Date: 2016-05-14
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Brink Shelter
Miles today: 24.8

It's always a great morning when I can spend time with Beth. Knowing that she'll pick me up for a several day break mid-week made saying goodbye easier. Started hiking around 6:30 and was quickly at the PA/NJ Border on the Delaware River Bridge. Enjoyed seeing a couple men fishing as their boat went up the Delaware River. Once off the bridge, the trail is within a park. The park has a beautiful, wide trail that I hiked without seeing anyone for a couple hours. It was a special time. The PA rocks were long gone but the songbirds weren't and they provided sounds along the way as the sun danced between the trees. Just before the first campsite is a short side trail that has more than a hundred rock cairn sculptures. Thanks to all who made them. Backpacker Campsite at Mile 1,298 is stunning and would be a wonderful place to camp. Sunfish Pond arrives one mile later as this morning's beautiful trail continues to amaze. Sunfish Pond is a glacial lake and it seems that I have it all to myself as the trail follows its banks. Near thenorth end of Sunfish Pond, Candle Maker joins me and we hiked together for the next several hours. Candle Maker is someone I first met in Damascus. We've had short conversations along the AT as we've leapfrogged numerous times because Candle Maker has taken a few offtrail days here and there. It's our first time spending time to get to know each other and I consider it a real compliment that he is slowing down to hike with me. I learn that he is 22 and from Holland, Michigan. He's targeting completion for mid-July but knows he could finish before then. Sounds like his Mom and then a few friends may be coming to hike some portions of the northern trail. His trail name was given based on his overnight at Blood Mountain Shelter. He used a candle he had found to ward off the mice and rats in that shelter. Mice are common in shelters though I have had surprisingly few encounters with them despite staying many nights in shelters. I've never seen a rat and this is the first time I am hearing about them in a shelter. I wouldn't like having a rat around and Candle Maker heard them get busy as soon as his candle went out around 3:00 that night. It didn't sound like he got much sleep the night he got his trail name. The trail becomes busier as we hike near Mohican Outdoor Center. Lots of hikers here. One group stops and we talk briefly how we decided to hike the AT. One woman said she's just hiked a few miles and I laugh to warn that I started that way too. Another group of three go out of their way to ask if we are thru-hikers. They provide fruit and goodies as trail magic and we stop to talk for a few minutes. They are seasoned hikers preparing for their next hikes. Everest must have gotten her trail name because she's hiked to Mt. Everest base camp and I tell her that my son, David, has hiked there too. The good vibes come to an end with the recognition that there's a storm forecast for later today. We hear it could bring hail with it and it sets up next few hours to try to hike to our day's destination that is still more than 10 miles away. The later afternoon trail is rockier than this morning's trail. Still, it is easier trail than the PA trail because there are options to hike around the rocks. PA trail is so filled with rocks that your choices involve which rocks you'll place your feet on and which angles your feet will experience. Around 4:00 I am about 2 miles away from the shelter and it seems the storm is arriving. Wind gusts are frequent. Candle Maker had taken off to beat the weather but shows up behind me because he got water from a spring. The trail crosses multiple summits now, exactly where I don't want to be in a storm. Fortunately for me, the storm never arrives and I reach the shelter reasonably dry. Better yet, there's room for me in the shelter. It's just 3 nice college students, Candle Maker, and me. We have good conversation as we eat and set in for the night. Great day today but this morning was one I hope to remember.