Date: 2017-07-23
From: NJ 94, Vernon, NJ/Miss Melissa's House

To:  Wildcat Shelter Tent Site 
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: scattered clouds

7/23 NJ 94, Vernon, NJ/Miss Melissa's House to Wildcat Shelter Tent Site 17.1 Miles Total Miles:  1374.0I slept like a baby in my Yankee jammies and awoke with my guilt meter for wearing them was at zero.  One of the things I enjoy about the trail is meeting new people who have never been subjected to my corny jokes, so they actually think they are funny.  Example: How did you sleep last nighr?  I slept like a baby. Cried all night and woke up wet.  I really like it when someone asks me about my knees. I get to tell them that when I was a child, I was a medical miracle; I had four kidneys. Then, I grew up and now have two kidneys and two adult knees.  But enough of my corny jokes, and on with my missive about my day. I did sleep well and woke up at 6:00. I was the first one up, so I quietly got the laundry and took it to the basement. Gravity was soon up, and we both finished packing. Miss Melissa continued being wonderful and made coffee and then made me a huge breakfast sandwich with eggs, ham, and cheese. She then drove us back to the trail, where we thanked her again.  She may not consider herself an angel, but I could make strong arguments otherwise. Thank you again, Miss Melissa!  The trail started out steeply, and then New Jersey let me know in a big way that we weren't through with the rocks. I climbed up and over all shapes and sizes on my way to Pinwheels Vista, atop Wawayanda Mountain.  On my way up, I met Mark, a day hiker who immediately started up a conversation. Like Hoosier, he has been reading my journal and found an opportunity to meet me.  He had already read the day's entry, and we laughed about a life-long Cardinal fan in Yankee attire.  He gave me some pointers about upcoming trail attractions before continuing on his southbound way. Thanks, Mark, for reading my journal and coming out to meet me. It means a lot to me.  I was soon climbing a steep, rocky stairway called, naturally, the Stairway to Heaven.  I sang the Zepplin classic to myself as I climbed.  The views from Pinwheels Vista were fantastic. The trail became easier and I started making better time on my way to the Wawayanda State Park Headquarters, where I got water and ate my lunch.  I left lunch feeling great. I didn't bother with a nap, as it was cooler today, and I didn't feel sleepy.  My plan was to make it to Highway 17, get an ice cream at the Creamery down the road, and make it to Wildcat Shelter well before dark. However, we all know what can happen to the well laid plans of mice and men.  In this case it was huge rocks along miles of ridgeline.  To quote AWOL in my guidebook: Despite the unimposing profile, rocks, abrupt ups & downs make this section challenging.  I really should read the small print more carefully.  They next several miles, the last in New Jersey and the first in New York, were very slow going, indeed. I repeatedly had to forgo using my poles as I crawled up, over, and down huge rock formations along ridgelines. At one place, the rock cliff is so steep that a ladder of rebar is driven into the rock face. Everywhere else, the hiker is left to his or her own devices to figure out a pathway. It was a real challenge which I enjoyed, but my progress was very slow. I finally arrived at the state line, denoted by white paint on the rocks. I paused to set some of Beau free and take a photo. I'm now in New York full time. Not much past the border, I climbed to Prospect Rock, the highway point of the AT in New York. The spot is marked by an American flag flying on a homemade, wooden pole. The wind was blowing, making for an impressive sight.  I continued on, my hopes for ice cream steadily dwindling, when a southbound hiker informed me that the trail for the last few miles to Highway 17 were quite easy, although he didn't know about the last two miles I planned to cover between Highway 17 and the shelter. I found that the prospect of ice cream and wanting to get to camp before dark is as strong a motivation as a thunderstorm.  I made excellent time to the highway and quickly covered the short distance to the Creamery.  Alas, it closes early on Sundays, and I was a few minutes late. Oh well, if I had gotten an earlier start this morning,  I would have had to cut short my time with my favorite Yankee fan, Miss Melissa, and that wasn't about to happen. I was soon back on the trail with only two miles to go to the shelter.  I made great time for the first 1.3 miles and was planning my evening since I would be getting in close to dark. I then was introduced to the Eastern Pinnacles and to Cat Rocks.  The views were great, as was the time and effort to get there.  I took my time,  reminding myself of my natural lack of flexibility and balance. It took quite a bit of hand and feet climbing and a bit of butt scooting, but I made it through.  I was off the rock faces, but not to the shelter, before dark.  Donning the nifty head lamp I procured from Steohen, I made it to the tent site area about ten minutes past datk. A group of fellow hikers were around a fire. I quickly set up my tent and then tried to find the spring beyond the shelter to get some much-needed water. I was unsuccessful at first, and found myself wandering around in a boggy area looking for the blue blazed trail. I now better appreciate the old saying, "Where in blue blazes is it?" There was no sense in getting frustrated, and I ended up returning to the fire, hoping for better directions. Instead, one hiker, who had gotten equally as lost and confused in the daylight, went with me and showed me the small box spring.  I had been pretty much on top of it earlier.  It was a good source, and I soon had water. Returning to the fire ring, I had a cold supper of extra food bars as I enjoyed the fellowship that such a fire can bring. It has been several weeks since I have been in an area with a campfire.  I had a long conversation with Bear King, whom I haven't seen since eating with him at Trail Angel Mary's.  We have very similar taste in music, as well as a shared interest in brewing. I told him about Stephen's and my home brewery, Brakeman's Best Brewing Company.  I happened to mention that all of our wheat beers are named from lines in the song, Big Rock Candy Mountains. This turned out to be Bear King's favorite song, as his granddaddy in Texas used to sing it to him when he was young. I stayed at the fire for a long time, enjoying the conversation and decompressing from my day. I got a text from Gravity, who made camp at a stealth site several miles back. I'm sure we'll find a way to get back together soon. It's hard to believe I have another state under my belt and am in New York, a state that has certainly already made a believer out of me.  I'll be back at it tomorrow with a slightly shorter goal to reach Fingerboard Shelter, 14.3 miles to the north.  Right now I am in my tent as a steady rain falls outside. I hope it ends by morning.