Date: 2008-07-30
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 200.0
Weather: few clouds

It's been awhile... I found the rocks in Pennsylvania. The last 50 miles of the state were rocky and I managed to get my first blister of the whole trip on my last day in Pennsylvania- headed to Delaware Water Gap (New York/ Penn border town). I loved Delaware Water Gap because Hot Tang and I finally ran into some thru-hikers after a rather long hiker void. Lake, Babu, Tetris, Buckeye, Longshot, Cool Breeze, Rue, Lonway Tru, Willow, Mathewski, Wildflowers and Daisy were all there. We had a great time hanging out in town. There was a local bakery that had a special where you got a piece of pie and a hotdog for $1.50. What a great deal for homemade pie! It was quite good.Leaving Delaware Water Gap, Hot Tang and I found some great camping. First we stayed at an old YMCA camp that is now used by the Student Conservation Corps. It was a mile off the trail, but well worth the walk to have the best nights sleep in a long time. There were two old cabins with bunks and mattresses in them right on a beautiful lake. We were the only people there and I enjoyed sitting by the water watching a beaver eating grass and swimming around. There was also a very cute tiny bunny jumping around that was fun to watch as well. The next night we slept in a pavilion on top of sunset mountain to watch the sunset. I slept on a bench for the first time since my trip to Europe. The sunset was beautiful, the moon was whole, and the sunrise was even better.Next came the town of Unionville, New York. Unionville deserves special mention because the mayor of the town hosts hikers in his house. Not expecting much, I was treated to breakfast, dinner, a bed, shower, laundry, and a movie. The Mayor and his friends Bill and Butch do an amazing service for hikers on a donation only basis. These men are great people and I enjoyed their company immensely. The other great thing about Unionville was our reunion with Briar, who we hiked with in the Smokies and then saw in Duncannon briefly. Since Unionville, Hot Tang and I have been hiking with Briar and Longshot, which has been a lot of fun. Briar provides a constant supply of odd trivia and comedic relief- the days just slip by. I spent an afternoon with Hot Tang laying on a beach at a state park which was the perfect way to waste away an afternoon. Just .1 miles down the road were the remnants of Fat Fest- a hiker feed put on by 1998 thru-hikers. They left us a picnic table full of food to eat overnight. There were about 10 of us there to work on it! We all went swimming that night in the lake which was pretty fun until the lightning scared me out of the lake!The adventures continued with a stop at the Graymoor Friary. The monks let hikers sleep in a shelter or tent on the lawn and best of all, there is a shower. We also were able to order pizza which was quite great!My Dad then arrived for a week of hanging out, hiking, and slackpacking. We've been having quite a lot of fun. I haven't pulled out my campstove in a week or more. I'm eating lots and lots of great food. I have new shoes (3rd pair!) and insoles which have solved the blister problem completely. My Dad and I are now based in Dalton and I'm taking the day off to help fix a sore throat. I'm hoping to run into some friends like Snowplow or Catfish who might be up this way. I now have finished Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Conneticut. Only four states remain, only 620 miles are left. Hard to believe, but time is just flying by.