Weekly Overview
Day 71
July 12, 2019
- Route: Bake Oven Knob Shelter (Mile 1251.8) to Leroy Smith Shelter (Mile 1275.3)
- Daily Mileage: 23.5 miles
Despite the heavy rain all night long, I was able to stay dry because I slept inside one of the AT shelters last night. Sunshine – the 20-something girl from New Zealand who did the half gallon challenge with me – and her trail family (Double D and Two Sticks) were there too. And there were two other hikers I hadn’t met before too.
It was tight squeeze for the six of us inside the tiny wooden shelter, but I was glad I didn’t have to sleep on the uncomfortable the rocky terrain outside last night. And I’m doubly glad I didn’t have to pack up a sopping wet tent this morning when the rain stopped. The Bake Oven Knob shelter had its downsides though as I soon found out.
I woke up around 6:40 am with a deep grumbling building in my stomach. Yet, I had no privy to run to. This was one of the shelters built without an outhouse (no doubt because no one wanted to have to dig a deep pit in this insanely rocky terrain). And the next closest privy was still another 7.5 miles ahead at the Outerbridge Shelter.
I’m still carrying my Deuce of Spades trowel on the outside of my pack for moments when I need to dig a hasty cat hole, but a small aluminum trowel wasn’t going to be much help this morning. The rocky terrain in this stretch of Pennsylvania makes it a wholly inadequate tool. Thank goodness, there was a construction-grade metal shovel propped up against the outside of the shelter to assist me though. Otherwise, it might have been ugly.
I’m still playing the silly little game with myself to see how few cat holes I can dig out here on the AT. My attempts to spend the night in places within some proximity of a privy has held up surprisingly well thanks to the surprising frequency of outhouses along the route. But, it’s not a perfect plan. And its shortcomings were evidenced by this morning’s walk into the woods with the giant “shovel of shame” to dig cat hole #5.
Still, only five cat holes in 1250+ miles isn’t a bad ratio.
LEHIGH GAP
Today was, without a doubt, the rockiest day I’ve experienced on the trail yet. The first few miles from Bake Oven Knob were mostly easy, and I made good time on my way down to the Outerbridge Shelter. Then the trail plunged down to the Lehigh River near the town of Palmerton. The bridge crossing this wide river would be my lowest elevation point of the day, which signaled there would inevitably be a brutal climb ahead.
The route back out of Lehigh Gap is infamous for its steep ascent. It begins as a sharply graded trail and then devolves to boulder scrambling. What makes this particular boulder scramble on the AT noteworthy is the ability to look straight back down below toward the valley where the Lehigh River crosses below. It seems like every thru-hiker stops to take a photo of this vantage point while catching their breath.
With the heavy rain was beating down on the shelter last night, I was worried I might have to do this insane rock scramble on slippery, wet rocks. Luckily for me though, I hit Lehigh Gap at the perfect time of day this morning. The sun was out and dried most of the boulders. So, while some things were still damp around me, nothing was super slick. I wouldn’t risk breaking my neck today.
I was also treated to the best type of graffiti near the top of the rock scramble. After seeing all the defaced rocks and trees back near the trailhead to Bake Oven Knob, I was losing faith that the people of Pennsylvania had any common sense or decency. But then, as I crossed over the top of the boulders on the ridge of Blue Mountain, I saw the most awesome American flag mural painted on the backside of the rock right next to one of the blazes. So, yeah, that was kind of motivating.
SUPERFUND, BUT NOT SUPERFUN
My glimpse ahead at today’s route showed another challenge too. There was no safe water between Lehigh Gap and Leroy Smith Shelter, which was another 16.5 miles further up trail. Part of the reason for this dry spell is because I’d be up on a rocky ridgeline all day. But, the other reason had to do with contamination in the area.
This section of the AT is routed around the Palmerton Zinc Superfund site. A superfund site is a designation in the U.S. for polluted locations that require some sort of long-term clean up for hazardous material contamination.
So, while there was at least one spring flowing in the area, but it wasn’t considered safe. Instead of potable water, it tested high for for levels of heavy metals. And you better believe that was not something I wanted to risk drinking. I’m good on my zinc consumption, thank you very much!
The first two miles at the top of the ridge were really quite easy hiking and let me catch my breath after the big climb. But after that, it was rocks, rocks, and more rocks.
These weren’t the larger type of rock slab you can walk across like in Virginia. Nope. These were the grapefruit-sized rocks embedded in the trail with barely enough room to place your foot. Every step was at a weird angle, and I had to keep my head down constantly to make sure I didn’t step wrong and twist my ankle.
This drudgery went on for most of the day, and it made for some pretty unenjoyable hiking. I felt like I was just going through the motions today. The bottoms of my feet hurt from all the sharp pointy rocks. My neck hurt from looking down at the 3 feet of trail in front of me. And while I was making some forward progress, it wasn’t super fun. I was now deep in the heart of the dreaded Rocksylvania!
DID YOU FORGET THESE?
I made it to Leroy Smith shelter a little before 6 pm and noticed there was a nice flat area to tent about 0.25 miles before the shelter. A half dozen people already had their tents set up, but I continued on down to the shelter to sign the log and see if anyone I knew was there.
The shelter was completely empty when I arrived, and I could definitely could see why. It was tucked back in the woods and looked dark and creepy. I’d much rather sleep back in the open airy field where I saw those other tents instead of in this sketchy shelter!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t return to the field and begin setting up just yet. I desperately needed water. I’d hiked the entire day on the 1.7 liters I’d gathered back at the Outerbridge Shelter this morning, and my water supply was now bone dry. I’d need to get more water from the spring near the shelter, but that chore required a steep, rocky 0.4-mile walk down a hill to get there. Dang it. More stupid rocks to endure!
After trudging that extra 0.8 miles roundtrip for water and then another quarter mile back to the tent site, I was totally beat. It had been a 23.5 mile day (excluding my detour for water) and my feet hurt something terrible. On the positive side though, at least I was one day closer to getting out of miserable Pennsylvania.
As I set up my tent and started dinner, I heard someone calling my name. When I looked around, I saw it was Sunshine coming my way. And she came bearing gifts.
This morning, as I was packing up at the Bake Oven Knob shelter, I accidentally left my chips on the picnic table, and walked off without packing them up! Sunshine recognized the bag as mine, and carried them in her pack the entire day to make sure I got them back!
Although it was just a bag of corn chips, carrying any extra weight for someone else is a genuine sign of friendship. She could have left them back at the shelter. Or she could have pitched them into a trash can down by Lehigh Bridge. But she carried them 23.5 miles until she caught me. I could have hugged her right then!
A NEW INJURY
After thanking Sunshine for my chips, it was time to clean up for the night. As I took off my shirt off to change into my sleep clothes, I noticed the front my shoulder was really tender. Plus, it seemed to have a burning sensation. When I looked down to examine it up close, I could see an angry reddish-purple bruise/rash right where my backpack strap rested. The skin was sensitive to the touch, and it had a flaky, dry texture.
What the heck? How did that happen?
I checked my other shoulder, but I didn’t have a similar injury on that side. And I hadn’t done anything to adjust my pack recently that would explain it riding differently on my one shoulder. So how the heck had this injury occurred? And more importantly, what do I do now?
The odd, scaly texture of my skin had me wondering if it was some sort of allergic reaction to something, Was it an adverse reaction to the permethrin I’d used to treat my clothes back in Duncannon? Could it be toxic? I was all the way out here in the middle of the woods, and didn’t even have any Benadryl.
I figured the only thing I could really do was keep an eye on it to see if it got worse. I’d be in Delaware Water Gap tomorrow and could visit a pharmacy or urgent care center, if necessary. So I took a selfie of my shoulder so I’d have something definitive to compare it with tomorrow morning, and I called it a night.
Day 72
July 13, 2019
- Route: Leroy Smith Shelter (Mile 1275.3) to Delaware Water Gap (Mile 1295.4)
- Daily Mileage: 20.1 miles
Despite my sore shoulder, I slept fairly well in my tent last night. It was a nice change not having to deal with any rain or worry about potential holes in my tent for one night. I’d done a quick check to see if any more pinholes had developed, but didn’t see any unexpected light streaming into my tent this morning when the sun rose.
Admittedly, it took me a bit longer to pack up this morning than normal. I think I was dreading going back out into the rocks and wanted to give the tired soles of my feet as long of a respite as humanly possible. But there’s only so much you can do to linger in the morning, especially when you no longer have your stove to make a cup of coffee. And so, I was back on the trail hiking around 7 am.
BUH-BYE PENNSYLVANIA
As expected, the trail this morning was filled with lots more rocks and more of the same drudgery as yesterday. The rocks didn’t all magically disappear overnight. Instead, it was another slow day of watching my step and trying to avoid the worst of the pointy rocks that were trying to foil my mood.
I decided to mentally break up my day into thirds to get through it without losing my mind. I’d hike 6.6 miles to a tent site and take a bit of a break to rest the feet. Then I could focus on the 7.1 miles to the Kirkridge Shelter for a second break, And finally, I’d tackle the last 6.5 miles to Delaware Water Gap. If I just focused on getting though each short section on the way to my next break, maybe it woudn’t seem so daunting.
This tactic seemed to work for me today, and my mood was much more upbeat as I hiked. I’m not sure if my higher spirits had to do with having smaller goals, or it it was the realization that I’d finally be done with Pennsylvania by the end of today. And then I’d have one more state of the AT knocked out!
That simple knowledge was enough to bring a small smile to my face. I was 100% ready for the end of hiking through this damn state. All the rain. And the rocks. The absurd graffiti on the trees. Plus, the holes that seemed to mysteriously appear in my tent. Yeah, I’m definitely ready to put Pennsylvania in my rearview mirror.
DELAWARE WATER GAP
The final 8 miles of the day were actually fairly easy compared to yesterday. These miles were either on smooth dirt, on forest service roads, or on ordinary AT-style trail (aka – not easy, but not strewn with insane rocks).
I was surprised to see tons of days hikers on my final push toward Delaware Water Gap. Apparently, hiking up to the open ledges of the Mt. Minsi Overlook is a popular day hike though, but I definitely could see why. The views of the Delaware River below were pretty nice. It was a warm day, and as I looked down, I could see tons of boaters and swimmers down there splashing in the cool water.
The actual descent into Delaware Water Gap from the overlook was pretty difficult because of the steep terrain. Despite this, I made good time, and was soon heading over to the local Presbyterian church in town for the night. The church had a small hostel set up for AT thru-hikers, and they also had some space out back behind the church where we could tent too.
When I showed up at the church, it was just after 4 pm, so there weren’t too many people there yet. But guess who I saw sitting inside?? It was Fancy Feast! She was just sitting at a table repairing a small hole in her mosquito head net.
I’ve got to admit, I squealed with delight when I set eyes on Fancy Feast. We hadn’t see each other since just before she attempted the 4-State Challenge. But, she’d taken a zero at the church hostel today and was just hanging out. Ah man, it was so good to see her face again!
After Fancy Feast and I caught up for a bit, I grabbed a quick shower, and then then two us caught a ride to a nearby Walmart in Stroudsburg so I could resupply. With my town chores mostly complete, it was time to eat! So, we decided to splurge on dinner and walked over to a local pizza place for a few slices and some garlic knots. Yum!
Back at the church, Fancy Feast introduced me to two new hikers I hadn’t met yet. There was a guy named Greenbean (who had super long Jesus hair) and a relatively quite girl from Canada named Leaves (due to her propensity to just get up an leave while no one is looking). As we were all getting to know each other better, Sunshine and her crew rolled up to the church too. What an evening!
As I set up my tent and blew up my air mattress outside, I was just so happy to be in Delaware Water Gap. I was finally done with Pennsylvania and the reward was sweet. But a small part of me was still remembering that warning Borderline (the caretaker at the 501 Shelter) gave me last week… The rocks don’t just magically end at the Pennsylvania border. 🙁
Day 73
July 14, 2019
- Route: Delaware Water Gap (Mile 1295.4) to Rattlesnake Swamp (Mile 1308.9)
- Daily Mileage: 13.5 miles
I decided to take a leisurely morning in town instead of hiking right out this morning. Luna and Gazelle weren’t too far behind me, and I suspected I could hang out in Delaware Water Gap for a few hours until they eventually arrived. But, even more importantly, I needed to find somewhere to wash my clothes.
The red discoloration and rash on my left shoulder seems to be slightly better this morning, but now the skin is peeling off and is super dry. I picked up some hydrocortisone cream yesterday when I was at Walmart. But, I still don’t know what caused the intense irritation on my shoulder.
I figure there was a good chance it could have been caused by the permethrin. Or there’s a decent possibility that spot where I hung my shirt to dry in Bake Oven Knob shelter could have had some poison oak or other oils on it, and that transferred to my shirt. Regardless the source, one thing was definitely clear. I needed to wash whatever was causing the skin irritation out of my shirt.
LAUNDRY
My first effort involved bucket-washing my clothes last night with the free laundry soap and some plastic buckets the church provided for hikers. Unfortunately, all my clothing still smelled really bad this morning.
I reasoned that if the odor was still persisting that strongly, then it’s likely I didn’t get my clothes very clean on the first go round. And that meant whatever was causing the skin irritation to my shoulder was probably still lingering on the material too. I needed some deeper cleaning abilities.
Sadly, there aren’t any public laundromats in Delaware Water Gap. But I checked online last night and saw that the nearby Clarion Hotel (aka the Poconos Inn) had a coin laundry available for their guests. And so, I was up early this morning and headed to the Village Farmer bakery to grab some breakfast before walking the additional half-mile over to the Clarion.
I was in luck when I arrived. The hotel had two washers and dryer on the main floor, and neither one was in use this early in the morning. Plus, they had a change machine in the lobby so I was able to get enough quarters to buy some soap to complete my load of laundry before 9 am.
While I waited for my clothes to get clean, I charged my phone and battery and sent a few texts to family and friends. I was really hoping to Luna and Gazelle would catch up to me today. I’ve enjoyed hiking on my own, but the joy of seeing Fancy Feast yesterday made me realized that a lot of the richness of this thru-hiking journey comes from being around my trail family.
REUNITED
With my clothes freshly cleaned and my town chores complete, I still had the entire morning to hang out with some of the other hikers and wait for my trail family to show up.
My breakfast from the bakery was so good, I decided to head back there for lunch too, and I gorged myself on a super thick and buttery grilled cheese sandwich followed by a piece of berry pie. Oh man, was it good! Town food is the best – especially when you aren’t worried about counting calories!!
As I waited and lingered around at the church, I found several more small pinholes in my tent’s rainfly, and I used the down time to make those repairs with the tenacious tape I picked up last week. Pennsylvania did my tent no favors, I tell you!
Luna and Gazelle finally rolled into town around 12:30 pm and we had our joyful trail family reunion at a picnic bench in the shade. We spend the next hour giddily catching up and telling tall tales from the past 16 days we’d been hiking apart. But now it was time to figure out our next step.
Gazelle was hoping to just pop in and out of town in less than two hours so she could resupply and make some more miles this afternoon. Luna, meanwhile, was contemplating spending the night at the church’s hostel. His lower back is still bothering him, and continuing on today is probably not in the cards for him.
So, I reluctantly said a temporary goodbye so they could get on with their town chores. I’d been in Delaware Water Gap for close to 24 hours now. And I was feeling the I need to escape down the trail before the town vortex pulled me in deeper. If left to my own devices, I’d just pull up a chair at the bakery and eat pie all afternoon. I promised them I wasn’t heading too far though. I wanted to give Gazelle and Luna a chance to catch back up with me tonight or tomorrow.
So, with that, it was time for me to cross the Delaware River and begin hiking into New Jersey. I now have seven states of the AT complete, and seven more left to go. Plus, I had the small rush of excitement that goes with opening a brand new section in Guthook on my phone. Yeah!
WELCOME TO NEW JERSEY
The route out of Delaware Water Gap briefly took me along the river and I could see tons of people rafting and frolicking in the water. Maybe I was just in a good mood from seeing Fancy Feast, Luna and Gazelle. But on this warm afternoon, everything around me looked simply idyllic. This was definitely one of the places I want to return to and enjoy again when I’m done with the AT.
After a stretch along the river, I reached the Kittatinny Visitor Center, and then the trail turned left into a state park. I could see an AT ridgerunner sitting in a folding chair talking to people as they came through. Wow! I don’t think I’ve seen a ridgerunner since way back in Shenandoah. That was back when I ran into Peg Leg – the female ridgerunner who told me her supervisor at the PATC also was also named Sisu. That conversation was more than 350 miles back, and it seems like a lifetime ago!
Crossing paths with this NJ ridgerunner was an equally memorable experience. That’s because he had a prosthetic leg from the knee down! He was a younger guy too – maybe in his late 20s. And even though I was curious about his missing leg, I didn’t want to be rude and ask about it in front of the group of people standing around him.
Over the last decade, I’d met so many young veterans who’d lost limbs in Afghanistan and Iraq, and I’m still hesitant to mention it unless the other person brings it up first. Who knows what lies beneath the surface? I have no idea whether his missing limb was congenital, caused by an tragic illness, or from some sort of trauma. And honestly, my curiosity doesn’t demand an answer.
So, I waved hello to him and the group as I passed by, before heading up the hill toward today’s big goal: mile 1300.
WILD ANIMALS
Borderline didn’t tell lies when he assured me the rocks would continue on past the Pennsylvania state line. As I climbed the first big hill of the day, I was dodging plenty of boulders and rocks once again.
But, then I emerged at the a large pond with a cute hand-painted sign announcing that I was passing one of New Jersey’s seven natural wonders – a glacial pond that was so acidic that very few fish can tolerate living in it. Um, I’m not sure I’d be bragging about that, New Jersey. Is the Passaic River also on your list of seven natural wonders? I hear fish don’t enjoy swimming there either…
Although I was only hiking a half day, my late afternoon and evening was filled with quite a few animal sightings.
Just before he Mohican Outdoor Center, I spotted a decent sized bear near a small river. I clicked my trekking poles loudly together and loudly called out “Hey bear! Whatcha doing?” and he quickly scampered off into the trees. I guess he was a shy guy. But that reminds me that I need to be vigilant about where I hang my food tonight.
As I continued to climb toward the backpacker camp where I was hoping to end my day, I passed a number of trees where beavers had clearly been hard at work. Gnawing teeth had shaped several tree trunks into hourglass-shapes. And in some cases, the trees’ dwindling centers eventually failed and leaving logs in various directions.
The final new animal sighting of the afternoon was one I might not have experienced, but for some screeching teenage girls. I was less than a half mile from the backpacker camp when I heard a bunch of high-pitched yelling up ahead. As I rounded the corner, three teenage girls standing on the trail were clinging to each other and pointing into the bushes and trees.
Based on their hyped-up reactions, I assumed they’d just spotted a rattlesnake on trail. But no. It was merely a porcupine. I’m not sure what exactly they found so utterly scary about him, but I will admit he was definitely a large fellow. I’d say he was about the size of a Thanksgiving turkey!! It took me a minute or two to get a picture, but it didn’t turn out well. But that’s probably because he was desperately trying to bury himself deeper and deeper into the bushes to avoid the girls’ loud noise.
All-in-all though, it was a lot more wildlife than I expected to see during my first few miles of New Jersey!
Day 74
July 15, 2019
- Route: Rattlesnake Swamp (Mile 1308.9) to Glen Anderson Shelter (Mile 1326.8)
- Daily Mileage: 17.9 miles
I’d decided to set up my tent last night within a stone’s throw of the local backpackers’ camp in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. In retrospect though, this was a poor choice. I should have walked another mile or two down the trail.
The girls who’d been screeching when they spotted the porcupine in the brush were just the start of the nonsense. There was also a group of about 6 teenage boys who were having foot races on one of the forest roads to impress a group of teen girls nearby (spoiler alert: the same boy won every single race, so I suspect he’s the one who suggested this absurd activity).
Then these kids were giggling and frolicking in the woods all night. So, while I wasn’t camped right next to them, I certainly could hear them carrying on for hours. And that’s part of the reason I was up and hiking by 6:45 am. I wanted to clear out before the ruckus resumed this morning.
AN ENJOYABLE DAY
Today was a pretty chill day and was definitely one of the more enjoyable days I’ve had on trail for a while. The miles passed quickly and there wasn’t too much elevation gain or loss, but there were a handful of nice views.
I made it to Crater Lake Shore around mid-morning and arrived just in time to avail myself of the privy near the trailhead. I’m still holding strong at 5 cat holes, and haven’t had to dig one since that morning back at Bake Oven Knob Shelter. So, the game continues on…
The rest of the morning was completely uneventful. Then right as I walking up to Brink Road Shelter to take my lunch break, Fancy Feast and Greenbean caught up to me. So the three of us sat together and ate, while Fancy Feast regaled me with more stories of her home state of Vermont.
During the period after college, Fancy Feast worked for the Green Mountain Club, and she was the lead caretaker up on Mt. Mansfield. That is one of the few mountains I’ve hiked in Vermont (mostly because it’s the state high point), and I could easily envision the areas she was talking about in her stories. Most mostly, it was nice to just sit and talk to other people. That’s something I’ve missed while hiking solo lately.
I didn’t mind lingering at the shelter during lunch either because I only planned to hike another 7 more miles this afternoon. I wanted to end my day at a shelter (with a privy) tonight, and hopefully that would give Gazelle and Luna the opportunity to catch back up to me tonight. Between my easy my 13-mile day out of town yesterday afternoon and another sub-20 mile day today, I’d really hoped we’ll get reunited again.
LEAVES
The remainder of my afternoon was just as enjoyable as the morning. There was just one big descent into a tiny little town near Culver’s Gap. And just before I hit the road crossing at the gap, there was a sign on a tree advertising trail magic up ahead. After reading the sign, I looked down at my watch and noticed it was already close to 5 pm. I doubted any mid-week trail magic was still happening this late in the day.
Oh well, my chance for a refreshing soda or snack wasn’t completely off the table. I was still hoping I might have a chance to stop at the Sunrise Deli to grab something to help combat the heat and humidity. Although it wasn’t as bad as the sweltering temperatures in central Pennsylvania last week, it was still the typical warm July you’d expect on the East Coast. And I was thirsty.
When I arrived at the deli though, it closed for the day. Ah man!
Although I was disappointed to discover the deli was close, there looked like there were a few more establishments just a bit further down the road. And, if their parking lot out front was any indicator, all of them appeared to be open for business today.
One of these buildings had a sign announcing itself as Gyp’s Tavern. With a crazy name like that, I had no idea what to expect. I honestly expect it to be a dark, seedy bar filled with chain smokers and off-label beer. But, as I walked inside and the cold air conditioning hit my face, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was actually a bright, airy restaurant.
I wasn’t the only hiker that decided to drop into Gyp’s either. Leaves was sitting at the bar by herself and seemed to be waiting for her meal to arrive. So I sidled up to the barstool beside her and asked if I could join her. The two of us had only met two days ago at the church hostel in Delaware Water Gap, but two days feels like an eternity when you’re on the trail.
After ordering a craft beer and an early dinner, I settled in to get to know Leaves a little better. She’s developed a bit of a reputation as an introvert and independent hiker out here, but I soon discovered we had quite a lot in common.
I knew she was Canadian, but after a bit more prying I learned she lives in the province of Quebec. This is where one side of my hubby’s family lives, and we were just up in Quebec City visiting his family last summer! Heck, I even spent time hiking on some of Leaves’ local stomping ground up in Jacques Cartier National Park. So that was pretty cool.
I also discovered Leaves and I are both recovering attorneys (licensed to practice but we’d rather be out hiking). And we’d both walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain before tackling the AT. So we had a bit to talk about there too. But mostly we talked about books, since we are both avid readers. Go figure, two introverted lawyers who like to read…
I’ll honestly admit I didn’t expect such an enjoyable experience when I opened the front door and walked into Gyp’s Tavern. But I’m sure glad I decided to drop in and sit for a spell.
A FEW MORE SUPRISES
After dinner, I took the opportunity to hit the bathroom and wash my face and hands (again). Ah, the things we take for granted in the city… I’m not sure I’ll ever look at running water the same after this backcountry experience.
Then it as time to get back on the trail and finish out the day. Leaves and I didn’t make it far though, because – surprise! – the trail magic that had been advertised right before the road crossing was still going on! Most of the food was already packed away, but there were still a few hikers sitting around in camp chairs. Plus, the trail angel who’d come out here to spread some happiness and joy refused to let us just walk by.
So Leaves and I spent another 20 minutes hanging out in the shade eating some M&M’s and laughing with some new hikers we’d just met. You can see now why today was such a rad day! Lunch and afternoon story-time at the shelter with Fancy Feast and Greenbean. An early dinner and beer with Leaves. And now trail magic! Does it get any better?
I made it the final two miles to the Glen Anderson Shelter just a bit before 7 pm. But I had to quickly set my tent up to avoid all the mosquitos that were descending as the day edged toward dusk.
As I lay inside the mesh, relaxing and turning the pleasant day over in my head, I heard a familiar voice and calling my name. It was Gazelle!! She’d caught up to me. Man, this day really was the best day ever!
Gazelle had ended up staying in Delaware Water Gap longer than she’d expected yesterday, and told me she barely made it beyond the park where I saw the one-legged AT ridgerunner before she had to stop to set up camp for the night. Then she gotten up super early and pushed a big 25-mile day to catch up to me today.
Luna, meanwhile, is still a half-day behind us. He’d stayed in town last night (as expected) and was only planning to hike 15-18 miles today. So, it would just be me and Gazelle until he eventually caught up with us again.
Once Gazelle had her tent set up beside me and was ready to make dinner, she asked me where the water was located. I pointed off to the side of the shelter and told her it was a really quick walk. It was just starting to get dark under all the tall trees, but I assured her it wasn’t far at all. Heck, she wouldn’t even near her light to get there. It was so close.
Since I’d already eaten dinner at the tavern, I offered to run down and fetch the water for her, but she waved me off. She needed to wash some dirt off her hands anyway. So she might as well go herself. I’ll admit, I was secretly glad she declined my offer. The mosquitoes were now out in full force, and I was too darn comfy inside my tent!
Day 75
July 16, 2019
- Route: Glen Anderson Shelter (Mile 1326.8) to Unionville, NY (Mile 1346.9)
- Daily Mileage: 20.1 miles
Last night really was a great night. Gazelle and I spent a solid hour catching up – but we did it from inside our respective tents thanks to the hordes of mosquitos circling like vultures. My legs are covered with welts from those bastards even though I barely spent any time outside setting up my tent and getting my water before diving inside for safety.
When I woke up this morning, Gazelle was still fast asleep, so I wandered over to the shelter to make myself a cold breakfast. It’s now been a full week without my stove, and I’m not regretting the decision at all. It’s nice not to have to carry the additional weight of a pot, stove, or fuel.
At first, I worried I’d be stuck eating bars or other junk food if I didn’t have a stove. But that hasn’t been the case at all. My new routine of bagels and cream cheese for breakfast is just as satisfying as hot oatmeal was. And I’m really digging having a few new options in my diet after two and a half months on trail. The only thing I miss is my morning coffee. Sigh.
NOMAD LIFE
Almost everyone else had opted to stay in their tents last night – largely due to the swarms of mosquitos, I suspect. But there was one lone hiker who’d chosen to sleep inside the shelter. He was a guy in his 60s named Murph, and he was out here doing a several hundred mile section hike and heading southbound.
Murph was getting close to ending his trip, and while I ate breakfast he told me how much he was looking forward to 2020 when he would finally retire from his job and have enough time to finish up the trail. I asked about his job and after a few minutes of chit chat, he turned the conversation back toward me and asked about where I live.
This question always stumps me. I don’t have a super easy answer, and don’t like going down the rabbit hole to explain my whole nomadic situation. Most times, I just answer by telling people what my driver’s license says – Texas. But, every once in a while, I’ll open up and share that we’ve been traveling full-time since Keith and I retired from the military.
As soon as I gave this answer, Murph’s eyes lit up. He asked me if I was a full-time RVer. And when I said yes – he instantly shared that was his personal goal when he retired. And then we were knee-deep in the weeds talking about downsizing, the pros/cons of different RVs, campgrounds, boondocking, and so on.
I tried to limit my nomad advice to my top two or three nuggets (I didn’t want to overwhelm him) and then went to pack up my gear. But Murph followed me back to my tent to continue the conversation and really seemed to want to pick my brain. I could have sat there an talked to him all morning, but I knew I needed to hit the trail before the sun warmed up to much.
I said my goodbyes and hit the trail just as Gazelle was emerging from her tent. On a different day, I might have stuck around and waited for her, but the mosquitos were coming out again. Plus, Gazelle is such a fast, strong hiker that I was absolutely certain she’d catch me before I got more than a few miles up the trail.
THE BIGGEST BEAR
My big goal for today was to get to High Point State Park, which is home to New Jersey’s state high point. As a highpointer, I had my sights on adding another new state to my list, and New Jersey would be lucky number 13.
But first, I needed to get there. And it was still 14 miles away.
There wasn’t a lot of memorable scenery this morning as I made my way up toward the northwestern corner of New Jersey. But, I was rather surprised that Gazelle never caught up to me. Either I was moving a lot faster than normal or she’d decided to give me a bigger head start this morning than I’d thought.
As I got to mile 12 for the day, I hit the boundary of High Point State Park. I was zoning out a bit just listening to a podcast when some movement caught my attention. Up ahead of me was a really big bear. It was crossing the trail and heading up the side of the hill off to my left.
I immediately stopped, and then I caught sight of her much, much larger companion. The bear lumbering behind her was HUGE. Like grizzly bear huge! I knew he was a black bear, but I’ve never seen a black bear even close to that big. I would estimate his weight as being close to 500 pounds. Seriously! He was a monster.
I stood there in absolute silence and didn’t move an inch. I’m not normally skittish around black bears and just click my poles together to let them know I’m nearby. But not today. I might have urged him along if it have been a normal-sized bear and it was was alone. But, there were two of them and that was A LOT OF BEAR!!
So, I just waited and watched. I didn’t even pull my phone out to take a photo of them. I didn’t want my movements to create any sort of attention that I was nearby.
The first bear I’d spotted continued on its journey up the hillside, but her massive companion was struggling to keep up. The gap between the two of them kept widening and widening as the slope got steeper. Then the big bear stopped, plopped down on his rear haunches to sit down, and slowly leaned back until he was resting on a large tree.
In that moment, all I could think was, “I hear you bear. This AT is a real ass kicker. If I could stop and rest on a tree on some of these climbs, trust me, I would. But, you need to get a move on.”
After less than two minutes, the rest break appeared to be over and the big bear was up and moving again. Maybe he didn’t want his partner to leave him alone. Or maybe he just knew there were no berries here and he wasn’t ready to start his diet today. Either way, I was soon alone again and left standing stunned out there on the AT.
I’LL DO ANYTHING FOR A COLD SODA
Less than two miles later, I was popping out of the trees and walking up to the parking lot outside the High Point State Park . Ahead of me, I could see an elaborate stone building that looked like something that belonged in the English countryside. This building was the High Point Visitor Center. Talk about swanky.
I’d read some recent comments in Guthook that said the visitor center was offering free sodas for any AT thru-hikers who stopped in and signed their guest register. Heck yeah, I could do that. My signature for a free soda? Yes please.
As I approached the front door, it suddenly opened, and Fancy Feast and Greenbean popped outside with cold cans of soda in hand. Sweet! I dropped my pack at the door to pop inside and grab mine too. Then the three of us sat outside in the shade enjoying our cold root beers as I regaled them with the story of the massive bear I’d just seen.
Fancy Feast informed me that she and Greenbean planned to spend their afternoon swimming in Lake Marcia (which was just down the road inside the state park) and invited me to join them. She is all about lake swimming and has really been longing to get up to the northern states where lakes would become more and more frequent occurrences.
But I had to decline the offer. I had my own detour in mind. I had my sights set on reaching the monument for the state high point instead.
LUCKY 13
In case you didn’t know, the highest natural point in New Jersey isn’t a mountain with some cool name like Mt. Katadin or Mt. Whitney. No, as absurd as it might sound, it’s actually named High Point, NJ. And the elevation is only 1,800 feet above sea level. But New Jersey would be my 13th of the 50 state high points.
To make up for the lame name, New Jersey built a tall stone obelisk on top of their high point. I got some local tourists to take my photo of it from a deck platform then hiked the remaining half mile to the base of the monument.
When I got to the small side trail for the monument, I decided to risk leaving my pack behind at the trail junction so I could make my detour without the extra weight on my back. I wasn’t too worried that someone would steal it (I have to admit my pack smells pretty ripe after 1300 miles of blood, sweat, and tears). But I did have a moment of hesitation wondering if there were more bears who might see it as a giant burrito dropped on the forest floor for their benefit.
In the end, I risked it though. This part of the state park had plenty of tourists and cars, and that would probably make it one of the less bear-infested areas. So I tucked my pack firmly between a tree and a log and then quickly took off down the monument trail toward my destination.
Hiking without my big, heavy pack felt sublime. It felt like I was floating. “Oh wow,” I thought to myself, “is this what day hiking feels like?” I’d almost forgotten how enjoyable it could be. I was going so fast. My joints felt so little stress on them. A cool breeze cooled my sweaty back. It was absolutely glorious!
The monument was actually pretty impressive in person. It was built in 1930 as a war memorial and stands 220-feet tall. The inside is an observation tower just like the obelisk in Washington DC, but I didn’t take the trip all the way up to the top today. This was just supposed to be a quick side trip to stand on the state high point and add another notch to my belt. I didn’t need to tire myself out by climbing 20 flights of stairs to just to look out the the hazy windows.
NEW JERSEY OR NEW YORK?
When I got back to the trail junction, my pack was still safely tucked in its spot. It wasn’t mistaken for a tempting bear burrito during my absence. But as I hoisted it onto my back, it seemed even heavier somehow. I guess that liberating jaunt without it on my back was playing tricks on my mind now.
The High Point monument is in the northwestern corned of the state only about a mile from the New York border. And if the AT had continued due north from here, I’d be walking the Empire State this afternoon. But, there are still 28 miles left to hike in New Jersey thanks to the trail taking a 90° right turn toward the Atlantic Ocean. I need to would spend another day paralleling the NJ-NY border until the AT turned north yet again.
The rest of the afternoon was after my detour pretty uneventful too. No more free sodas. No more bear sightings. Just me and the trail. The only thing breaking up the monotony was the two times I tripped over roots on the trail. But I somehow managed to catch myself at the last moment each time, so I didn’t end up actually falling and hurting myself.
My proposed destination tonight was Unionville, New York, a small town perched right on the border, and less than a mile from the trail. It was also the perfect place to stop for a partial food resupply tonight.
When I arrived in town around 5:30 pm, the first place I came to was the Unionville General Store. It was smaller than a grocery store, but a lot bigger than a gas station. And they had a lovely wooden porch out front where a half dozen hikers were sitting and relaxing in the shade with ice cream. Oh yes! That was what I wanted.
GIRL TALK
As I was sitting out on the store’s porch and enjoying my Häagen-Daz ice cream bar with dark chocolate melting down my fingers, Gazelle walked up. It turns out she was only a mile behind me for pretty much the entire day, but she never seemed to catch me. I guess I was actually moving fast today, despite my bear encounter, soda break, and high point detour.
As the two of us relaxed on the porch, we finally got to catch up in depth. We’d gotten swap some stories at the picnic bench outside the church hostel in Delaware Water Gap two afternoons ago. Then we chatted again last night. But, this was our first time to just have some girl talk and my opportunity to ask about her love life.
Gazelle had been hiking with a guy named Sorte since southern Virginia. And every time I’d crossed paths with her over the past 500 miles, he was there too. She’d seemed really happy to be hiking with him, and she’d even taken her foot off the gas a bit and slowed to his pace instead of trying to complete the AT as fast as possible. But now she was hiking on her own again. So I had to ask what happened.
Gazelle explained that she’d initially parted ways with Sorte so she could jump ahead and hike with Freefall while he was on the east coast. Then Sorte had his own plans to get off the trail for a few days to go to a concert. And all this upheaval left Gazelle with a quandary. She wanted to hike with Sorte when he eventually returned to the trail. But she also needed to finish her thru-hike by 1 September. Her classes for her Doctor of Physical Therapy program began in California a week after that, so she need to pick up the pace.
And so, with great heartbreak, Gazelle and Sorte decided to part ways. I felt for her. Finding trail family is pretty easy. But, finding a trail romance is something different. She’d found a companion she connected with on that level, and it was bittersweet to have to let that go and put her own ambitions and needs first.
GETTING LOST
Gazelle and I grabbed a 6-pack of beer from the general store and then headed down the street to the local park that the town opened up for AT thru-hikers to camp in. Fancy Feast joined us while we were setting up our tents, and then the three of us went to get slices of pizza from the local pizzaria.
As we were all sitting around eating pizza and drinking beer, Gazelle brought up my water comment at the shelter last night. As you’ll recall, she asked me where the closest water source was located and I pointed her down a side trail just past the shelter. And even though it was getting dark, I told her it was super close and she could get there and back no problem in the waning light without her flashlight.
She’d shot me a weird look in that moment, but I had no idea why. The story she told next would explain everything.
After Gazelle got to Duncannon, PA (with Luna and Freefall), she wanted to return south to grab the 55 miles she’s skipped between Front Royal, VA and Harpers Ferry, WV. She figured it should only take her 2.5 days if she hiked hard. Then she’d be back on her way to Katahdin again with the rest of us.
On Gazelle’s first day making up those mile, she’d hiked until it was nearly dark. She arrived at a shelter and set up all her gear inside before heading down the hill for some water. She’d met another couple at the shelter right before departing for water, and she was certain she’d be back in just a few minutes to talk more with them. She even left her phone and headlamp behind. The water wasn’t all that far, after all.
Although Gazelle found the stream without any problem, the sun was completely down when she finished filtering her water. She started back up a trail toward the shelter in the dark, and then either took a different trail or somehow got off track. After 15 minutes of walking, she was now hopelessly lost in the dark. And she was without a headlamp or phone to light her way back to the shelter.
She hollered out for help, hoping the other couple at the shelter would hear her. But she got no response. Surely they would eventually notice she hadn’t returned and would come looking for her, right? All her stuff was in the shelter. They’d see her empty sleeping bag just laying there and wonder why she wasn’t back.
Then the rain started. At first it fell lightly. Then it transitioned to a downpour. Gazelle was still dressed in her damp hiking clothes. And the only thing she had to protect her from the storm was her lightweight rain jacket (thank goodness she had the foresight to put that on before head off to get water!).
She tucked down into a tight crouch, with her knees and legs pulled up to her chest to get them under her raincoat, and tried to stay dry beneath a tree for the next hour. She continued to call out for help until she was hoarse, but the pouring rain was drowning out her voice. She was alone. Cold. Wet. And without any way of finding her way back to the shelter. She didn’t even have anything to eat. All she had was two bottles of water.
Knowing she should stay put instead of wandering around and getting more lost, Gazelle rode out the entire night in that spot. The rain would lighten, then pick up again. And she just had to survive the night. As the sun started to creep over the horizon and bring light the next morning, she had to figure out what to do.
She hadn’t slept a wink all night, and she had no clue how far she was from the shelter or even what direction she needed to go. She knew she’d climbed a slope in the dark on her way up from the water source, but that was it. So, she continued climbing up in hopes that the high ground it would give her a vantage point to get her bearings or see the shelter.
At the top, she still couldn’t see anything. No shelter. No trail. Nothing to help her find her way back. No one had come to find her, so she’d need to save herself. She picked a direction and walked that way. Eventually the trees and forest ended and she could see a house in the distance.
She made her way to the front door and knocked. The man who answered was clearly in the middle of making his family breakfast, and Gazelle explained she was an AT hiker and got lost in the dark last night and separated from her gear. She must have looked like a crazy woman, completely drenched and with no gear other than her two partially filled water bottles.
The family let her in and fed her pancakes while listening to her wild story. Then the man gave her a lift to the closest trailhead so she could get back to her stuff again. When she arrived at the shelter, she discovered the couple HAD alerted the local authorities about her failure to return last night. And a now a full-blown search and rescue effort was underway!
Wow! What a crazy, scary experience! I’m so glad it ended well.
Day 76
July 17, 2019
- Route: Unionville, NY (Mile 1346.9) to Wawayanda Shelter (Mile 1363.7)
- Daily Mileage: 16.8 miles
Last night Gazelle, Fancy Feast, and I (along with about 15 other hikers) pitched our tents on the grassy park grounds in the small town of Unionvile, New York. I’m always impressed how kind so many of these trail communities are to us hikers.
For weeks (and sometimes even months) they open their arms to us dirty, smelly, wayward souls. And most of them do it with complete enthusiasm. For that brief period of time each summer, we become a temporary element of their community and they become a comfortable respite helping us along on our journey.
Although I’m grateful for the total generosity the town of Unionville provides, I do have one teeny, tiny complaint about last night. The park they set aside for hikers to camp in was right behind one of the city buildings. And, perhaps unbeknownst to the town, there was a motion-activated light on the back of the building that would flood the dark night every time a stray cat walked by or whenever a hiker got out of their tent to use the port-a-potty in the middle of the night.
The floodlight seemed to go off every 10 minutes all night long! And trying to fall back asleep was near impossible for me. I’d roll over and just as I’d start to doze off, the light would activate again and it was like someone shining their bright headlamp directly into my face. So needless to say, I was pretty grumpy when I find got up at 5:30 am to begin my day.
THE GARDEN STATE
Gazelle and Fancy Feast were still asleep when I decided to pack up and just head down to the General Store. It opened at 6 am, and I wanted to grab a hot cup of coffee to start my day. As I said before, my morning coffee is the one thing I really miss during this stoveless stretch of the trail. But, at least I’d get the chance to grab some java in town this morning before I took off.
I was marching out of town around 6:30 and I was solo once again. Fancy Feast wanted to wait for Greenbean to catch back up, and Gazelle needed to stick around until at least 9 am because she had a package to pick up at the post office. Then Gazelle needed to stop again about 12 miles up the trail in the town of Vernon, NJ so she could use the library’s public computers to register for her fall classes this afternoon.
Knowing this split was inevitable, we all said our goodbyes last night after our girls’ night of pizza, beer, and tall tales. And now I was on my own again as I finished up my remaining miles the New Jersey.
The northern part of New Jersey wasn’t what I expected at all. The AT took me through lots of wetlands and over curvy, wooden boardwalks. I really enjoyed the flat easy walking around the Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge where I saw lots of waterfowl (cranes I think), tall grasses and reeds along the marshes.
Then I was crossing a really cool wooden pedestrian suspension bridge. I don’t know who built this bridge all the way out here, but I had to appreciate all their effort in trying to keep my feet dry and free of the mud. This was a whole new side of New Jersey I’d never seen.
My in-laws live moved to New Jersey about a decade ago, and I visit them on a regular basis. But the part of the state they live in is nothing at all like this. Their home is maybe 100 miles south of here, but it’s amidst the vast urban sprawl that spreads from New York City to Philadelphia.
With that concrete jungle in mind, I could never understand how anyone could refer New Jersey as the Garden State. But now, I have to admit, I have a completely different impression of the state.
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
The flat wetlands didn’t last the entire day. Up ahead this afternoon, I had giant hill to tackle, known as the “Stairway to Heaven.” Just before I got there though, I had to cross a semi-busy road and decided this was a good time for lunch.
A short walk down the road led me to farm store and plant nursery named Heaven Hill Farm which had plenty of snacks, sodas, and ice cream for sale inside. I’m really starting to enjoy how frequent these little delis and stores are becoming as I move north on the AT. Not only was I able to top off my water using one of the store’s outdoor faucets and eat lunch in the shade, but I also snagged an ice cream cone to motivate me to tackle the upcoming climb.
Stairway to Heaven was probably the most difficult ascent I’d had since Lehigh Gap. Nothing in the state of New Jersey is higher than 1,809 feet above sea level. So I’ve been lucky to have pretty moderate climbs thus far. But this part of the trail went up at a very steep grade up.
Once I made it to the top, I found myself out on a rocky outcropping among a crew of day hikers. I even got one of them to take my photo, which was a nice treat. It’s difficult to get pictures where you are actually in the shot if you hike solo a lot. Even with selfies, you rarely get more than your face and a blurred background. So it was a nice change of pace to have someone else there to help document my journey.
HURRICANE BARRY
With that big climb behind me, I was looking ahead in Guthook to see where I might want to spend the night. And as I was standing beside the trail, Leaves showed up and we began to chat about our various options. The next shelter was the Wawayanda Shelter in just under 4 miles, and the shelter after that was the Wildcat Shelter, which was still 16 miles away.
Under normal circumstances, I would have wanted to stop about halfway between the two upcoming shelters and try to make a 20-ish mille day. There looked like there were plenty of creeks and seasonal streams between the two shelters where we could stealth camp too. Yet, there was just one wrinkle.
The problem we currently faced was the weather. The forecast was showing a massive storm headed our way this evening.
Hurricane Barry had hit the Gulf Coast a few days ago with 75 mph winds and massive force. But even worse, it was dropping massive rain in the states as it traveled toward the East Coast. So far, it was the wettest tropical cyclone on record in Arkansas, and the fourth-wettest in Louisiana history!
And although it was no longer a Category I hurricane as it raged toward us, it was still bringing record rain and wind in our direction and forcing trees down too. Neither Leaves nor I wanted to be stuck in the middle of nowhere when those winds and the heavy rain bore down.
We’d much rather be at an AT shelter where we might be able to use the wooden structure to protect us from the elements. And we both wanted to be in the company of other hikers, just in case something went haywire out here. There’s safety in numbers in times like this.
And so, even though it was only a little after 2 pm, Leaves and I both decided the safe bet was to call it a shorter day and head for the Wawayanda Shelter. Heck, if we were lucky – we might even be the first hikers there and snag spot inside the shelter before the heavy rain started.
THE REAL HOUSEWIVES
The two of us arrived at the shelter just before 4 pm and were dismayed to see that it was already full. Discovering that other like-minded hikers beat us to a spot in the shelter isn’t what got me down though. Because the shelter wasn’t full of smelly hikertrash.
Nope. It was filled with six ladies who appeared to be straight out of a casting call for of the Real Housewives!
These ladies were in full make-up, with fancy manicured nails, perfumed to the hilt, and wearing their best Lululemon tights. And right now they were currently sitting inside the shelter with their fuzzy blankets and pillows (yes real pillows like you might find on a bed) complaining to each other about how terribly difficult their 5-mile hike was that day!
Are you kidding me?? If I had a nice, warm, safe house nearby, I wouldn’t head out to an AT shelter with a tropical cyclone bearing down. Second off, their grousing about how utterly difficult their *5-mile* hike had been was almost seemed laughable in that moment as the rest of us were close to 1,400 miles into our own hikes.
And so, with more than just a little disappointment in our step, Leaves and I left the shelter to scout out some nearby spots where we could set our tents up. We’d have to ride out the storm outside the protection of those precious wooden walls.
While I inflated my air mattress (and silently fumed about the Real Housewives of Waywanda Shelter) I spotted several more small holes in my tent fly. Ah man! Not again. I definitely couldn’t have any holes in my tent tonight – so I set to work making some quick repairs before the storm hit.
The rain was just beginning to fall as Moss and Toaster rolled up to the shelter with a third hiker I didn’t know right behind them. Less than two minutes later Sunshine, Double D, and Two Sticks were heading toward us too! Then it was Geenbean and Fancy Feast…
The area around this shelter was going to be FULL tonight. Too bad we were all going to be isolated inside our respective tents in a massive downpour instead of enjoying each other’s camaraderie.
Day 77
July 18, 2019
- Route: Wawayanda Shelter (Mile 1363.7) to Tuxedo Park, NY (Mile 1385.7)
- Daily Mileage: 22 miles
The ominous weather forecast was absolutely right yesterday afternoon. A tropical cyclone poured down on us all night beginning around 5 pm, and it was a crazy storm. The rain as falling so hard, the drops were hitting the ground and bouncing back a foot or more back into the air.
Many of the raindrops would hit leaves and rocks (instead of the soft ground), and then bounce up an angle. This meant they could fly up under my rainfly and then come into my tent through the mesh on the upper part of the tent. So, even though I was sheltered from the hard rain, I was still dodging muddy raindrop inside my tent.
I’d found a nice flat spot to pitch my tend about 100 yards from the shelter, but there was so much heavy rain that water was running down the head of my tent and between my tent’s floor and the footprint. This river of run-off was wetting out the underside of my tent, and I spent the night perched atop my narrow air mattress like I was on a life raft trying to keep dry.
It pretty much sucked and I got horrible sleep as a result of the storm. But, at least my tent was still standing upright in the morning.
WET ROCKS
The rain was pretty light when I set out this morning, but there was now a new, problem to figure out. Much of the trail today consisted of slabs of rock I had to walk across. On a dry day it would have been fun. But today, they were as slick as ice, and I slipped and fell on my butt over and over all morning. I must have gone down eight times in the first hour of the day! My shoes just couldn’t get any purchase on the wet rock and my feet would slip right out from under me.
I was worried I might actually break something with each new fall. About a decade ago, I’d broken my wrist and elbow after a bad fall. So, I had a lot of trepidation as I went over all these rock slabs today and kept imagining the worst outcome.
I tried just about every technique I could think of to stay upright too. Using my trekking poles. Storing my trekking poles. Taking shorter steps. Taking more deliberate steps. Walking only on the balls of my feet. Slowing down. Speeding up. No matter what I did, I still found myself slipping and falling over and over again.
The only time I felt semi-safe was when I could walk on some sort of moss growing at the edge of the rock slabs. That vegetation seemed to provide just enough traction to keep me upright. But, more often than not, this option didn’t exist.
Yet despite the super slick rocks, there were some highlights too. And the first one came in the form of the New York border, which was spray painted on some of the boulders I walked across about 4 miles into my day.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
The drizzle and rain followed me into my 9th state on the AT, but I got a nice treat to welcome me to New York. Up on some of the rocky outcroppings there were ripe blueberry bushes. I plucked a few handfuls of them each time I stopped as a mini reward for making it just a little further north without breaking and arm or leg.
Although the blueberries were a nice surprise, I had my eye on a bigger bonus just ahead. I’d heard and read about an ice cream shop that I’d cross paths with about 10 miles into the day. It was called Bellvale Farms, and it has been making its own homemade ice cream since 1819.
Although it was over 1/3 of a mile off trail, I was willing to take this little detour if it meant getting ice cream. My hiker hunger really is out of control lately. All I can think of lately is food, food, and more food. The idea of homemade ice cream is something I simply could not pass up today.
When I arrived at Bellvale Farms it was only 11:30 am. It was still half hour before they opened for the day, yet there was already a line of hikers waiting on their covered porch trying keep themselves out of the elements. Toaster, Moss, Sunshine, Leaves…. We all had the same idea. Ice Cream!!
At noon, their front door opened and it was a very orderly hikertrash parade into the ice cream shop to place our orders. I decided to go for a large cherry vanilla shake, and then joined everyone outside while we silently consumed the sweet, cold goodness of ice cream for lunch.
DISGUSTING WATER
The ice cream put me in a good mood this afternoon, which was good because otherwise I might have snapped. The next few hours involved more rock scrambling and boulder walking in the rain. My hiking clothes were completely soaked though, and although I wasn’t cold in my wet attire, I was starting to chafe.
I developed had angry red rashes on my lower back, right where my pack was rubbing again the waistband of my shorts. Plus, the inside of my thighs were chafing right where the inside seam of my wet shorts were clinging to them. I stopped to add a layer of body glide to coat the two areas, but it didn’t bring much relief.
I also struggled with finding water today. This was a bitter irony, given how wet the trail was here. All of the seasonal streams or brooks simply weren’t flowing anymore, even with the last 12 hours of heavy rains. Local trail angels were putting dozens of water jugs at the trailheads to make up for this deficit. Unfortunately, each time I arrived at one of these water caches, it was completely empty!
When I finally got a stream that was running, the water was bright orange! I know this discoloration was probably from the leaves, but it still seemed pretty unappetizing. Even after I filtered my water, it still had a disgusting rusty hue. But, beggars can’t be choosers I guess. And I was so thirsty.
TEARS & TUXEDOS
There was a bit of rock scrambling during the later part of afternoon, and it was pretty difficult in the increasing rain. Each time I came to a new obstacle, I had to slow down – yet again – to try to avoid slipping or injuring myself. The rain was becoming exhausting and making the trail experience downright miserable.
I wasn’t the only one feeling the mental and physical drain either. At one point I came up on Sunshine standing on the side of the trail. She was in tears, and I immediately stopped to ask if she was ok. Had she fallen and hurt herself? Was she okay?
She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and admitted she was physically fine. She was just soaking wet, physically exhausted, and hitting a mental wall.
I knew exactly how she felt. Hiking on a beautiful sunny day can make you forget all your troubles. But hiking 20+ miles of the AT on a miserable, rainy day can magnify every little pain you’re feeling. It will absolutely break you if you let it.
I wasn’t quite on the verge of tears today, but I’d felt everything Sunshine was experiencing too. I knew the anguish. I’d felt that overwhelming desire to quit when it just felt too hard. Thru-hiking isn’t easy. There is a reason fewer than 25% of hikers who begin the trail make it the entire way.
And today was a crappy day. Yes, we’d had ice cream for lunch. But we’d also spent the entire day slogging through the rain with wet clothes, and wet packs, and would be setting up in wet tents on wet ground at the end of it all. We’d all slipped and fallen more times than we could count. There water caches were dry. And the trail was really hard. I don’t blame her a bit for needing a good cry.
Over the past few miles I’d had to play a mental game with myself to keep going. Today was so challenging that I’d needed to come up with a plan. And so, I’d created a bargain where I would reward myself with a hitch to town and a dry motel room, if could push 22 miles today in this shitty weather. That would get me to a highway and a portal back to civilization.
I told Sunshine about my plan and offered to split a motel room with her. She could spend the night indoors and hit the reset button. After all, everything looks so much more manageable after a hot shower and dry clothes.
I could see Sunshine turning the offer over in her head before quietly turning me down. She wanted stay on trail. She just needed to get a good cry out and then catch up to Double D and Two Sticks. Once she was back in the company of her trail family, she knew everything would be good again.
After making sure she was really fine, I forged ahead toward my destination. I made it to the NY Highway 17 around 6:20 pm, and it was pouring even harder now than ever.
I had my umbrella out to keep me semi-sheltered from the downpour, but I knew in my heart there was zero chance I was going to get a hitch in this weather. Who would be crazy enough to pick up a wet, smelly hiker in the heavy rain? I would most likely be road walking the final 2 miles to the motel in Tuxedo Park.
Luck was shining down on me though. I had two bars of signal when swtiched my iPhone out of airplane mode. It was just enough to call the motel to confirm they had vacancy (they did) and summon a Lyft to my location so I didn’t have to walk the final two miles on the shoulder of the busy highway.
After this miserable day, I felt like I needed that reset button I was telling Sunshine about.
Week 11 Overview
- Lowest Mileage Day: 13.5 miles
- Highest Mileage Day: 23.5 miles
- Number of days with rain on trail: 3
- Tropical cyclones that completely wet out my tent: 1
- Number of nights sleeping in my tent or AT shelter: 6
- Nights drying out in a comfy hotel bed for my “mental reset”: 1
- Best wild animal sighting: a giant porcupine
- Biggest wild animal seen: that giant bear (and his friend) near High Point State Park
- Weirdest people sighting: The Real Housewives of Wawayanda
- Number of times I visited the bakery at DWG to have fresh pie: 2
- Number of detours off-trail for lunchtime ice cream: 2 (Heaven Hill Farm & Bellvale Farms)
- State High Points visited: 1 (High Point, NJ)
- Total miles hiked this week: 133.9