Date: 2017-06-21
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA - Church of the Mountain Hostel

To: Rattlesnake Swamp Trail Junction
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Smeagol and I got up and left from the hostel by 6:30. We wound our way thru the streets and crossed the long I-80 bridge over the Delaware River. About half way over we crossed into New Jersey. FINALLY out of PA!! With cars and 18 Wheelers zooming by mere feet away on the other side of a three foot concrete barrier we got pictures to celebrate. It is so great to reach this milestone. After crossing the long bridge and a few local access roads we came to the Kittatinny Visitors Center parking lot. A man approached us. CHEESEHEAD! He sent a text yesterday that he was about 40 miles north of us with family and asked about breakfast. Thinking he meant a sit down breakfast and a late start, I replied that we were planning to get an early start. Not to be deterred, he loaded up on McDonalds breakfast sandwiches and drinks and met us. We were not deterred either and happily helped devour the goodies while we caught up. Fun. Later we loaded up again and said goodbye. We hiked out of town and began the inevitable climb to the mountain top on nice local trail. Then a mile out we began a climb along a beautiful stream, and the rocks returned as expected. Smeagol was planning to hike a few miles further than me today, so when I took a break he continued on. A few miles ahead I reached a nice camp site and then came to Sunfish Pond, an iconic sight along the trail. Sunfish Pond is the southern-most glacial pond created during the last ice age. The trail around the pond qualifies as a boulder pile, going by my rocky-trail descriptions from a few days ago. I took it slow and got pictures. The climb continued to the summit of Kittatinny Mountain and the rocks along the summit of the ridge were like those in Pennsylvania. Over the last few weeks I have experienced various ailments in my ankles and feet. More recently I could tell my right hip joint was experiencing discomfort. This got more serious as the morning wore on. When I was in Vietnam I carried a squad radio which added up to 30 lbs to my load. When we would also load up with mortar rounds and machine gun ammo, my hip joints felt like I was exceeding my carrying capacity. That is what my right hip felt like today. By lunch time I was descending to a stream and gravel road where I had considered turning left to visit the Mohican Outdoor Center, run by the Appalachian Mountain Club, about .3 miles away, for lunch. Instead I filtered water there at the stream and had lunch to lighten my pack weight. Then I continued on, climbing more rocky trail up from the gap. I was in denial. My hip was not going to be able to continue under these conditions. For a mile and a half I fought with myself over a decision I did not want to make. You can drive a car if a screw falls off somewhere but if the transmission goes out you are done. I did not want to admit that my hip joint was probably going to end my hike. I hiked forward using my trekking poles as makeshift crutches and limping along the summit of the beautiful ridge. I stopped and rested. I looked at the guide book and knew that I was kidding myself. The terrain ahead is not better. Access to a road ahead where I could expect help was even more remote. I saw the whole trip begin to crumble. But the reality was that I could not hike ahead in that condition. I delayed. I tried various short hikes ahead, even getting lost for a minute in my distraction. But finally I called Marlene. It was like when you have to tell someone a loved one has died - you think about giving them a few more minutes of not knowing. She knew something was wrong. Tough guy that I am, I can't hide it from her. I broke down and struggled to explain. This was not the plan. She stayed calm and we agreed I would hike back to the road and go to the Mohican Outdoor Center to try and get a ride to civilization. I got a video of the view from that ridge, knowing it might be as far as I would get. At the trail junction with the Rattlesnake Swamp side trail I saw a huge rattlesnake. Tried to get a picture. It was mostly a downhill trail back to the road, which has its own set of challenges. I limped along leaning on my poles. There was no reward in this - hiking backwards, and maybe having to go home. My hip got worse as I went. Finally at the road I turned and got confused when I came to their sign on the direction to go so I called and someone came in a pickup truck to get me. I called Marlene and she was relieved to hear I was back down from the mountain. The center has basic bunks to use with a sleeping bag and they do meals as well so we decided I would spend the night there. I did. To be continued. Goodnight Sweetheart.