Date: 2014-06-08
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 88-June 8, Delaware Water Gap to Mohican Outdoor Center, 10.8 miles. Wow! What a great day!We had a slow start this morning because we only had 10+ miles and the bakery we wanted to go to for breakfast didn't open until 8. At the bakery Jim had the bakery's special-a hot dog and slice of apple pie- and I had a carrot cake cupcake. Our walk started with a trip across the bridge over the Delaware River, into a new state. Hello New Jersey, goodbye Pennsylvania! The climb out of the Delaware Water Gap was a nice grade for going up hill and the rocks were very manageable. A highlight was 5.5 miles into our day and that was Sunfish Pond. My first view of it made me think immediately of our camp in the Adirondacks which sits on a similar lake. In spite of the very rocky trail around the lake, I loved being along the shore and stopped several times to take some photos. There were no houses around the lake which added to the pristine feel of the place. Sunfish Pond will go on my list of favorite places on the AT. The rest of the route today pretty much stayed at the ridge line elevation affording us scenic views into the Delaware River valley. And it was rocky, but some of the rocks were actually lying flat, so I could step on them with confidence and control! We also passed the 1300 mile mark! Yippee! Someone had written "1300" on a rock so we didn't have to create the numbers. Our destination was the Mohican Outdoor Center, where we planned on camping. This center is run by the Appalachian Mountain Club and they have cabins for rent as well as a small store and deli. As we approached the store/office a man on the porch asked if we were Flossie and Gray Squirrel. When I said yes, he introduced himself as Tom, a guy who had been reading our journal. A week or so ago he left a comment on our journal offering to assist us any way he could between Delaware Water Gap and Culver Gap. We ended up asking him to shuttle us to a PO so Jim could pick up his new pair of boots but then had to cancel that request for a variety of reasons. I ended my note to him by telling him our hiking plans for today. So he drove here from Jersey Shore, a trip of over 2 hours, to meet us and do anything we might need him to do! Amazing! When we told him we thought we would camp he suggested we might like to get a room in one of the cabins and then he paid for it! This particular cabin has about 6 rooms that sleep either 2-3 people and it has 4 bathrooms, a full kitchen and a sitting area. It is a wonderful treat to be here! Tom had food for us-strawberries, pretzels, Gatorade and now he is cooking up some hard-boiled eggs for the trail tomorrow! He offered to take us to town for resupply or dinner. We took him up on his offer to eat dinner in a restaurant, but we insisted on treating him. Tom is an interesting man who loves to hike and maintains a section of the trail we will hike tomorrow. We have loved our meeting Tom and getting to know him. His generosity has humbled us and we are grateful for all he has done for us. He is now firmly woven into the fabric of our AT family. Thanks Tom, you are a true trail angel. Tomorrow is a long day and the forecast is for rain. All is well.