On Top of the World - On the AT in Pa.

Sam checked in with us yesterday. By his on admission he is "On top of the world." He was near Port Clinton, Pa. about 10-12 miles north of Reading. This is in Pennsylvania coal country with lots of abandoned and reclaimed strip mines. He says that it is very green there. Temps at night in the upper 40's to daytime highs in the 80's. The trail pretty much follows the ridge line of the mountains from southwest to northeast. Elevations range from 500 to around 1500 feet above sea level. The toughest part of the walk is not the distance but the elevation changes. Some days you experience from five to six thousand feet in elevation change over a ten to fifteen mile walk. That's where the work comes in. Sam claims that this what he has dreamed about and so far everything is going well. The only equipment issue he has experienced has been the premature failure of a seam on the top of one of his shoes. He chose the Keen Shellrock Mid Height Water Proof hiker shoe, a high tech, very lightweight, yet tough piece of gear. Other than breaking them in before the trip, they have less than 60 miles on them - we'll see how well Keen stands behind their gear. A Verizon phone is in the plans for his next stop. AT&T service doesn't cut it on the trail too well, yet Verizon phones work in far more places. We'll continue to keep everyone posted. Don't hesitate to drop Sam an email if you have a minute. mclemoresam@yahoo.com He will appreciate it.

It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. - Sir Edmund Hillary

Until next update,
Kmac