Fast forward, days 14-16

While some people hiked out of Port Clinton, including Leon and his dog, Halifax, and Col. Mustard, a bunch of people stayed for a 0.



[Halifax, Leon and Col. Mustard leaving Port Clinton, Pa. June 23.]

I split a room at the Hamburg Microtel with Mr. Buffalo Man and Goof after the three of us and Hulk resupplied at a grocery store.

After a shower, I walked across a busy highway to get to Cabela's, a 250,000-square foot outdoors store, because I had a list of must-get equipment. There was supposed to be a free shuttle service, but the man on the other end of the phone at Cabela's said something mysterious about the van being out on a guns purchasing run.

When I got there, though, parked at the entrance was a big green van with "Cabela's" written on the side. Hmm...

The store is Ikea-big, but with 10,000 guns and fishing poles instead of lamps and frying pans. The store had stuffed animals arranged in tableaus of predators vs. prey, a wolf pack vs. a herd of water buffalo, for example, in addition to a bustling restaurant and a "shooting gallery." The guns section alone was about the size of the entire REI Rockville outfitter. In short, it was redneck paradise.

The camping section, however, had things like food dehydraters and 8-person tents, things useless to backpackers. I did buy a silk sleeping bag liner and an 8 L bear bag.

At the door I asked the greeter - probably the same guy I talked to earlier - for the shuttle and got the runaround. He pointed to a phone and suggested I call "the management," and a few minutes later the guy was driving me back to my hotel.

The hotel was deserted. All the other hikers there had meanwhile gone to get food and then on to Cabela's [no shuttle], so I got some food, settled in for a South Park marathon and savored the A/C. Later I had a couple PBRs with Mr. Buffalo Man at the bar.

It was good to have a chill day after a punishing hike. It was good to do laundry, get a shave [I'm working on a mustache] and catch some news [SC Gov. Sanford is on the AT? Wait, he's not? Argentina, huh?] For $25 per person, a hotel night was def worthwhile.

The next day I spent a ton of time at Ye Olde Backpacker in Port Clinton. I got a Deuter hydration bladder for my backpack, so I no longer have to stop cold every time I want water, and I ordered a badass tent to be sent to me in Delaware Water Gap.

I also found that Port Clinton has no internets. None. I almost hitchiked back to Hamburg with some other hikers, but instead gave up and went to the Port Clinton Hotel where I ate a massive meal and caught USA vs. Spain on the tele.



[Hawk Mtn. chicken sandwich and small fries w/ gravy. I couldn't finish either :(]

I hiked out of town in the late afternoon and made it a whole 6.1 miles to the Windsor Furnace shelter. The next day was 16.5 miles to the Allentown Hiking Club shelter, and I remember nothing, other than that I almost stepped on whatever venomous serpent this was: