Date: 2007-05-11
From: The Dalton Residence, Blairstown, PA

To: Slackpackin NJ
Miles today: 50.5

More slackpacking thru NJ. Turns out we've got it made. Thanks to Guthook's connections thru "Irish" [Noel Cotter, NOBO '06] we're never gonna stay in a NJ shelter or have to camp.We're stayin at Mike & Tanya Dalton's Taj Mahal home the whole time! Mike & Noel drive us to the trailhead each morning and we slackpack with less than half our normal packweight and they pick us up each nite & return us to "home." Another shower and home cooked meal. Sleep in a bed WITH SHEETS & BLANKETS! No sleeping bag! Can't beat it. Breakfast in the a.m. too.Summary of last few days in NJ:Hot & Humid, rocky but nothin compared to PA.5/10 Sunrise Mountain to Mohican Outdoor Center ~23.3 miles   [hikin southbound, easier for dropoff, pickup]Saw black snake and a RATTLE SNAKE. Guthook discovered it right beside the trail when it rattled its tail and slowly continued away into the leaves. Yikes! Big sucker too. 6' or so and 4-5" diameter. Never coiled up though, just mosied away. Whew.Guthook did a face plant and bent his trekking pole in the process. Pretty funny from my perspective. Reminds me what Miss Janet told Cough Drop the day he stumbled and bent his trekking pole...remember you can get hurt slackpacking too, so be careful. Mike & Noel picked us up @6pm with cold sodas!! Thanks!!Home, showered, laundry & Mike fired up the BBQ! Burgers deluxe with all the salads and fixings (Thanks Mike & Tanya!!)5/11 County Rd 517 to Sunrise Mountain ~ 27.2 milesRained a little before we started, so VERY Humid & hot. Last day with Noel as he's headed for Wales. Very cool guy. And super friendly, kind. Repaired our shoes with shoe goo (glue) while we chilled. LONG DAY. It's been a while since we did big miles and the middle part was pretty rocky. Uggh.Guthook pulled 12 ticks climbing up his legs just today! Total thats 25 in about 1 week. For me only 4 today, 9 total. We theorize he gets more cuz he smells worse! he he...actually we think it's cuz he's been hikin first clearing the way for me. Keep up the good work Guthook! Clear those rattlers too!Finally finished around 1930 hours. Mike was there waitin again with cold sodas! What a guy! Mucho Appreciato!Back to the house for showers, and another home cooked meal. Thanks again Tanya!It's our last nite here unfortunately. The hospitality has been great. Can't ask for nicer people. Opened their home to us, treated us like family. Only nicer. Food, laundry, rides, a 5 star bed and breakfast. Guthook has some great friends! And I'll miss hangin with Noel. Hope he has a great time in Wales.Tomorrow we'll slack pack 18 miles from County 517 to Greenwood Lake NY where another AMC memeber and friend of Mike/Noel, Kerrie will pick us up, put us up for the nite and shuttle us back in the morning. Then its 10 miles to Arden NY where Guthook's friend Aaron will pick us up, run us to the gear store for some repairs [Guhooks's bent trekking pole, etc.] and deliver us to Guthook's old college, Vasser, in Poughkeepsie NY. We'll slack outta there for a couple days gettin shuttles from various folks then on to CT.Tentatively Guthook will stay behind for a full zero day with old college friends while I will press on to CT to meet some friends and spread my zero day over several days hikin thru CT/and or MA at slower than normal pace. Guthook & I will meet up again and continue on schedule to VT,NH & MECan't wait!FedEx