Date: 2005-08-24
From: Vernon, NJ

To: 1 1/2 miles south of Mashipacong Shelter, NJ
Miles today: 27.6
Weather: broken clouds

27.6 miles today1 1/2 miles south of Mashipacong Shelter, NJ I didn't wake up until 6am. I figured the diner opened at 7, so I took another shower...that's one shower last night and one this morning. I shouldn't need another one until about Labor Day now. ;-))) I got to the restaurant at 7am after packing all my stuff up. It opened at 6, so I could have had an earlier start. I hitched a ride back to the trailhead after breakfast and got started walking at 7:40am. It was a beautiful morning. Nice cool temperatures and forcast to be in the 70s. The grass in the fields I walked through this morning was still wet with dew, so my shoes got a little wet. There were some cows in the first field. They tried ignoring me just like some of the nobos, but I didn't let them, just like I don't let the nobos ignore me. :-))) They acted like they didn't see me until I started walking towards them. I had their attention, so I talked for a while. They finally had enough of me, so they went back to eating and I hiked on. I walked over a 1 mile boardwalk where Dewdrop and I did some trail magic a couple months ago. He bought all the sodas and I helped give them away. I haven't seen a sky this blue in a while. It's great to see it like this and even better with low humidity and a nice breeze to keep me cool. I got real close to a spotted fawn deer and got a few pictures before he took off. On the way up Pochuck Mountain, I scared off a couple more deer. I ran into a nobo by the name of Colonel right after that. He ended up being the only nobo I saw today. I walked to Pochuck Mountain Shelter and saw another deer on the way. I signed the register and took a short break before hiking on. I walked down that mountain and walked through Walkill National Wildlife Refuge. I remember one time through this area when I was being buzzed by about 100 moaquitos all the way through. Today was nice and mild with a very refreshing breeze. That makes a big difference in how much I enjoyed it. I just couldn't stop looking at the sky today. It was as blue as when I was hiking on the John Muir Trail in the Sierra Mountains last year. I got to the road to Unionville and walked the half mile into town. I checked the water at the cemetary where I usually get my water, but it was turned off. I went to Horler's Grocery and bought a sub, an apple danish, some chips and a coke and went out back and sat at the picnic table and ate. I walked down and saw that there's a new place in town called Sara's Soda Shop, so I went in there and had a milk shake. I walked across the street and filled my water bottles at the park, then went back to the grocery and resupplied with enough food to get me a couple days down the trail. It was a nice town visit. I ended up staying in town about 1 1/2 hours before I walked the half mile back to the trail and started walking south again. I saw another spotted fawn just south of the secret shelter. I saw 2 more deer about a mile later. I kept walking and got up to the observation platform at Highpoint State Park. I walked up to the top and there was a guy that asked me if I was practicing for winter when he saw my hiking poles. I just smiled and nodded my head, but I was thinking; This is when Jeff Foxworthy would have asked the guy where his sign was. I didn't stay long because I wasn't sure how long I could be good. ;-))) I walked down to the park headquarters and got there just as they were closing at 4pm. I just sat on the bench and ate an early dinner even though I really wasn't hungry. There was a section hiker there and we talked about an hour while I ate. He said he's only been out 4 days and has 2 more days left, but he's learned alot in that short time. I think there may be another thru hiker in the future. Just before I got to Mashipacong Shelter, I scared up another deer. I got to the shelter and signed the register and hiked on. Right after I left I scared up another deer. I have seen more deer today than any other day on this hike. It's kind of nice getting back to where there are more deer. I kept walking for another half hour until I found a nice soft spot to set my tent. It's cooling down nice and there's a little critter walking around my tent while I'm writing this journal entry.