July 25 Mile 1248

Sunday morning. After the good dinner at Blue Summit and camping a few miles down the trail-off to climb more rocks! As we (Cisco, Tootsie Pop, Tunes and me) paused to take a break by the roadside before going up Bake Oven Knob,3 cars pulled up into the gravel parking lot. Could this be trail magic? No-About 5 people get out, one guy wearing a tie! Odd to see by the trail, and one guy loaded down with cameras. Taking engagement pictures, maybe? And a woman in a sort of cream colored dress. They said "hi" and went on. They had no water or packs. Strange to see. We followed behind to Bake Oven Knob, and then one of them turned to us and said, "Would you like to attend our wedding?" We declined as we were not dressed for the occasion. But it was a very nice venue, and the price was certainly right. Hopefully, they will have a very happy life.
Today we had lots of boulders and rocks to negotiate. Very tiring and not many views. After lunchtime we were on a ridge and heard the thunder and saw the lightening. A big storm was coming through! Turned out to be about the biggest thunderstorm we had experienced. The rain poured down for 90 minutes, as we hiked the ridge. It was like being in a hurricane-with winds and water coming sideways. Later learned there were tornadoes sighted. This actually was an area with views, but we didn't see any as we kept our heads down and and kept moving forward. Like I said before-out here you hike or die, or something like that. Everything we had was soaked through.
Finally got to the road near Palmerton, PA, where my fraternity brother, Jim Kessack, had graciously offered to pick us up so we could go to town, get reuppplied, and spend the night at the Jail Hostel. Built as a jail, but never used for that purpose, we were told. As I went for my I-phone to call-Bad news! The rain had somehow gotten into the sealed baggie where it was stored and the phone was wet on the inside and would not turn on! Hopefully it will work again.
Luckily I carry my spare Verizon phone. Jim met us with libations and the weather cleared and we were off to Palmerton. It was a very nice town and the the hostel was nice and free. And had hot showers! They had a very hot boiler room there, so we could put all our gear there to dry off and it surely did! After a tough day, we had a very pleasant night and it was great to see Jim again after many years.