The walking was actually decent, interrupted by massive boulder fields, though not so many as to drive me to madness. 2pac, Beetlejuice, Red Knees and myself got into a few long-winded conversations on ethical behavior of multi-national corporations, home schooling, farming subsidies and genetic modification of corn crops. We were really getting into it.
About 6 miles into the day we came to a rocky ridge line called the "Knife Edge" and man they weren't kidding. The entire ridge is completely exposed and composed of 45 degree angle jagged boulders on top of which we were, allegedly, supposed to balance and walk. Beetlejuice and Dip 'n Sip seemed to float over the rocks while the rest of us stumbled, slipped and generally tried to fall to our deaths. As we descended off of the knife, my mother called to wish me a happy birthday and of course I picked up for just long enough to say "Hi, I love you, thanks for the birthday wishes, I'm falling off a mountain call you back soon bye!"
The rest of the hiking was more of the same. We finally came down off the ridge into Lehigh Gap at around 3:00pm and got to the business of hitching into town. It was tough but finally a pickup truck pulled over and allowed us to pile into the truck bed.
Palmerton is an adorable town with a Main Street lined with stores, restaurants and a park with monuments to the Palmerton veterans who have died in battle in all the previous wars. We stopped by the post office first to pick up a care package of Market Hall cookies from my family (chocolate mint crinkle cookies say "I love you" like nothing else!) before heading down to Borough Hall to check into the Jail House Hostel which is essentially the downstairs basement of City Hall with the option to sleep in the gymnasium.
Once we were settled and showered we rallied everyone at the hostel and headed over to the One Ten Tavern as storm clouds began to roll in quickly and ominously. What better way to wait out a storm, we figured, than with friends and cocktails in a great bar?
The rain came, pelting down in diagonal sheets, but inside the One Ten we were dry and happy. Everyone seemed to show up - Dip 'n Sip, S'rocket, B-Line, Why Not, Whistler, Brownie, the Film Crew... So many people. Despite being away from friends and family, I felt insanely loved. We chatted, laughed, ate, drank and occasionally danced.
Partway through the night I met a woman from town named Denise. We spent a good hour or two chatting about her life and experiences meeting previous hikers. Turns out she has often welcomed hikers to her home and extended the offer to us. Suddenly, the prospect of showers, laundry and television sounded too good to pass up so we agreed on another round and to take a zero the next day.
When we got back to the hostel after a damp walk back through town, I dragged my pack upstairs to the empty gymnasium and, in the dim lighting, I instantly needed to put on "The Wind" by Cat Stevens and dance barefoot a la "Almost Famous". It was the perfect ending to a wonderful birthday. I fell asleep shortly after on the floor, surrounded by my other exhausted comrades.
This morning we got a slow start and called Denise once we roused ourselves. She picked us up around 10:00am and, after a stop at the post office to send home unnecessary items and a quick resupply, we went back to her beautiful home. The house is made of hand-hewn logs and was built by her husband, Greg, from the ground up. It is absolutely beautiful - warm and welcoming - with amazing personalized crafts and decorations adorning the interior. We spent the day sleeping, watching television, eating fresh fruit and hummus, hydrating, doing laundry and getting to know our new friends Denise and Greg.
It has been a fabulous two days, full of pineapple cheesecake, long naps, great cocktails and amazing friends, both near and far. Tomorrow we get back on the trail for two more days in Pennsylvania and then further into New England.
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