June 9th, leaving Palmerton.

Today... was rocky. Very rocky. Ugh. I'm not sure if it was actually worse today than the last few days, or if it's just the collective pain from the last few days catching up to me mentally. I don't think I mentioned the Knife's Edge from a couple of days ago, which was a rather sketchy ridge top. This climb today was quite challenging. Supposedly this was the worst/most challenging section until the White Mountains. It was a scramble for sure. 

Without a pack, dry weather, and with two free hands the climb up from Lehigh River would have been fun. With a pack, hiking poles in one hand, and wet rocks and shoes, the climb became rather more intense. Still wasn't too terrible, but the consequences for a misstep became quite dire. So of course that's when the boulder shifted and rolled under my feet. 

Could have been bad. But I didn't fall off the cliff. Yay. Thanks God. I did hit the ground though, and did fall again later, scraping my legs up pretty good. So tired of this rocky trail. 

Tonight I'm in the shelter before Wind Gap. Was going to go into the town, but stopped three miles short because I'm mentally exhausted. Staring at the ground all day long picking your way through boulder fields is vicious.  Elusive and 5 Star are here. She took a nasty spill and put a pretty large gash in her leg. Stakes and Cliffwalker are apparently camping, but I haven't seen them yet. I'm very tired, so I'm racking out. 

Two Braid and Five Star before breakfast. 

This rock almost killed me.