Another day on the trail. I slept okay. It was a bit warmer and with my capeline long johns and poly shirt, I was a bit toasty. I think the heat is encroaching and I’m gonna need to rethink my sleeping attire. This has been the warmest and driest month in Pennsylvania history. They have only had .19” of rain, which is unheard of for the month of May. Good for me, but not good for the locals!

I hit the trail before 7am. It was empty except for those darn spider webs. The trail was pretty mundane, nothing to report on. But all of a sudden I hit the Training Hill climb of the AT. I was huffing and puffing and heard these young spry boys behind me hooting and hollering, like they were having fun! What in the world, this is tough stuff. I pulled to the side and they flew past me. I was half way up and heard another but he was much more respectable. I was gonna pull over and he told me to carry on. He had no intention of passing me like the turtle I was. And we all met at the top. Once again, the AT has not considered Switchbacks and believes straight up the mountain is the way to conquer the universe. Oh my goodness, just one switchback, please!

I caught my breath and continued on. There was a great vista called Auburn. Hmm, can I see home? No such luck but it was a nice thought and memory of my home back home. There was this crazy sculpture that I kept wondering, who in their right mind would carry this to the top of the hill? There were no roads, and maybe just maybe, they whittled and painted it up here? Probably not, but what a thought.

Now was the crazy downhill. So my knee. It has been doing a-okay but I kept reading about how people had to go to Urgent Care after descending this monster of a mountain. Oh boy, I asked the Lord to send all his angels and surround me as I tackled this Bohemia of a downward spiral. I stopped for a moment, checked my body and pack one last time, adjusted all my straps and ever so carefully, I made my way down. As I was about halfway down, I received a text from my sweet friend Dee. She said she has been thinking of me and was praying for me this morning. She was definitely one of the angels that Jesus called upon!

How hard could this be? Worse than the steps heading from Vernal and Yosemite Falls back to the Village? Could it be like the 99 switchbacks from Mt. Whitney? Or the descent from Mt. Rainier when I told Sally & Roy I was going to just going to sleep for the night! Well, once I descended that crazy 1000’ in less than 1/2 mile, I thanked God for his many angels that carried me down. I made it without any slips or slides, no broken poles or busted up knees, all in tact and ready to hit the town of Port Clinton.

Once I crossed over the multi-train tracks, my hubby would be cringing right now, I entered the one-horse town of Port Clinton. It is Memorial Day and as it should be, they are closed and reflecting on the many men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. It hit me when I saw the flags and remembrance of what this day truly is.

I made my way to the roadway and met Eric. He was more than happy to get me to Cabelas where I could restock and prepare for the next week ahead. As we drove up, there were flags everywhere, with military tributes to each branch of the service. I am so grateful to live in a country who honors the people who served us and fought for the very freedoms that other countries can only dream of. What an honor!

I did a bit of shopping in what I would consider the largest Cabela’s Store I have ever walked into. I met a few of my hiking friends and we all gathered at the Camping Section of the store. We talked about water filters, purification and what bladders to buy. Yep, that’s our life right now. Nobody wants Montezuma’s Revenge, and it’s time to replace filters that are clogged and not performing up to par.

After my purchase of a new filter, I was on my way to another watering hole. My driver recommended the Cigar House which has many types of Beer. Thank you Eric. I hightailed it, with a bit of cross country walking. There were a bunch of Bikers hanging out and I walked inside of the coolest Cigar Shop I’ve ever seen. Too bad I don’t smoke! I sat at the bar and ordered an IPA.

After a bit of time, two locals showed up, Javier and Angel. They sat next to me and ends up that Javier is an avid outdoors person. He loves hiking and was quite enthralled with my journey. We talked for a bit and they headed upstairs to the outside balcony. I was ready to find a place to lay my head and headed out the door.

They shouted, Kelly, where are you going? Do you need a ride? Now this is the perfect ride sharing option. Someone you’ve met and talked with and seem like stand-up guys! As a matter of fact, I’d love a ride. Without hesitation, I acquired a Uber. I head upstairs, share some food and talk a bit more. They are from NJ and came out for the day. Before long, I have a ride and I’m not having to walk anymore bonus miles!

Another perfect day. Injury free and I am happy to say that I will be sleeping well tonight. As this day comes to a close, I want to thank all of our friends and families who have served in the military. Walking the AT, is such a reminder of the countless battles that we fought here in America. I sometimes forget how much our men & women have done to preserve this incredible and beautiful nation we live in. Travel the world and you will truly understand how great United States is. God bless America!