Date: 2014-07-13
From: Delaware Water Gap, Mile 1289.6

To: Campsite, Mile 1306.2
Miles today: 16.6

Well... that's seven down!!I woke up really early so I worked on my journals until I got caught up. I still need to post pictures from the last few days. Then I hiked back down the hill to get a small resupply for the next section. Mostly snacks since I'll have several deli opportunities! Then I stopped by the bakery for a couple of egg and cheese on big rolls and a blueberry tart. Yum! Medic was there so I chatted with him a bit. I had heard of him but hadn't met him yet.When I got back to the church, worshipoers were starting to arrive for the 10:00 service. I wasn't sure if they used this building for services, but now I figured out they do. They just have the bottom level set up for hikers.I packed up and hit the trail just before 10:00. The trail crosses over the Delaware River on a sidewalk area on the side of the intestate bridge, separated from the traffic by a low concrete wall (to answer my brother's question). It says for pedestrians only and bikers must walk their bikes across. (My brother's a biker.)There are nice parking areas on the Jersey side with several trails leading out of them. I picked the one with the white blazes. :-)The trail continued to be rocky, but often it was on wider trails following old road beds, giving one more options on where to place your feet. In thinking about how to describe it, I thought of rough and rocky road, which led to a new head tune.Lots of day hikers, especially closer to the trail heads, and I stopped to talk with many of them. Some knew about thru hiking and some were amazed by the idea. I had fun. I also met trail runner "Grasshopper" who thru hiked a couple of years ago.After 10 miles I hiked a little off trail to the Mohican Outdoor Center where I got a nice sandwich and a Gator Ade and a Sprite. While I was eating at the picnic table outside, Frankenstein walked up and joined me. I left ahead of him a little later. Frankenstein at the Mohican Outdoor CenterClimbing up to the top of the next hill, I met day hikers Mitch and Paula. They were coming back from a section of trail with lots of Rhododendrons in full bloom. Mitch explained that the white ones I've been seeing lately are a different species than the purple ones I saw further south, and that they bloom later. When I got to the bottom of the hill the trail joined an old dirt road with the Rhodies in full bloom on both sides of the road. Very pretty! Rhodie Fans Mitch and Paula Rhodies Galore!At 5:50 I came to a lookout spot along a ridge looking down into the valley to the east. I stopped and heard bugle music. It was Retreat followed by To the Colors, which are played when lowering the flag at the end of the day. It was neat to unexpectedly stand at attention and render respect to our flag while out in the "wilderness"! Turns out there is a boy scout camp right below where I was.I was aiming for a campsite listed at mile 1306.3 in the guide, but came to a nice empty one a tenth of a mile earlier according to my AT app. Frankenstein caught up just then and waited there while I hiked another tenth of a mile to check it out. There was indeed another campsite there but it had a large group of what I suspected were overnight campers. So I went back and Frankenstein and I camped at the first one, which we had to ourselves.After I had dinner and settled in my tent, a storm came through, but I was snug in my tent and slept well. Head Tunes: Blessed Be the Name by Matt Redmon has been running through my head a lot in the past few days. Seems very fitting and inspiring. The rough and rocky road I mentioned above injected the song A Beautiful Place by Wayne Watson into my head, which was fun to sing as I hiked along it. When I started climbing up the hill leaving the Mohican Outdoor Center, the Air Force Song started playing in my head - off we go into the wild blue yonder... Quite interesting that just a little later I'd hear the bugle calls!