We all got a late start this morning. Griffin and I headed out around 9:30am and we were the first ones out. There was an initial climb out of town then the trail flattened out for much of the day. But several hours into the hike Pennsylvania’s notorious rocks made an appearance. The very rocky trail surface, plus wetness of the rocks and trail, made for slow and sometimes tedious hiking. The rocks were slippery and required attention.
This section of the trail doesn’t have many water sources, or not as many as we have been used to. So water planning, and carrying more water, is becoming more important as we go forward. Luckily it was overcast and fairly cool so our water needs weren’t excessive today. Despite that, there was about a 14 mile stretch with no water. I carried several liters which, added to my full food bag, made my pack feel much heavier than normal.
It took until about 6:30 until I reached the shelter. Griffin and a couple others had already arrived. A couple more of the group I met yesterday (Babe, Sonic, and Scraps) arrived a bit later. I set up my hammock, got water from the nearby spring, made dinner, then retired to he hammock early to rest. Tomorrow would be an even longer day and I wanted to get a much earlier start than today.