Date: 2004-08-03
From: Hightop Hut

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 13.0

It was gonna be a long day. Wanted to push for 20+ miles. Brood went on ahead (he had a maildrop to catch), and I left the shelter soon after. And when I got to the end of the shelter path, and back to the AT, I turned the wrong direction. I realized this around 25 minutes later, when I crested this tough little rocky hillock, and saw the monument atop New Jersey's High Point. It was a sweaty day. It was coming off of me in buckets. I was glad to be hiking alone. There were a lot of things I wanted to think about. And I had been bad company for the most part, so, this way I wouldn't have to worry about it.The terrain I passed that day was so oddly beautiful... Almost breath-takingly beautiful. I'd turn a corner and suddenly be in a field of lilacs. Or wild flowers growing on the sides of hills. Or see a still pond with lilypads. Each mile was bringing some new incredible vista, some extraordinary little piece of natural beauty. In the early afternoon, I ran out of water. There was a river I'd passed that Wingfoot had noted as a water source, but it was a skunky-looking rural river. I could only imagine the cow turds and pesticides that called that river home. Our Aqua Mira claims to be able to do its duty in such situations, but I just didn't want to go there. Where I did want to go was up the road a little ways. Maybe into town... Maybe I wouldn't hike anymore that day. And maybe I'd get to talk to Moxie and see how her leg was doing.Rather than hike into the Walkill National Wildlife Preserve, I waited on the dusty road for someone to come along. And when that someone did, I stuck out my thumb, and he pulled over. Nice old guy. A little wonky, but his niceness was prevalent.When I told him I was out of water he said he'd take me up the mountain to his home. There was good spring water there, he said. Cold. 45 degrees in summer or winter. And by the time I was finally able to have some of this fabled water, I confess I drank a liter of it, straight down.Then he gave me a ride into Vernon, NJ. That was where I'd been planning on ending my hiking day. His ride saved me seven miles or so of hiking. And I had a feeling that it didn't really matter anyway.I felt I had reached a crucial point.At Dunkin Donuts I had too much coffee, and I got through to Moxie on the phone, and I also wrote the previous two trailjournal entries. I decided that I was going to give it a few days, and if Moxie's leg wasn't better, I was going to go join her. Even if this meant that our Appalachian Trail journey was going to end.See, the day was so lovely, I just kinda wanted her to have been able to enjoy it too. And I had started this trail business with her, and even these few days of hiking without her just didn't feel quite right.----------------------Brood X breezed into town with an hour of daylight left or so. I think he sensed something was up. He went to get some BK and then some beers, and we had these at the town's pavillion (hikers are allowed to stay there, overnight). And then the sun went down. Mild conversation by the mosquito pond. We stayed up late, and then the mosquitos came out to enjoy thier feast.I slept very little that night.