Daily Miles: 12.3, Total Miles: 1,451.9 Nice grass lawn behind the pizzeria to camp on but I didn’t realize there was a cement plant across the street seemingly working and shipping out 24 hrs per day. I put the earplugs in for the industrial noise plus the pitter patter of rain most of the night. No regrets though! More up and down, rock, slick leaf litter and rain for the 12 miles to West Dover Road. Drenched by the finish…
Daily Miles: 20.6, Total Miles: 1,439.6 A rocky trail, up and down all day with not a lot of good views. I put more focus on not turning an ankle or bashing my head on an overhanging limb. Passed a cool historic site, the foundation of a colonial barn that served as an inoculation station in the winter of 1776. George Washington ordered all troops to be inoculated – now that was a real leader. Leapfrogged down the trail all…
Daily Miles: 21.1, Total Miles: 1,419.0 A nice start to the day with a cool and clear morning. First decision was whether to take the new AT or old AT across the Palisades Interstate Parkway. The old AT is shorter but you have to directly cross a busy, divided freeway. I opted for the old AT and was glad I did. Very little wait time to safely cross both directions of traffic. I soon entered Bear Mountain State Park and…
Daily Miles: 21.9, Total Miles: 1,397.9 Jim from Lake Lodging took me back to the TH off NT State Route 17A. A light but steady rain for about the first four hours of hiking – careful footing required. Under the green canopy today, made even greener by tall green grass and green ground cover. Couldn’t see much at the viewpoints early in the day due to weather but I did pass some nice waterfalls and small lakes. I met and…
Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 1,376.0 Nice sleep and a Dunkin Donuts next door – doesn’t get much better than that! Took a stroll around a large arm of Greenwood Lake. this morning. Old, nicely kept houses with the smell of mowed grass right down to the lake. May be the closest I get to NYC but you wouldn’t know it in this country setting. I put more patches on the holes in my Zpacks pack and dried out my…
Daily Miles: 15.1, Total Miles: 1,376.0 I slept hard and so enjoyed being dry this morning. As forecasted, it rained off and on all night and most of the day. It wasn’t a fun day dealing with mud, slick rocks, slips, slides and constantly fogged up glasses. I was seeing well enough to spot a large black bear cross the trail in front of me soon after passing the NJ-NY state line. He didn’t even look my way. After getting…
Daily Miles: 18.9, Total Miles: 1,360.9 Up early on a cool but humid morning. I can tell the days are getting longer – no longer need a headlamp at 5:30am. Different landscapes on the hike today. Started up high but quickly dropped down to thickly forested bogs and flooded areas. The path was helped from time to time by boardwalks which kept me mostly out of the mud. Passed a few farms and though several fields of high grass. In…
Daily Miles: 20.8, Total Miles: 1,342.0 It started sprinkling as I drinking my coffee this morning. I knew it may not get any better so I quickly packed up and hit the trail. I soon left Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area but stayed on the high ridge for the most part. The rocks on the trail were slicker than snot after rain most of the morning. As it partially cleared and warmed up, tiny gnats came out in full force….
Daily Miles: 24.0, Total Miles: 1,321.2 I strolled across quiet Delaware Water Gap on a misty morning. By the time I crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey, the mist was lifting to blue skies. I saw a couple of bald eagles flying along the river. I quickly entered the Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area and followed very pretty Dunnfield Creek back up the mountain. Another walk in the woods but a different terrain with old glacial ponds. A porcupine…
Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 1,297.2 A restful morning, I finished my pastry for breakfast and got in the shower with my tent. Full of grime and leaves which clogged the drain (I unclogged it). I went back to Village Farmers and Bakery for a cheeseburger for lunch and a takeout chicken pot pie for dinner. Even got a complementary soft-serve ice cream and enjoyed it while waiting for the burger – my kind of place! Planned the next leg…
