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…
Daily Miles: 9.2, Total Miles: 1,297.2 Rained all night and, yes, the hiker who camped so close to me last night had a steady snore. I’m sure I returned the favor. I also awoke to a puddle at the bottom of my tent so I wasn’t a happy camper. I put on my soggy clothes and made a quick exit, taking the slightly longer bad weather bypass around Wolf Rocks. No views to be had in this mist and these…
Daily Miles: 22.3, Total Miles: 1,288.0 As I was packing up this morning, a couple of hunters walked by – opening day of turkey season. I saw no turkeys today but heard a lot of gunshots. Cloudy today and much cooler. Not a lot of viewpoints so focused on my foot placement through the rocky sections and ground the miles out. A good day for podcasts. Another appreciated water cache at Smith Gap saved me a few detours looking for…
Daily Miles: 20.9, Total Miles: 1,265.7 I spooked two whitetail just after leaving my campsite this morning. Quickly arrived at Thunderbird Lodge off of PA Route 309 and refilled my water bottles – they kindly help hikers. Later in the morning on a flat section of trail, my right shoe caught an upturned rock and I fell fast and hard (once again) to my knees and then the weight of my backpack drove my face to the ground. I laid…
Daily Miles: 24.6, Total Miles: 1,244.8 I called a shuttle driver, Avatar, to take me the three miles back to Port Clinton. A beautiful day in PA but warming up fast, especially after the climb up from the Schuylkill River. Hiked near the crest of the high ridge nearly all day except for the one time I missed a turn and didn’t discover my error until about one mile later. I fortunately found myself on a road that eventually led…
Daily Miles: 0, Total Miles: 1,220.2 Wake up, rest, breakfast, rest, lunch, rest ,nap, spaghetti dinner and bed. I was going to walk across the street to the largest Cabelas in the US but decided the two-mile round trip was energy best saved for tomorrow. Made calls to family and some prep work for the next leg to Delaware Water Gap and the Poconos.
