Date: 2007-10-24
From: Springer Mountain, Georgia

To: To Complete All 2174 Miles of the AT
Miles today: 0.0

Deleware Water Gap, PA Total Miles Hiked: 1926.4 Total Miles to Hike: 247.6 I've now hiked through MA, CT, NY and NJ. This means I have hiked the AT through 12 of the 14 states and only have 2 states to complete. I am just beginning the infamous rocky hiking through Pennsylvania. This hike through North Eastern America has given me such a different perspective of our great country. Not only is it beautiful, but there are so many kind folks everywhere. I've met the nicest section and day hikers lately, as well as, town folks. It is strange indeed to hike into a town and need car help to get to the post office, laundry mat, grocery store or library. So the next paragraphs are Gigantic "THANK YOUS" to all the many folks who have helped me along the way. People have taken me into their homes, fed me, let me do laundry, shuttled me to trailheads and other various places and lent me a bed for a night. People have offered me food all along the way. Just last week alone I received a wonderful home cooked meal at Mike and Marcia's (as well as a night's stay), a soda and chocolate from Jersey Joe at High Point State Park parking lot, a delicious locally grown apple from someone in the same parking lot, a power bar at the top of Sunrise Mountain, a nights stay in Jim Murray's "secret shelter" and a ride to the post office from Heaven Hill Farms. Earlier I had a wonder visit and stay with different family members, Carol and Zoe who helped me flipflop and with my Maine cousins. Furthermore, I've gotten carepackages in the mail filled with tasty goodies! Another type of help I have gotten throughout these almost seven months of hiking are messages of encouragement via phone and computer. It's been of great help to know that people are pulling for my successful completion of the trail. It has also been helpful to know I could call folks when I needed or wanted to talk, especially in this last month when there haven't been many hikers around. There are far too many people that have supported me to give credit to all of YOU in this journal. Please know that whether I have mentioned your name or not, I am appreciative!! Lastly, I've had some unexpected "trail magic" in the form of scavenging. When I hiked into the AMC camp, Mohican Outdoor Center day before last, I knew my food supply was low. I didn't know that my only bagel left was going to be covered in mold! I was the only guest at the camp. After the caretaker let me into the cabin he left for the evening. So what did I do first?.... I had an icy swim in the camp's lake. Later I started to "fix" dinner. That's when I discovered mold on my only bagel and began my search for food by looking through all the refrigerators and cabinets in the deserted camp cabins. Luckily I found bread in a freezer, raspberry jelly in one refrig and cocoa in a cabinet. I proceeded to have six pieces of toast and jelly with a cup of cocoa! I didn't realize until after I tasted the cocoa that it was supposed to be mixed with milk not water....oh well, it was still a tasty dinner! I expected Mass. to be beautiful and it was. I knew nothing about CT, NY or NJ. All were incredible. The trail has been easier to hike lately with more flat stretches. The foliage is spectacular with red, orange, yellow and gold leaves everywhere one looks. The migration of birds is something that I had never thought much about before this hike. While sitting on a rock on a ridge top yesterday, a shadow passed over me. When I looked up, I saw a dozen hawks flying overhead. From what I've heard, this is just a pre-show of what I'll see when I get to Hawk Mt. just a few days from now. Apparently, 20,000 hawks pass over this mountain between September and early December. To end, Slinky-Dog sent me this quote: "My success lies soley in my tenacity." Louis Pasteur (I'd like to add...."and to the many who support my venture!")