Date: 2010-07-05
From: Rattlesnake Mountain

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

More wonderful views along the ridge. The vegetation on Kittatiny Mountain here is scrubby oaks, which open often to great views of the Delaware River which the trail parallels for about 40 miles. Today we can also see Culver Lake. The trail has some extremely rocky parts, but some extremely flat wonderful parts as well. It's over 100 degrees again, and we decide to partake of some grub, cold drinks and AC at Gyp's Tavern. It's about .3 off the trail. We pass another business that has signs telling hikers not to walk on the grass and to put packs on a bench towards the back of the building. Okay fair enough. Gyp's Tavern has some hiker-oriented signs as well. But sometimes I think I am the only one who actually reads the signs.         A review I have posted online in several places: "I visited this bar while hiking the Appalchian Trail in July 2010. The trail is .3 miles from the bar and hikers often stop in. I followed posted signs and left my pack at the designated spot- followed all the rules. My husband and I bought a meal and drinks, tipped well despite being mostly ignored and then went outside. It was an incredibly hot 100 degree day and we decided to sit in the shade for another hour or so to let the tempature fall a little before heading back to the trail. We were well away from the outdoor seating area that no one was using, didn't have our packs unpacked, we were just resting quietly under a tree and a waitress came outside and very rudely asked us to leave"- told us we couldn't sleep there and went on and on- we left but did everything we could to spread the word that this was a very unfriendly place to hikers- they were also extremely rude to Eddy, a hiker friend of ours who didn't speak very good english and hadn't seen the signs to leave his pack outside.        I was just flabbergasted by the behavior there. I know hikers are sometimes rude and maybe someone ahead of us ruined someone's day- but all I know is we did absolutely nothing to deserve being treated this way. I left notes at the trailhead warning hikers not to go there, and talked a couple hikers out of going there. Eddy was also treated extremely rudely- a very polite german guy who doesn't speak great english and tried to bring his pack inside. Don't go to Gyp's Tavern, they don't deserve our business.         So we road walked the 2 miles or so to Gren Anderson Shelter rather than climb up a rocky ridge in the heat only to descend back to the shelter by the road. You pretty much have to know where it is to do this though- you can't see the shelter easily from the road during leaf on. But there is a small spot on the side of the road where people have pulled off and that is your cue to hike up in the woods a hundred yards or so. You do miss a firetower tho.         It was so hot and we were so pissed off from the tavern experience. We did run into Nesta again which was awesome, and we camped with him, Eddy, and some others. More sweating in the tent surrounded by mosquito motorcycles. We are looking forward to hanging out with the Zmach's and chilling in the AC.