Williamsport hanging out

May 30th--
My sister Bonnie and her hubby Dana were in the area for some R&R and we got together before my final push north. Being in the Williamsport for a whole day before, I showed them around like I owned the place. We took a walk down Millionare's row and looked at all the biggy houses from the glory days past. I had met Bob a home owner on the street the day before so we stopped and had a chat with him and his wife. They actually own 3 houses. One is a restaurant and the other is a B&B.plus the one they live in. Then we walked down to the river and went on a paddle wheeler for some fun sighseeing.


June 1st Dana and Bonnie left me of at the rail/trail from Jersey shore to 60 miles north at Ansonia. The morning was nice and cool but I knew what was going to be in store. Hot and humid day ahead but can't think of that right now. I had only walked along the Pine Creek for about a hour when I met Bob Scheidt and his trusty bike loaded with gear. Bob had biked to Wellsboro Pa and was on the back swing. He travels all over creation with a Diabetes awaking as his theme. My son Matt is very involved with this subject and is part of the Team Type 1 for diabetes. Bob knows Matt and we stood along the dirt path and chatted for quite some time.

The Pine Creek shadows the path for the entire distance. In the old days a railroad ran along this very path.The trail is rated as a top one in the world and it is beautiful. I imagine in the fall it's fab. You pass by old villages and new vacation homes. Lots of weekend warriors were out on the path with every kind of bike you can think of. By noon I had made it to Waterville were the Little Pine Creek dumps in more agua. I found the shadow of a old barn to sit and rest my bones and eat lunch. By 5:00 pm I was thinking of finding a spot to camp. The closest was 4 miles away.

I had just entered the Village of Cammal when I spied with my little eye a sign. It was attached to a tree and read cold drinks and a B&B. Should I stay or should I go? I walked up to a store and it was 4:55 pm and the place closed at 5:00. When I walked in the store a young woman looked up like she had seen a ghost. She thought she wouldn't have to clean a room and than I showed up! I had the place to my self. This is a self service B&B. Breakfast goodies was out on thr tables or in the fridge--just help yourself. Talk about lucking our AGAIN. 45 minutes after checking in the heavens opened up and it poured all night. If I would have been in a tent or along the trail-ka ka.



June 2nd--
TURTLES-FLIES-FIREFLIES the morning was foggy with all the rain. The crushed limestone path was covered with turtle tracks. Snapper and box turtles had crawled up on the soft path and were laying their eggs. I bet I saw 20 of the shelled critters in different stages of egg laying. It rained a little bit for 45 minutes and than just cleared up. I got to the camp site were I was going to stay at last night and the water had been turned off since April 2007! Than I noticed when I stopped for a breather, flies would land on me. Not the biting kind just the land on you and walk around on you.

I stopped at 4:00 pm and set up my tent. I bet there was 100 flies for every square foot. I sat in my tent and listened to them bounce off the nylon. After dinner the maddness stopped when it got cooler. I walked to a small town of Blackwell. A couple of old timers were sitting on their front porch. The conversation turned to the flies."The goverment is dropping the flies at night to fight Gypsy Moths!" said old fart. "You can hear the planes at night!" "Last year it was flies to eat Lady Bugs and those flies bit, these are friendly flies!" he said. After hearing about my trip up north he advised about rattle snakes and coyotes the size of St Barnards. When I walked back to my tent I noticed my tent was lite up with lighting bugs. The bugs was all around the seams and stayed there even when I was in the tent. It was quite the light show.


June 3rd--
I woke early and started early it more than a few miles (51) to Coudersport. I met all kinds of people along the trail since I was getting close to the trailhead. I stopped and talked to fisherman and bikers a like.Everyone talked about the flies and the gov. planes. By 1:00 pm I was on highway 6 headed to Cloudersport. I stopped at a ice cream stand and the lady told me the fly story with the army planes dropping bags of flies. By 5:00 pm and 10 hours of walking I had enough and my feet cried uncle. I stopped at Rough Cut Lodge and asked about a room. Diane didn't have a room but she drove me to a motel close by. She said with the heat it looked like I was going to fall down. I thought for a minute she was going to lay me down and hook up a IV. I stayed at the Yoke Oxen motel and they served dinners, it was heaven. BY 8:00 pm my head was deep into the pillow and I slept until 4:00 AM.



June 4th--
I was on the road by 5:00 am and had to put 22 miles behind me. I stopped by the Lumber Musuem but it was closed. Then I noticed a sign for a forest service office. I walked up a small hill and dropped my pack at the office. The ranger and I had quite the chat. Everything I had heard from Pittsburgh to here is a fabrcation, a stretch of the truth or bold face lie.

#1)Tent worms are eating the leaves off the trees, not gypsy moths and no the forest service isn't dropping flies. #2) They didn't introduce coyotes to Pa and the coyotes arn't bigger than western coyotes. #3) The population of rattlesnakes here is the same as any were else. #4) the forestery service isn't trying to control the deer population because the car insurance compies wants them to.

By 12:00 I walked into Coudersport. There is a marathon going on here over the weekend so no rooms at the inn or town. I stopped by the Crittendon Hotel and talked to the owner about my problem with lack of rooms. As we talkled he receivied a phone call, it was a cancellation for 2 nights. yipeee the hotel was built in 1880's with not much for maintance done to it since-it has charm! I am done with the walking part. Add 100 more miles and 3.5 days-I'll have to look back but I think that's 340 miles in 14 days. Now I wait for brother Paul to bring up kayak on Saturday for the 250 mile river trip down the Allegeny river, should be easier on the feet! I am at vincevogel@hotmail.com if anybody needs to get hold of me.