Thursday, April 28th

PA Rte 443 – Green Point School Road (1182.9 mi) to 501 Shelter (1196.4 mi)

Hiking Miles: 13.5

Total Ascent: 2,215.2 ft

Total Descent: 1,337.3 ft

Total Grade: 264.1 ft/mi

Steps: 33,110

After having a good night’s sleep, we completed a load of laundry, ate breakfast (they ran out of self-made waffle mix – What’s up with that?), and planned our hiking options for the day on a paper napkin. We were already trying to figure out how long it would take us to get out of Pennsylvania. Then at 8:55 am, we got picked back up by Roger and taken to where we got off the trail. Stevie always dreaded leaving a warm hotel room to go outside to a cold morning. I didn’t mind the cold because I felt it was better (for me) than hiking in extreme heat, so that mind set (in a way) prepared me.

Along our path, we saw a number of scenic views (bridges, quaint farmlands and towns, mountaintop lookouts, etc.) and plenty of rocks! Despite the cold, the sun was out and it actually made for good hiking weather once you got moving. My shoulder and neck muscles were extremely tight and the pull of the pack made it very achy. This had been the case over the past few days, and it always amplified after a resupply (extra five pounds!) The zero-gravity Osprey pack I wore bore most of the load due to its design (distributing much of the weight resting on my hips), otherwise the pain from my shoulder straps would be unbearable. Every so often I would lift (push up) my pack a bit to relieve the pull on my neck, or shift it to prevent having pressure for too long a period.

The day was extremely cold and we only managed to hike 13.5 miles to a fully enclosed 4-walled structure (with a skylight) called the 501 Shelter. We arrived earlier than we normally would stop, and we could have pressed on to a campsite. However due to the cold and the wind, we decided to settle in and revisit our plan that we created. The privy on site was located down a ways along a red trail. It was far away – but way better than going in the woods.

A husband and wife stopped into the shelter while I was video chatting with Teresa. Their names were “Which Way” (or “Witch Way”) and “Next Step”. Next Step (the husband), was a “Class of 2018” AT Thru-Hiker. They were looking for the cabin keeper to see if they could leave their dry packs while running errands.

We were the only ones occupying the shelter until “Papa Grinch” showed up about an hour later. He was overjoyed to see us since he told us that he did not feel welcomed at the previous shelter he stopped at. He proceeded to empty his food items and cook on the picnic table within the shelter. Stevie and I ate cold meals because we wanted to conserve fuel just in case we did not reach Port Clinton the following day for resupply. It seemed like Papa Grinch felt a bit lonely and wanted to talk, and even engage in a game of cards. But whereas it was so cold, even within the enclosure, we went straight to bed (we each had a lower bunk) in our cozy quilts. We have a long day planned for tomorrow, but no definitive location. It will likely hinge upon terrain and timing.