Date: 2005-07-13
From: DWG

To: Ridge Past Mohican Center
Miles today: 15.0

I took a zero yesterday in DWG. I'd not taken one since taking time off for the wedding in Front Royal, and it was nice to get some things done. I sealed my tent good, and cleaned all my gear thoroughly. I'm meeting my ride on Thursday evening, and I'm three days ahead of my schedule, so I'm in good shape from a time perspective. It will be nice to go home for a couple of days and see everyone. I also have a ton of things I need to get done while I'm home.Today was not such a good day. One good point though is that the blueberries are ripening, and I munched my way up the trail today. I'm suprised they are ripe this early.....but DUDE, they are RAD...lol.I woke up kind of groggy today. Ya ever have those days when you just feel kinda off....well, I think "off" was an understatement.I saw Gozar leaving DWG (Delaware Water Gap). I'd not seen him in over six weeks, and we chatted for a bit as we headed down the trail. I passed Gozar near a creek and headed up to Sunfish pond. This is a cool glacial pond in NJ that covers about 42 acres. I stopped here for lunch, and about a half hour later Gozar stopped also. We each spread out on a big rock to make lunch, and looked like two frogs on our lili pads.I stayed for about an hour and headed off. The shoreline was very rocky, and as I picked my way over the large rocks, I glanced up to my left at a noise I'd heard. I stumbled and could not get my hands out of the loops on my poles fast enough to break the fall. Fear not though....my face broke the fall. When all else fails, you can always count on your face.I layed there for a second making sure I still had an eye and then sat up. Gozar came up behind me, and when I turned around, reassuringly said "oh jeez!". It made me feel much better...:-( I had a pretty case of road rash down the right side of my face.The Mohican Outdoor Center was about four miles away, so I decided to head there to clean up. I got to the dirt road and headed about a quarter mile up to the center. I cleaned up, bought a Pepsi, and walked out onto the porch to talk to some other hikers that had arrived.I walked out onto the porch, somehow missed the first step, and did a beutiful swan dive over all three steps into the gravel. Again, I was fortunate enough to have the fall stopped by my face. I just lay there in disbelief. Two falls in one day! The other hikers rushed over to help, and at this point my battered pride took over. I sat up slowly, calmly said I was fine, and went back inside to do the whole cleanup-up process all over again. Oh my god that hurt I mumbled as I sat down on the toilet seat and put my head down. That porch was about 3-4 feet up, and I did not just fall, I DOVE. How humiliating....a thru hiker and I do two face plants in one day!I cleaned up and walked outside to get my pack and limp on up the trail. Papparazzi had arrived and he and Gazor were chatting. Gazor announced that someone should follow me for a bit. He had decided I was blacking out. Clearly he is not familiar with my lack of coordination. I said I was fine and left.I only went about 15 miles total today b/c my knee is a little sore. I camped on a grassy ridge with an excellent view of the valley. Gazor and Pappa showed up about an hour later, and one camped on either side of me. They are funny. I could tell they were relieved to see my tent. We were hiking along some ledges. Gazor probably had images of me blacking out and falling off.I've decided to get off the trail tomorrow afternoon instead of the following morning, so I can clean my wounds and get all the dirt out of them. It will be nice to get home. I've missed my big yellow labrador.Goodnight