Date: 2013-08-02
From: Hamburg, PA

To: Kent, CT
Miles today: 241.0
Weather: broken clouds

Good afternoon dear readers, Well, I've been so wonderfully distracted on this lovely zero day that I had to change "good morning" above. At nearly 700 miles left to go, I'm trying to enjoy as much as I can of the trail and surroundings. I'm now in New England, having hiked to Kent, CT to be exact, and many trail miles and experiences have come my way over the past several weeks. So, let's get to it! My second vacation from the trail couldn't have come at a better time, I was, quite frankly, sick and tired of the heat, swarming bugs, relentless rock fields, and jungle like trail. Traveling down to TN for the Trail Dames Summit was wonderful, though the trip itself, along I81 which parallels the trail through much of Virginia, was surreal. It took me weeks to walk the same distance we covered in several hours by car. But I couldn't shake the fact that I knew these mountains and little towns so much more intimately, saying constantly, "Ohh, I stayed there, I recognize that ridge! Ohh, I ate there". I'm sure I drove Holly crazy, but for me it was one long trip down memory lane. So interesting to see how things had changed in full summer, and what hadn't. At least, of course, from the perspective of a car. I so wanted to jump out and see my favorite sites once more. Ohh, how I loved pretty Virginia. A quick overnight in the Smokies with 2 dear friends reminded me why I fell in love with backpacking to begin with - the rushing sounds of Abrahms Creek and the pristine solitude of the woods refreshed me as probably nothing else would have at that point. Boy, do I have the backpacking bug bad - I take a vacation from hiking the trail....and go hiking! It was wonderful to go on an overnighter - I remember thinking and saying before my thru hike began that I was tired of "just" being a weekend hiker - so silly to me now.   I've regained the perspective of what one can gain from being a weekend warrior, as well as reiterating what is so special about a long distance trip. The Dames at the Summit made me aware once again that I have my own personal cheering section, which lifted my spirits as well - thanks ladies!! And Todd    The buffet meals and daily showers immeasurably helped as well - all the creature comforts I take less for granted now.   An odd relief was also listening to everyone talk about their lives, and inevitably what stress they were under. I am so, so lucky to have this opportunity to thru hike - and was feeling so antsy the last several days I could hardly sit still. I also had to get outdoors as much as possible - being indoors was somewhat foreign to me. Dreaming about the PCT and other trails seeing gorgeous slide shows became rather more concrete as I can start to look beyond the time when my grand AT adventure will be over. Upon returning to the trail over a week after I left, in Palmerton and the Jail House hostel, I was highly anticipating seeing everyone and hiking once more - back to my real home. The hiker funk greeted me and I grinned, though I was a bit thrown by the fact several people looked at me funny and said I didn't look like a hiker - I was too clean! Big sigh - I had lost the patina of being a thru hiker, though I was reassured I would gain it back soon enough and probably sooner than I really wanted. . The sharp sighted will note I jumped about 40 trail miles to catch back up with Blackhawk, which I plan to Slackpack in October before the Gathering. I was surprised how guilty I felt driving the distance past Hamburg without having hiked it! I'm more of a purist than I thought. Special thanks to Holly for driving and putting up with my hiker hunger (I'm so sorry about the huge Cinnabon which started our food fest!), Laurie and Joe for allowing me to tag along and stay at your beautiful house twice, Joan for our awesome PCT discussions, and Rosie and Todd for the wonderful hiker gal necklace. Thanks everyone!! My luck continued with some wonderful trail magic my first day back on the trail via a 12 mile slack pack up followed by having my pack dropped off and doing the final 4 miles full on. Thanks Indigo for hooking us all up! My body would have been seriously pissed carrying my full pack the entire day, especially in the heat and humidity in that waterless stretch. Blackhawk took a nasty tumble on some jagged rocks during a climb mid morning, and it was a total miracle he walked a way with only a small cut on his forehead. So glad he was ok. The Superfund area (required restoration) was amazing and beautiful - reminded us so much of out west. The tenting area at Leroy Smith Shelter was swarming with gnats, but it was a great group - Quaker and Indigo were at the shelter, and K2, Orion, Davy Crockett, Open & Flare, and 4 Trees and Sticks, the latter 4 I met today. Sleeping without my tent fly on, even partway, was odd - ohh my nylon shell, what a false sense of security you give me! The following day was just miserable. Just miserable. 13.8 miles were eeked out amongst relentless bowling ball sized rock fields that just went on for miles and miles and miles. Temps in the 90s made for a very hot one as well, and boy was I glad the unreliable spring 3 miles before camp was running. I'm actually in the shelter to tonight to avoid camping on a steep slope, and I'm not the only one - K2 and Open & Flare are also in the shelter, and all of us usually tent.   Wolf rocks were fun, but I was glad they didn't last for longer going down. Just one of those days. We're all looking forward to Delaware Water Gap tomorrow and are fantasizing about 2nd breakfast in town. Thank heavens the meal at the diner came through, because we were all baked and eaten alive in the shelter overnight. The 6.4 miles took a bit longer than expected as we were dragging, though the middle section in particular was very pretty, and the lily pond near town was lovely. We got in town in time for brunch at 10am, oh yea! A quick stop at the over priced Pocono Inn got our homes for the night, and I cranked up the air conditioning, especially nice on a day where the heat index was over 100 degrees. A nap after showering was sublime, and both Blackhawk and I bowed out of a river tube trip to leisurely plan the next section and do chores. My new shoes were waiting at the PO, and I'm cautiously optimistic about the fit after walking in them most of the afternoon. Ahh, like walking on a cloud, or a carpet, walking up and down the hallway at the hotel in my PJs, testing out the new insoles. Ahh, I love being hiker trash. New Jersey - a new state and we're all so happy to be out of PA! A nice easy 10 mile day to the AMC run Mohican Outdoor Center, where we planned to stay in a cabin and swim in the lake after eating at their grill. Ohh, what a life! Smiles all around today, some actual trail, though of course still some rocks, and pretty views. K2 spotted a bear early on, which we were all excited about. We passed the 1300 mile mark, which was great but not as exciting as being below 900 miles that we passed yesterday, so much nicer counting down than up at this point. Picking fresh fruit off bushes along the trail is a special treat these past few days - raspberries, wine berries, blueberries, and the elusive blackberries, so yummy and refreshing! We had a lazy Sunday the next day, taking many breaks and a lunch nap amongst the 19 miles. We had some lovely views this morning along ridge walks, then some more rocky walks this afternoon. So happily, the weather continues to be less hot and humid once the front finally went through. More climbing and descending today - could we be getting back into actual mountains?? I have to admit I have missed the feeling of accomplishment I get after doing a nice long climb and relaxing at the summit. My new shoes are working out great so far, and my old shoes dangling from my pack are happily extraneous. The next day we got down to business with our planned 18 mile day to High Point State Park and going into Port Jervis for a zero day. A wonderful second breakfast at Joe to Go, Day 2 of the Deli Walk (the first being at Mohican), and unexpectedly beautiful views at the historic pavilion on top of a mountain at lunchtime. Afternoon was much more of a slog, especially when it started to rain, actually poured. It was fun splashing through puddles like a little kid, but afterwards it was just messy going over miles of wet slippery rocks. Our foul moods quickly lifted upon getting in to town, with the cabbie hooking us up with the Erie Hotel downtown rather than the scanty information we had from the book. *Will be updated with rest of hiking days in this section when I have a chance and Internet again*