Date: 2015-07-17
From: stealth camp past Mohican Outdoor Center

To: stealth camp norh of Culvers Gap
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: broken clouds

We were up and out by 7am this morning. We had 16 miles to hike to reach Culver's Gap where Red Robin, a 2014 thru hiker, was set up for trail magic. I admired our fabulous campsite even more in the early morning newness than I did the evening before. Sheer AT camping perfection. We hiked out and soon came to what was called a swamp in our awol book, but looked more like a lily covered pond. Directly next to the trail, fed by the "swamp", was an impressive beaver dam. I was awed by the workmanship of the little creatures. I looked around, really wanting to see one in the flesh, but none were visible. For hundreds of yards beyond the dam, trees had been chewed down by the beavers. The stumps were sharp points. How the heck do the little animals get the trees chopped up enough to bring them to the dam? The trees were tall! I was filled with an organic and powerful curiosity. I'm sure I learned about beavers in school, but nothing stuck with me. What an education these homeschooling families must be getting on this AT journey.Today's hike was very rocky. D.No says New Jersey is getting free ride, with all of the bad publicity about rocks getting pinned on PA. We churned along, thinking about the trail magic ahead. We passed a field of black eyed Susan's that was absolutely stunning. I felt as though I was inside of a painting.The rocks presented themselves in a variety of ways today; sharp and small, battering the bottoms of our feet, large and imposing, creating challenging climbs that made us sweat. Rock slabs stretched out for twenty or 30 feet like natural sidewalks. They were slick with lichen. We stopped for lunch on a field of rocks and rested our feet. Finally, we started the descent to Culver's Gap. It was just after 3, and I was hoping Red Robin was still there. Down we went, it felt as though the road would never come. When we finally reached the bottom, there was nobody. The parking lot next to the trail was empty too. We were so disappointed and cursed ourselves for being so slow. We decided to walk to Gyps Tavern, within eyesight of the trail, for a beer and a break. We passed a deli on the way and decided we would buy a sandwich on our way back. Gyps Tavern is a very cool, very local, tavern that caters to bikers, police, and firefighters. It is situated on a lake and has Adirondack chairs lining the shore, facing the water. We sipped IPAs and rested, just reveling in the quiet and peace. Starburst and Gas Monkey were there also. I first met them when I hiked with my brother. We headed back to the trail and were sad to see that the deli had closed since we walked by and we couldn't get food. We trudged into the woods, strategizing how we would split up the meager remains of our food bags to cobble together a dinner. Not 5 minutes in, we passed a parking lot. Red Robin was there, and a crowd of about 10 hikers. Red Robin and her husband were grilling burgers and had quinoa salad, couscous salad, other healthy food choices, fruit and sodas.I was elated to finally meet Red Robin, and she is a wealth of information about the trail. What I really liked about her though, was her positive attitude and enthusiasm for the AT. She said she would have been completely happy to yo-yo. I'm not sure I'm quite there. But I will say- the longer I hike, the more I "own" this experience. It has always been hard for me, but It has never been boring. The trail has been tedious at times, but everyday brings a new experience, a new person to meet, a new challenge to overcome.Reluctantly, we hiked away from Red Robin, her wonderfully supportive husband, and all of that great food. They were very generous and packed us plastic bags of those salads.We found another beautiful campsite on a ridge with view. We admired a gorgeous red and orange drenched sunset, then we went through the usual comedy of hanging our bear bags and hit the sack. We were pooped!