shelters and Chimney Rocks). Aprox 14.7
Miles. Great day for hiking again. My blister and knee
held up just fine, although the blister did hurt a
little. I now know why they say calorie intake is so
important. I ate everything in sight and still was
hungry. I even took some food left at Quarry Gap as a
snack and ate a dehydrated dinner for Lunch. Met a couple
from Florida doing a thu-hike. I found it odd that he
said he envied me going to Philmont this summer. He said
New Mexico was one of his favorite places to hike. One
peal of wisdom he imparted "Hike the AT before the knees
give out and arthritis sets in." At the last part of the
hike I met up with a father, his brother, and "Marky"
(the son) The father commented "Marky... one day you'll
carry everything with you like this hiker and hike the
whole AT" I got a big kick out of that!! Once I got off
the trail I washed and went to my folks place in
Pittsburgh (Stopping to eat twice along the way...and ate
when I got there). Total for trip 26.4 miles.
