Journey Day 264 | AT Day 87

Talus slope hiked along the Pennsylvania trail in 1986.

6/16/86

Up mega-early, I push out on down very quickly to the Outerbridge Shelter. Eat an orange, pork and crackers. Leave dinners and push on. Little choice but to go to Leroy A. Smith Shelter. Little water, camping in between.

Hike across Lehigh Gap, blighted by industry, up a crazy, rocky ridge climbs using hands and feet. Finally on top of the desolate ridge. No vegetation is left. Walk a road, rest, find a spring, hike on, another climb up “steep talus slope.” Meet two young girls, an older couple. Then two families coming south from the Delaware Water Gap. It’s rocky all the way to the Smith Shelter, a long way down to the spring. Crash.