Date: 2010-07-08
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: NJ/NY state line
Miles today: 72.6

New Jersey. 72 miles of rocky terrain with pleasant groves of hardwoods, and exposed rocky ridges, dotted with scrubby pines and blueberries, singed and shriveled by the summer heat. "So, what do you think about hiking NJ in a day?" we asked to Repeat hiker, Warren Doyle. He looked up for a moment before saying, "No!" and smiling. "Can't be done... that is a challenge." If I am told something is impossible, I am going to try. So I did.Ladybird and I left Delaware Water Gap just after 5:00. We hit the state line on I-80 at 5:37 and started cruising. Sunfish Pond came quickly. It is the first glacially formed lake we pass, a rock lined lake that almost looks alpine. We kept cruising. The terrain after the initial 1500 foot climb was mellow, rolling, and rocky. We danced and scrambled our way at a steady 3.5 miles per hour to 21 miles before noon - and 30 by 3:00. Water was easy up until then. At that point, our momentum came to a screeching halt. The source at Gren Anderson, according to reports was flowing well. Nope! It was oozing, and muddy. We settled 1.5 liters and were given an additional liter by a thru-hiker, Charley. Thanks! It was much needed.Still in rocks, we kept moving, briefly stopping at one shelter before hitting High Point State Park. This was our lunch spot, 42 miles in, at 8:00. Nine hours and 30 miles to go.It would not be. At mile 44, Ladybird stopped, ailing from a nagging bug. In a war movie like moment, she told me to go on. "Go on without me, save yourself! You can do it!" Well, aside from the save yourself part...Into the night I paced, fueled by chocolate covered espresso beans. The blazes are bright when hit by light, but when they don't exist, a night hiker has problems. I walked quickly and before long, found myself on a blazeless road. I turned around and retraced my footsteps. 20 minutes later I found a blaze and took the right turn. (Two bonus miles so far) Then in a cattle field I lost blazes again, retraced once, turned back, walked past a junction, turned, paced, looked, sat down, stood up, went with my first instinct, and eventually found trail. (5 bonus miles) More bonus miles came near the wildlife refuge. I had not exactly been keeping track of road crossings. The trail dumped out onto a paved road and turned left, leading to another road, which turned right. I walked up and down both roads, making sure to find blazes before finding the wildlife refuge. I turned right into the refuge, seeing a few people setting bird nets. The route is not well marked here, and I had considerable difficulty at a T in the road, finally finding an AT sign drawn in the ground. Then onward. I would have liked to walk through the refuge at dusk or dawn, to see the wildlife. Not this time.Now, well over 50 miles, I was beat tired and ready to stop. In the golden hour before sunrise, I took a break and ate more espresso beans. My head nodded and I woke up, alarmed. I looked at the watch Ladybird had lent me, only 10 minutes. But I felt refreshed. Onward. The boardwalk before the second big climb was alive with birds in the early morning. I was starting to limp. 62 miles in 24 hours.I made it up the second big climb, stopping at the spring part way up and give myself a dippy cup bath, pouring icy water on my throbbing leg muscles. Now, atop the last big climb, it was all rolling terrain, but still quite rocky. My 3.5 mph pace from the beginning of the walk had now slowed to sub two. I staggered to the border making it in under 30 hours. 29 hours, 26 minutes to be exact.At many times in the night, I felt like stopping. However, if I was going to stop, I would have stopped with Ladybird. With that in mind, I decided to go on. If I was going to leave and hike on, I would hike the rest of the way, even if it took 30 hours. Well it did take almost 30 hours, and I am in pretty sore shape. My heels hurt, my quads are aching severely. My head is in fog. I am crashing in the trees for an hour or two before heading into town. I am jotting these notes before noon on the ninth.