Day 104 - Tuesday 13th July - Slatington to LeRoy Smith Shelter+2 miles - 18.1 miles

We have breakfast with 'Stickwalker' at the diner next to the hotel. We start the climb up to LeHigh Gap - an amazing rockclimb and one of the most exhilarating days on the AT. It is so steep my walking poles go into my pack and I climb hand over hand. On the climb, we are caught by Scatters, Stucco, One Life and Sourdough.

We more or less walk as a straggled group for the rest of the day. We walk along the contours of the ridge and follow the restoration of the degraded mountain caused by the zinc smelter. We get to know Sourdough - a naturalist who carries an i-phone with the bird 'app'.

We find some hilarious trail magic left by the 'Church of Satan' - 'no prayer lists provided'. It is a joke and a send up of the trail magic left by religious groups for hikers. This is the closest example we see of 'Australian' humour of taking the piss out of somebody. Usually americans don't get this - and sure enough, One Life is deeply offended by it. I laugh my head off. Softdrink, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and fruit in juice. What a feast.

We stop at the LeRoy Shelter with Stucco and Scatters for a snack and then walk another 2 miles to camp on the ridge at the pipeline clearing with Sourdough.