2014-05-31: Blue Trail to Blue Rocks Campsite

Started: Hertlein Campsite
Stopped: Blue Trail to Blue Rocks Campsite
Daily Mileage:
Total Mileage:

The park in Port Clinton, PA in which we were allowed to camp. There were a number of other hikers already set up by the time we arrived. Others would show up later. The town of Hamburg is a mile or two down the road and has several restaurants, a Walmart, and a Cabellas (a sporting goods store). These are on our list of To Do's today.

One of the restaurants in Port Clinton. We opted for the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet in Hamburg instead.

A hand-operated water pump in the park in which we were camped. After filling our water bottles to the brim with water from this pump, we were told by a more experienced hiker not to trust the water. We ended up dumping the water and using a spigot provided for hikers by a very nice lady a few houses up.

An odd-looking beetle Trouble found and brought over to show us.

Bogey, heading out of Port Clinton. The house at which we got water is pictured in front of her and to the right.

Graffiti under the highway bridge.

Making the big climb out of Port Clinton. Alas, towns and roads are rarely built on the top of mountains, so nearly all exits from town along the Trail are up. It's also at these points in the hike that are packs are most loaded with food and water and stove fuel, thus making the packs heavy.

A boulder field. Not the craziest we've seen but very typical. The rocks are beginning to take their toll on our feet, which are pretty sore at the end of the day.

Thankfully, we don't have to cross this boulder field. This field was created by a glacier as it retreated after the last ice age.

A better view of the same boulder field. Little did I know that ultimately we'd cross other fields just like this one. We are only minutes away from Blue Rocks Campsite, where we will spend the night. Our goal was to camp at a site just outside the fence of the private campground but, alas, we never saw such a place. The information we received from other hikers concerning the stealth campsite may have referred to something along the Yellow Trail -- we're on the Blue Trail. In any case, the side trail on which we found ourselves and which linked the AT to the private campground was poorly maintained, very rock, and quite steep. The campsite itself was noisy and filled with RVs, car campers, and weekend families. There was a swimming pool, general store, and other distractions which we hastened past to get to the gravel pad designated at "Site #72." At 8 PM the campsite showed the movie "Frozen" down by the swimming pool. I'm pretty sure this place offers karaoke at least once a week, too. We did not sleep well.