Date: 2005-07-13
From: Murray Private Property

To: Pinwheel's Vista
Miles today: 14.9

Up and gone by 7:30. Not a bad nights sleep after I finally "Had enough" and set up the screen portion of my tent. As I wrote I tried to sleep in the loft. When I climbed up there I recall two things that haunt me to this day. First of all and most obviously was the bugs. My head lamp light was on and it showed that there were hundreds of bugs aloft and flying about. Everyone was huddling under their sleeping gear trying to keep the bugs at bay. Before long I knew they would uncover themselves, because it would get too hot, leaving plenty of opportunity for the bugs to feed. I decided right then and there to go to ground and just cover myself with my netting. The other thing I recall was when I climbed the ladder to the loft. Wow, talk about pain. The rungs of the ladder caused my bare feet to bend in a way that caused me to react in pain because of the stone bruising (all those hard PA miles). No good, I recommend that no one ever do that...ever.   Going to ground with just my net over my head did not work either. Where ever the net made contact with skin, it provided enough surface to allow the mosquitos to "Dig in". Not a bad night there after except for the mules blood curling screams and my laughter each time I heard it (thinking of the hiker to mule contact in the log).   I stopped in at Unionville, NY to mail my heavy boots home. I was carrying my trekking shoes and went back to them at this point. I also sent home some spent disposable cameras and picked up a few supplies while in town (Bologna and rolls, a great combination on the trail). This dropped about three pound off of the back and also, the Unionville Post Office was where I thought my replacement back pack may have ended up. It was the first place I told Osprey to send it before I had called and made arrangements to send it to Fort Montgomery's Post Office. I also made arrangements with the Postmaster in Unionville to have it forwarded if in fact it showed up there in the future.   Pochuck Creek was coming up and there they had a series of raised walkways that put the trail above the wet lands. A suspension bridge crossed over the creek and made this whole section a pleasure to cross (I posted photos in the log). My goal was to make it to Vernon, NJ and spend the evening at the Saint Thomas Episcopal Church's Hostel. Unfortunately there was a death at the Church (the Pastor) and the place was closed. My prayers went out to them.    I moved on and ran into Vapors where he was taking a break with a local at the bottom of Wawayanda Mountain. An 800 foot climb in just over a mile was ahead of us plus, it was the end of a hot day. I figured to make it to the top of this critter before long and hopefully catch a good sunset. We moved on together and were separated as the trail went on (up hill). Pinwheel Vista was just off the trail and I figured I would check it out. There I found a camp site that stopped me once again, in my tracks. I stayed there the night and evidently Vapors moved on by. He did not show up where I stayed that evening.                  I did some math and this day was the 100th day on the trail (with about 20 neros or zeros included). 1344.4 miles done, 830.5 miles to go, 102.7 miles hiked in seven days at an average of 14.6 miles per day.   Personal note: today was Wednesday, Hump Day!