Days 112-118

July 23-27

Stealth Campsite at Mile 1270, Pennsylvania

to Seven Oaks Road, New York

Days 112-113

Stealth Campsite at Mile 1270 to Wind Gap

to Delaware Water Gap

It rained hard in the morning.  As soon as there was a short break in the downpour, I stowed my wet gear and hit the trail.  Around noon, the rain stopped, and the weather was good the rest of the day.

The trail was the usual Pennsylvania collage of rocks, made slippery by the rain.

TRAIL MAGIC AT SMITH GAP:

Four Feet, a math teacher and former AT hiker, provided Kentucky Fried Chicken, chips, candy, and cold drinks to thru-hikers.  Our host hikes about a thousand miles a year in spite of his disability.  As the picture shows, Four Feet has an interesting set of crutches that allow him to hike.  He also takes his students on hikes, many of whom haven't hiked before.

Four Feet

It was slow going due to lots of wet rocks.  By the time I reached Wind Gap, it was getting dark.  Because all my gear was wet, I decided to stay at a motel that was at an AT road crossing.  Let's just say, a flea bag motel would have been an improvement.  My options were to sleep in a wet tent and wet goose down sleeping bag or stay.  I stayed and hung my wet tent, sleeping bag, and other gear in my motel room to dry.

The nine-mile hike into Delaware Water Gap was a bit rocky but uneventful.  

I planned to take a nero at Delaware Water Gap, restock for the next four to five days of hiking, and check into a motel.  I was surprised to find that there were no markets in this town.  The closest market was eleven miles away.  An Uber ride solved the problem.

There are a lot of restaurants and small specialty shops in town.  Best of all, the Village Farmers Apple Pie Bakery,  the shop had a $5.00 hot dog and apple pie special.  All I can say is culinary heaven -- the stuff that thru-hikers dream of.  I bought a second slice to enjoy later.

Day 114

Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania

to

Brink Road Shelter, New Jersey

I'm finally OUT OF ROCKSYLVANIA!  I have to say that I didn't enjoy Northern Pennsylvania and don't think I'll return.  Southern Pennsylvania was great in comparison.

I'm now in New Jersey.  In this area, the AT runs along a very busy four-lane highway.  As I was walking, a lady driving a minivan, with three other hikers in the back, stopped and offered me a ride.  She said that she had hiked the AT in 2009 and absolutely hated road walking.  She made it her mission to give hikers a ride to a quieter trailhead.  I was not enjoying the noise or exhaust fumes.  It's interesting that you can hear highway road noise over a mile up the trail.

I crossed the 1300-mile marker today.  900 Miles to the top of Mt. Katahdin.

I was surprised to see how much water there is on this trail section.  There were a number of creeks, beaver dams, marshes, and ponds.  With all that slow-moving water also comes a lot of mosquitoes and biting gnats.

I stopped by a roadside pizza place and bought a calzone for dinner.  I enjoyed my dinner sitting on a granite slab, watching the sunset.  

I arrived at the Brink Road Shelter in the dark and quickly set up camp.  I was the only one there.  I tend not to stay in the shelters because they are generally full of mice.

Day 115

Brink Road Shelter to High Point Shelter

It had been suggested to me that the New Jersey trails were going to be rolling hills with fewer rocks.  Although not as rocky as Pennsylvania, there are still a lot of rocks to contend with, and these New Jersey hills are not rolling.

The good thing is that the weather was pleasant today.  I passed by the Gren Anderson Shelter.

Gren Anderson Shelter

Near the High Point Monument is a large, covered observation/picnic structure located on top of a hill.  It's close to a parking lot and is frequented by families.

I was passing a family headed up to the observation structure when a little girl exclaimed, "Mommy, that man stinks."  All I could do was laugh.  I told her that she was absolutely right and that I needed a shower.  The little girl replied, "you do," all while a horrified mother looked on and tried to shush her daughter.  The truth is the truth.  I stopped at a creek and took a quick bath.

The High Point Monument in New Jersey's High Point State Park is an interesting obelisk sitting atop a mountain.  It's reminiscent of the Washington Monument in DC.

High Point Monument

TRAIL MAGIC:

I received trail magic from Big Van Mike, who hiked the AT in 1975 and 1978.  He provided cold drinks, fruit, pastries, and an assortment of treats.  He also provides first-aid for unfortunate hikers and specializes in blisters.

When he's not providing trail magic, Big Van Mike travels the country in his van.  He delights in adding a sticker to his van for each location he visits.  he even had a sticker from Tonopah, Nevada.

Big Van Mike

I was expecting to spend the night at Mosley's Hostel.  The owner said she didn't have any guests by 5:00 p.m. and made other plans for the evening.  I ended up pushing on in search of a camping spot.  This area is extremely rocky, and there are very few areas to camp.

It gets dark quickly in the dense forest.  I dawned my headlamp and made it to the High Point Shelter about 9:30 p.m.  I quickly pitched my tent and fixed dinner.  Again, I was the only one there.

All through the night, there was a loud crunching noise, sticks breaking, and an occasional thud.  I never did see what was making the noise, but I suspect it was a small bear or a large racoon.

Day 116

High Point Shelter to County Road 517

Today was hot, but the trail was reasonable.  There were a few climbs, and there were some flat areas in the farmlands.  Not a bad day hiking.

There is quite a bit of running water in this area, which is refreshing compared to North Carolina and Pennsylvania, which pretty much had none.  There are also a lot of marshes and swamps.  I'm not sure what the difference is between the two; they look the same to me.  Yes, there are major swarms of mosquitoes that go along with all of this standing water.

Walking along the farmlands was a welcome diversion from the green tunnels and corridors of the Appalachian forest.

All this walking in a hot, humid region made me hungry and thirsty.  The FarOut app said there was an ice cream shop in Unionville that had dairy-free options.  Milk and I don't get along.  This sounded good to me.

Unionville, New York (this part of the AT in New Jersey is near the state border), is a quiet little town that offers thru-hikers free camping in the town park.  I purchased a fuel canister for my stove at the general store and milk-free ice cream, plus a pina colada drink, from the ice cream shop.  Both were tasty and cold.

Day 117

County Road 517, New Jersey

to Seven Oaks Road, New York

Most of today was spent on the spine of the Appalachian Mountains.  This means a lot of short, steep climbs with descents down the other side.

Koola Climbing

I crossed the border into New York, and it looks a lot like New Jersey.  That's one more state to check off my AT checklist.

Our friend Lauren picked me up on a road access at Seven Oaks Road, near Fingerboard Shelter, for a several-day stay at her home near the AT corridor.  Lauren has shared backpacking, mountain biking, and kayaking adventures in the past with us and other longtime friends from Reno.  Lauren fed me all sorts of wonderful food that didn't require rehydration; gave me a wonderful, air-conditioned place to sleep; and drove me back and forth to various locations on the trail, allowing me to slack pack for the next two days.

THANK YOU, LAUREN!!