Mile 1,257.4
Elevation 420 feet
Miles Hiked 17.4
I got up early to get a fast start to the day. I had almost 17.5 miles to go, and I knew the rocks would make it slow going. The plan is to spend the night at Bert’s Restaurant. I met Bob, the owner, at the Eckville Shelter a few days ago and the place sounded pretty good.
While packing my backpack, I tried to be quiet so as to not wake the other hikers. I doubt if I succeeded, but no one complained. After breakfast, I was hiking by 7:30 AM.
The usual rocks were there to slow me down, but then I came to the Knifes Edge. Boulders create what might look like a knife’s edge, thus the name. This is one scary climb. My balance isn’t the best to begin with, and all I could think was, “Will they find my body after I fall?”
Walking along the edge takes concentration and balance. Concentration I have. Balance I don’t. If one falls on this stretch of rocks, it’s a long way down. Consequently, I was just a little concerned about crossing the rocks. Sometimes I surprise myself, though. I made it across.
It was getting late as I drew closer to Palmerton. About 5:45 PM I called Bob to tell him where I was. He was going to pick me up on the trail. Bob picked a spot for the pickup and I made it there by 6:15 PM.
Bob did a quick run through the central business district of Palmerton for me. What a great town. Everything is close to the hostel. The hostel turned out to be clean and comfortable. I dropped my pack, took a shower, and headed to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. I’m the only one at the hostel tonight, so it will be nice and quiet.
