Day Nine (Eclipse & Hike Over)

Due to the heavy rain forecast for tomorrow, I was up half the night, trying to figure a way to get to the end of the trail without having to ford anything. I thought I had a series of roads that would do it. They were both County and Forest Service roads, thus avoiding the private road problem I’ve had on this trip. But closer inspection showed they possible lacked bridges over some streams. My old USGS maps used the word “ford” at these locations, and I don’t think they were talking about the make of car.

The other problem with my road plan was that, even if they had put bridges in at those questionable spots, there was no place for me to stop and camp. They traveled through private land. The shortest route was 27 miles between public land boundaries. I wasn’t sure I could do that in one push, especially in a driving rainstorm.

I looked at every road, trail, and even cross country routes for a way, but finally decided the safest way for me was to backtrack to Pelsor, where I stopped yesterday and see if I could find a ride north to Harrison where I have a flight leaving on Saturday. At least I wouldn’t be in the middle of nowhere wishing I was in the middle of somewhere.

So I got up this morning and headed back the way I’d come. The day was crisp and nearly cloudless. No hint of the predicted storms of tonight. At one point I had a weak cell connection. I was able to get a text out to my amazing wife about a couple that might have a place to stay and maybe did shuttles out of Pelsor. I had read about them in a comment in my trail map app.

I continued hiking and lost cell service for the next couple of hours. When I was back in range a series of texts flooded my phone. Basically it was Nancy’s updates about her conversations with Clayton & Samantha, the Pelsor couple. The bottom line was that they had a place for me to stay tonight and would shuttle me to Harrison tomorrow. I was all set!

I did my laundry and took a shower at the Pelsor store, like yesterday, had some pizza and Gatorade, like yesterday, and watched the eclipse like today.

Pelsor was in the area of totality for almost 4 minutes. It was pretty cool. The streetlights came on, the birds stopped singing, and all the rest. Maybe the most fun was this group of total strangers stand out in front of the General Store all chatting and looking around in amazement like a bunch of little kids. And then it was over. People hopped in their cars and drove away, Wendell went back in to mind the store, and I called Samantha.

Clayton came and picked me up about 10 minutes later and he drove me a bit north of the trail to their “not yet listed” place. An old hunting lodge that had been expanded over the years, was on property that belonged to his great great grandfather. They are fixing it up as a rental, but they are in the early stages.

It is really a cool place, but a bit eclectic, and has electricity, water, indoor plumbing, and a decent roof. But, it is basically a worksite at this point. Still, any port in a storm and I don’t mind.

I’ll get a shuttle into Harrison, about 45 miles north, and stay an extra couple days there. But as the title mentioned, it is Hike Over for me. Even if they don’t get the 3.5 inches of rain now predicted, I know I made the right decision given the facts I had. A younger me might have just gone for it, but the wiser me would rather live to hike another day.

I had plenty of adventure in this short trip and there is a distinct possibility I might come back to finish it. Hopefully with Cappuccino.

I will be back here tomorrow with some thoughts on the hike and then it will be time to shift to the 250 mi section of the Buckeye Trail I will be doing in Ohio. I start that in a little over 3 weeks!

Take care and Happy Trails!