Date: 2009-08-06
From: Wild camp south of Blue Mountain Lakes Road

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

I was tired again this morning and I realised why. The night in the bunk house. We had sat up until about 11pm and that¢s way too late for me. These days 8 or 9 is about my bedtime and anything later knocks me right out the following night.The unexpected late start did have its rewards though, as while I was breaking down my tent I saw a bear bounding along through the undergrowth off to my right (well I was 90% sure it was a bear ¢ a black head popping up and down through the bush). A few minutes later another one ¢ this time a clear sighting. The strange thing though was that they appeared to make no noise. I saw them, they were moving fast, there was lots of bush to crash through and they were only about 30 yards away but no real noise ¢ strange.   They are not normally so dainty.I got some ¢rusty¢ water from a Trailside pump and passed another group of hikers who had also seen a bear this morning before stopping for breakfast. A break that proved to be all too brief, the mosquitoes made it, if not intolerable, then certainly less than relaxing.The Trail led up onto a ridge of large slabs of exposed rock. It was sunny and my clothes, if not socks and shoes, were dry. There were also good views to both sides, blue skies above and pleasant trail beneath my feet ¢ in there words all was well.By Brinks Road Shelter I ran into the first of two groups that would thoroughly brighten up my day. I met them just before I headed off for water. We chatted for a bit. They were a group of girls from a ¢Y¢ summer camp who were heading south to Delaware Water Gap. It turned out that I was the first thru hiker they had met and despite the sorry example I am of a thru hiker they still seemed intrigued and keen to ask about my trip. How many costumes do you have? Was one of the more humorous questions but I knew what she meant. Like everybody out here they too had to limit what they carried ¢ no doubt reluctantly leaving a costume or two behind. You know what young girls are like.They were great company. They¢re enthusiasm, sense of wonder, interest and politeness making me feel just a little more special than I know I am. The mosquitoes were numerous, voracious and ferocious though so we parted sooner that I would have liked, saying my goodbyes and beating a hasty retreat.I walked along the ridge to Culver¢s Gap with good views down towards a large lake. The lake front property looked impressive and I imagined expensive. In the words of the ¢driveby truckers¢ like the sort of place that ¢doctors, lawyers and musicians teach their kids to water ski¢. An ice cream and soda at Culver¢s Gap fuelled me for the climb to Culver¢s Fire Tower where at the lookout just below I ran into the day¢s second group of youngsters. Once again they were a joy to spend time with.This time they were a bunch of cross-country runners from Virginia up in New Jersey for another summer camp. Things started innocently enough with a few questions but then as momentum started to grow it developed into a full blown question and answer session with yours truly in the hot seat. Naturally I loved my time in the spotlight but also tried to give a rounded and thought provoking impression of Trail life. I think it was in Erwin at the Dairy Ace that I read a poster suggesting ways of being nice and brightening up other people¢s days. Things like ¢ask their name¢, remember their name, take an interest in what they are doing, give people your time, that sort of thing. I was very lucky today to meet so many people who did just that to me and the result, unexpectedly, was to make my day and to put a smile on my face that started way down inside ¢ from my very core. It¢s gratifying to this grumpy old man to be shown such kindness and thoughtfulness by people so young. I often despair of the young and their attitudes but today I know that, in part at least, I am wrong. There is hope and it is embodied in these wonderful people.