Chris left word today of trail happenings since Duncannon.
They left Duncannon yesterday and were having a good day until it started to rain a few miles into the day around Clarks Ferry Bridge, Susquehanna River. It rained off and on and stopped for 2-3 hours, so they wanted to mile all the way to the shelter. (Editor's note: The shelters are not evenly spaced, nor are they necessarily close to each other. Without a shelter, hikers are forced to set up camp, tents or tarp in the open air, with little protection from the elements or wildlife.)
At about 7 pm, it began rainly intensely hard. They were up on the mountain with a lightning storm all around them. (Some thru-hikers have been killed in similar lightning circumstances.) They were scared at that point. They got to Rausch Gap Shelter, at 8:30 pm, a total distance of 29 miles from Duncannon, but were surprised to find the shelter full of thru-hikers. The Rausch Gap Shelter only holds 6, while they thought it was going to hold 12.
They couldn't make dinner in the rain, so they had eat dinner for breakfast the following morning. They set up their tarps in the pouring rain and lightning and it was kind of miserable.
They tried to set up their tarps and sleep as best they could in the driving rain.
They intend to hike 25 miles today, somewhere 5 miles past the 501 shelter.
That means they are about 95 miles from the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border.
In continued gratitude to Divine Providence for protection during seemingly harrowing circumstances.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
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