Date: 2005-08-23
From: North of Little Dam Lake, NY

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 25.0

25.0 miles todaySt. Thomas Episcopal Church HostelVernon, NJ I'm in New Jersey!!! I slept very well last night. I was stealth tenting in the woods and I woke up thinking it was morning's first light. I wasn't quite ready to get up yet. I looked at my watch and it was only 2:20am. It was just a bright moon that made it look like morning. I rolled over and the next thing I knew, it really was morning. I woke up at 5:20 and had coffee and breakfast and was walking by 6:30am. I was already getting a little low on water. When I got to East Mombasha Rd, I found a bunch of water jugs left there by The Tuxedo Trail Angels.Thanks!!! I drank a litre and made sure my two water bottles were full. I climbed Buchman Mountain next. I got to West Mombasha Rd and there was more water jugs. I topped of my bottles and hiked on. I scared up 2 deer that were bedded down near the trail. They hopped up and took off running. Fitzgerald Falls could be renamed Fitzgerald Dry Gulch right now. There was no water coming down. Normally it is a beautiful waterfall. When I crossed Lakes Rd I had a steep little 500 foot climb. I stopped at Wildcat Shelter next and signed the register. I saw that the Garland 5 had hiked through here a few days ago. I must have missed them when I was hiking with Moosie. Next was the small climb over Cat Rocks and then Eastern Pinnacles. I kept going thinking I would get some ice cream at Rt 17A. When I got there it was 10:30am. The sign on the farm store said it was open 7 days a week from noon to 9pm. I ate an early lunch and used the phone that is in a box on a telephone pole near the trail to send in my journal and check email. That phone is free and is working now. It was broken last time I was through here. I hiked on at 11am because I didn't want to wait another hour for ice cream. I climbed Mt Peter and saw a day hiker that was all excited because there was some fresh bear scat in the trail. I don't get too excited about that because I know where it comes from...a bear!! I prefer not seeing bear scat, especially if it's near where I set my tent up. :-))) The next 5 or 6 miles was mostly on a rock ridge and there was alot of small 20 to 30 foot ups and downs. It felt good each time I'd get back in the shade, but I was mostly in the sun in that stretch. I came up to 2 nobos by the names of Wookie and Mike The Hike. Wookie pointed out the NY City skyline. I saw it and was really glad I was up here on these rocks and not there. I crossed the border from NY into NJ at 1:10pm and got to say hello to PK while I was there. When I got to Wawayanda State Park, I had to walk about .4 miles up to the main office to get water. I still had about 5 1/2 miles to Rt 94, but I was out of water. I didn't want to walk that long without any, but I hated to walk that far off trail to get some. I walked by the shelter without stopping. The Heaven Hill Farm was at Rt 94 and I wasn't sure how long it stayed open. They have sodas, ice cream, danishes and vegetables there. On the way down from Pinwheel Vista, I realized that I could make it before 5pm. I picked up my pace a little and passed a section hiker named Dennis on the way down. He offered me a ride into Vernon, but I was thinking about passing Vernon by again this year. I got to the farm store and found out they stay open until 8pm. I decided to take Dennis up on his offer of the ride even though there was still several good hours of light left for hiking. He dropped me off at the hostel and I walked up to The Pizza Station and ate dinner. I came back to the hostel afterwards and found out where the hikers are allowed to stay. It is really nice here. I've never stopped here before, so in keeping with trying to experience most things along the trail, I'm staying here tonight. There is a nice shower, laundry, computer and fan. It's 8pm and I'm the only hiker here tonight.