2021 Appalachian Trail II – Day One – Eagles Nest

Monday, 24 May

Bob and I did a zero in Hamburg yesterday. After five days on the Tuscarora Trail, ten miles on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in 90+ degree weather did not have a lot of appeal. After a filling breakfast at a local diner we spent several hours in the huge Cabela’s outdoor sporting goods store. From there to another local diner for lunch and cold adult beverage. Picked up the couple of food items needed. We dropped Bob’s car off at the end of our hike, Route 501. A side trip to Pine Grove and we went to church. Original Italian Pizza was in an old church building! A couple of slices and then back to Hamburg for the night.

After 90 degree yesterday, Bob and I awoke to an overcast morning around 55 degrees. Comfortable weather for hiking. A nearby McDonald’s provided breakfast before parking in Port Clinton. Only three other cars in the lot when we parked the truck. We were hiking by 7:30. The trail followed the Schuylkill River to an old fashioned railroad station. Then our climb for the day, 1,000 feet in less that two miles with no switchbacks. We appreciated the cooler temperature.

The nine miles to Eagles Nest Shelter did not have any long accents or descents after that. There were a few Pennsylvania rocky sections for fun but most of those were short. Bob and I saw more hikers in the first hour today than in four and a half days on the Tuscarora Trail. Since we are hiking south, we saw a northbound hiker every fifteen or twenty minutes. Several were thru hikers who had started in Georgia.

Eagles Nest Shelter has a nice spring on the side trail to the shelter. There are two young ladies and an older gentleman at the shelter. We found a nearby campsite with a picnic table. Great! We had a little bit of rain, barely worth putting on rain gear but the temperature has not gotten over 60 with the overcast. Since we set up camp early we took the opportunity to build a small fire.

After ten miles and the cool weather, looks like it will be an early night. Dinner then crawl into a cozy tent and enjoy my Kindle until my eyes can not stay open.

With crazy warm temperatures expected again on Wednesday, Bob and I plan about ten miles tomorrow and finishing with six on Wednesday before it gets too hot.

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