Date: 2005-06-30
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: broken clouds

8:30I'm walking. I got up at my normal time this morning and farted around at the Mohican Outdoor Center this morning. I took some time and used their stove to boil water for some grits and hot chocolate with Sanka in it. I got out of there and started walking.I just passed the Catfish Fire Tower.There are still plenty of rocks, and they are still wet as hell. I thought I had sealed my shoes, but my feet are soaking wet, probably from running through the wet grass. I guess I'm going to have to check them again and find out where they aren't sealed.These New Balance 806's are kick-ass for protecting my feet from just about anything, except the wet rocks. The hard rubber bottoms are designed to last, the only problem is, they don't grip as well and I have taken some pretty vicious falls here. If this keeps up, I'm going to end up the way I did last time I tried this hike. When I get my bump box, I think I'm going to try to glue some leather shoe lace strips to the bottoms of them with re-sole.It's been a beautiful morning so far, no rain. The sun is actually out, I don't know how long that is going to last because, the weather forecast calls for rain through Saturday. It really doesn't matter because I'm soaked in sweat right now. It's 100% humidity, and I'm sure once the sun is out, it'll just get worse. If it's not one thing it's another.   The bugs are definitely coming out too. I coated my hair in DEET this morning. The bugs must have found a calick in my hair , because they keep getting in there and biting me in the same damned place every time. I guess it's time to get a haircut. I thought that keeping my hair long would keep them from biting me, but that's not the case. I'm just going to cut it to keep them out of there quicker.   I should be coming up on Blue Mountain Lakes Road soon. I'm kind of curious to see what is going on there because, that's Jersey Fresh's home town. He has been writing in the registers to look out for Trail Magic there. I could use some Trail Magic anytime I can get it. Mohican Outdoor Center is a pretty cool place. A big bunkhouse, a stove and kitchen, and showers. It's not particularly clean, but what shelter is?I just passed a bunch of gals tenting out. I'm pretty sure they are just here for the day or so. I don't recognize them as through hikers.I'm going to try to make at least 24 miles today, so I can get in early to Unionville to get our bump boxes. I heard from Vern last night, he said he may stay in Delaware Watergap for a good part of the day. He got caught in a thunderstorm yesterday, and he was pretty miserable. His feet are also pretty well trashed from the rocks. I guess I'm lucky, all I have is the callouses I've had all along.                           4:00I'm sitting here behind the Sunset Grill at Culvers Gap. I'm trying to pack my stuff up as I'm recording this. I stopped here to get memories of it. I wanted to stop here to eat.I thought I was running like hell, but I found out I was going less than 3 miles per hour despite my best effort. That means that the last week has effected me, becuase when I'm running hard, I can get up to 3.5 miles per hour. It may take a couple of more days of being out in the woods here, feeling the heat and getting aclimated to it. I got here at about 2:30 and walked in the front door. I saw the waitress/barmaid. There's only one person that works here this time of day. I could tell I was going to have a problem because she took one look at me and wrinkled her nose and ran into the back. I sat at the bar and waited for her to come back out. I ordered a drink and asked for a menu, and I ordered some food. I went to where she told me I could leave my backpack. I took my shoes and socks off. They were soaking wet. I piled them all together. I put on a clean pair of socks and my slippers. I went to put all my stuff outside and she saw what I was doing and again, ran in the back. When I had gotten back inside, I could tell she had spoken to the manager. He came running out the door to see what I had done and where I had put my shoes. Obviously, she has been well trained to watch out for through hikers.Some people that I have spoken to in the last 10 days say that they felt the unfriendliness start in Port Clinton. I didn't feel that. I thought that the waitress at Port Clinton was an unusual case. It definitely starts here. It's here at Culvers Gap where I feel people don't get treated any better than the homeless. It's very common here.I asked the manager if it was OK to leave my things there, he said if I wanted to, I could leave my things BEHIND the restaurant. I was pissed off by that comment. I was really going to say some nasty things, instead, I just said, "I'll just leave all my things in the backpack and pack it all back up later."      I just sat there and drank my drink and ate my food. I think he may have said something to her, when she came back she was alot friendlier. Regardless, it probably goes both ways. My first impulse was to stiff her completely, and I NEVER do that. Even bad service is 15%, average service is 20%, if someone is really good to me, I leave 1/2 of what the bill is. The money is no consideration. I just sat there thinking at the bar, that all I would do is perpetuate her impression of people out here. So, I said, "Screw it, it's only a few bucks." I treated her politely, I put my napkin on my lap, ate with the correct utensils, said "Please" and "Thank you" and left her a really good tip. As I was walking out the door, she said "thank you" too. I hope that made an impression on her. Other people who might consider doing this should think about this too, before you trash someone or you are rude in a place where they are rude to you, it's in YOUR hands to change it.   I'm going to get my stuff back together now. It's 4:00 and I have another 7 miles to walk to the next shelter. It should be an easy walk into Unionville tomorrow to pick up my maildrop as well as OC1's.   Later...I left the Sunset Grill and started walking. It's getting bumpy again. The rocks are starting to go away. It's no longer completely flat. Constant bumps, 100 feet up, 100 feetdown, 50, 70. It's an up and down thing through alot of moist areas. The logs aren't something you can sit on anymore, they are always covered in moss. The bugs are out and are driving me out of my mind. Sometimes they're there and sometimes not. Just between Sunfish Pond and Mohican Outdoor Center, I must have gotten bit 50 times. Today, I covered up completely, with my bandana on and everything, and they didn't bother me for awhile, so I took the bandana off. That worked for about 1/2 hour until this stupid bee showed up and would not leave me alone. He must have followed me for 2 miles.   I'm laying here in my tent. When I got here, there were a bunch of kids in the Shelter. They are probably out here for the night or a section. There's another guy here who started from the Delaware Water Gap and is hiking North. I went to get water, and found, to my surprise, that there's a road near the water source about 500 yards from the Trail. There was a Trail Angel sitting there. It was a guy named Desperado, who says he has been here doing Trail Magic all along this section of New Jersey for over 30 years. I got some fruit juice from him. We sat down and talked for a while. I got my water and let it filter out while I sat at the shelter, talking to the kids. Then I went to set up my tent. It's 10:30, I'm pretty tired. I got a book from the Mohican Outdoor Center I think I'm going to sit here and read for a while, then I'm going to zonk out.   Hopefully, it won't rain tonight. It's thundering off in the distance. I left the fly on my tent open, mainly because I'm soaked with sweat, so I want to lay here and let my clothes dry while I'm wearing them. If it rains, it's no big deal, I'll reach out and yank it over me.         That's it for tonight.