Date: 2023-06-04
From: DetziÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Tavern at Windy Gap

To: MartyÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Hostel at Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 15.4

Hiking Day 81, Ending Elevation 390 feet We had some excitement last night. When Shiloh, One of Detzi¢s managers showed us where we could park our tent, she mentioned that the cats running around lived there and they keep the rodent population down. There were several nice looking cats and we didn¢t give it another thought. That is, until 1:15 a.m. when Felix, without making a sound leapt through the tent netting in pursuit, we believe, of some animal. We think it must have been a cat and that he tree¢d it as he returned rather sheepishly soon after. Had it been a deer, he would probably still be chasing it! We have traveled at least 2500 miles with that dog in that tent and when we close the net door, he knows it¢s time to settle down. The mystery is how he so easily ripped through the tent. We think when he leapt, it was paws first and his claws tore through the net¢¦just like one of those circus animals leaping through paper rings.My theory as to how this happened is that he couldn¢t see the net in the dark but he either heard and possibly smelled the cat close by, could have seen its eyes too. Anyway, I will be trying to fix the tent before we go to sleep and now it seems, we may have to keep him leashed in the tent as well. Poor dog! I think being on the trail, like us, has made him more aware of the natural world, and sensitized him especially to the smells and sounds in it. He doesn¢t just live in our universe anymore, he has an entirely different kind of animal world to be curious about. We see it as we walk, he is totally curious and watching everything.So with all that excitement last night, I had a hard time going back to sleep and I thought I would be tired today but I wasn¢t. In the morning, we got up and ready to go, when Joey, one of Detzi¢s owners showed up. He¢s a triplet, and Detzi¢s has been in the family for two generations. He told us that they are in the process of selling the business as they are all in their 60s. He made us coffee and took us to the trailhead in his truck¢¦we had heard how kind he is, and we experienced his kindness first hand.At the trailhead, we immediately started up on a steep and rocky path and as we reached the ridgeline, we shortly passed Stick Shift, Mac, Mountain Man and Trail Mix hanging out and building a fire. It was a cool morning! It wasn¢t long before the rocks were more than not and this was the case all the way to Wolf Rocks, 6.8 miles from the trailhead. They weren¢t so bad that we were seriously slowed and when we finally reached Wolf Rocks we found them marked strategically along the safest/simplest passage for the most part. As Recon had told us, they were much easier to negotiate than the Knife Edge and Lehigh Gap. After Wolf Rocks, it was smooth sailing all the way to the Delaware Water Gap.I think this was the best hiking weather we have had so far, and we have had some great days! But today, the sun was shining through the tree canopy and because the ground was mostly in shadow, the sunlight created what I think of as negative shadows, or shadows in reverse. At the same time, a cool, refreshing breeze kept the temperature about perfect¢¦felt like they high 60s to me.The closer we got to Delaware Water Gap, the more day hikers we saw, in fact, the most we have ever seen, but perhaps it was because school is out for summer and it was a Sunday.Even though we haven¢t come that far today at 15 miles, we thought it was a good place to stop¢¦we need dog food and some other supplies so after 2 milkshakes apiece, and wandering around the quaint old town, Kerry took off for Walmart whilst I did the laundry.Tomorrow, is another day¢¦we will go over 1300 miles and enter our eighth state: New Jersey!More People:At the Bakery, where we had our milkshakes, we ran into Stealth and Sparks again, with Stealth¢s friend, George, who is visiting for a couple of weeks from Germany and we have not met him before. Sparks¢ sister, Mouse is off the trail for an injury, but plans to return. We met them a long time ago and haven¢t seen them since. It¢s funny how people come and go!