6/12/06 Monday: 501 Shelter to Port Clinton Pavillion (24mi)

PICTURES:
1. Yup... more rocks...
2. Nice view a few hours north of the 501 shelter...
3. A monument on the location of a French & Indian War outpost right beside the trail...
4. Another new and interesting wildflower
5. An evening vista
6. Yup...more rocks..;)

I was up and out by 0630, but still the last one out that morning. It didnt take me long to first overtake "Skids", a 50 ish northbound thru hiker I had shared pizza with the night before, and then Tofurky and Trump, a northbound thruhiker couple... There were some nice vistas in the morning and the weather was again pleasant... The morning walk went pretty well and by 1215 I had walked about 14mi and was ready for lunch by a spring at the intersecting "Sand Spring Trail". After a nice lunch I continued to Port Clinton... The trail goes thru town and a side trail takes you out to the towns pavillion which has been converted to a thru hiker home away from home... I arrived about 1700 to find 4 hikers there resting and another 6 would join us before we would turn in... Unfortunately there were no services available in town, one had to hitch a ride about 2 miles to a mall for groceries, restaurants, etc... I cooked another meal at the pavillion, happy with the thought of a .4mi walk in the morning to a breakfast/lunch restaurant.