Date: 2003-07-23
From: Delaware Water Gap, PA - Unionville, NY

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA - Unionville, NY
Miles today: 51.5
Weather: light rain

Delaware Water Gap - Unionville, NY51.5 miles (1329.3 total miles)We had intentions of leaving Delaware Water Gap at noon on day 110, but we got distracted. We meant to have a quick lunch and leave, but we couldn't get past the bakery. It was a thru-hiker's dream! Every baked good you can imagine was available. Willow, Last Minute, and I all split 2 cannolis, a napoleon, an eclair, and a strawberry shortcake. With our bellies full on such a hot day, it was hard to leave town.The trail shared the bridge with I80 across the Delaware River. We were now in New Jersey. 7 states down, 7 to go! We stopped at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area visitor center. There was a small section in the corner about the AT. We hiked a nice couple miles up an old road to the ridge. It was the weekend, so there were tourists all around. We came to Sunfish Pond, the first glacial lake on the AT. It was crisp, clear, and rocky, another sign we were now in the north. We stayed for a while, then headed north for a mile to a stream. The mosquitoes were horrible, so we ran around setting up camp.The biting bugs were still bad on the morning of day 111. I got up and ran out of camp. The Mohecan Outdoor Center, a lodge run by the AMC was only 3 miles away. It was comfortable to lounge around there, and we probably stayed a little too long. From there it was only another couple miles to a fire tower. We climbed it and met the caretaker. We came back dow for lunch.It was a hot day and hiking was hard. We wandered along into late afternoon, where we came to a road crossing. We met a future thru-hiker named Jim From Jersey who had exactly 3 sodas in his pack (not just cans, but the big sodas!). He gave one to each of us. Thanks, Jim! We finally hiked on a few more miles in the evening to a stream. We were at 1299.9 miles from Springer. The next morning we would cross 1300!I don't know what happened, but nobody left their tents until 8:30 on day 112. We were all beat. It was hazy and extremely humid. We were all feeling the fatigue. I managed to leave just before 9:30. We quickly headed up Rattlesnake Mountain, and down the other side. Time dragged on as the miles got slower. I was drenched in sweat. Why was this so hard?We came into Culver Gap at 1:00. We first stopped at the local grill, then the bakery. The waitress at the grill told us about a beach on the lake just a few blocks away. We couldn't resist. We spent the hot afternoon swimming. Finally when it was cooler, we headed out, doing only 3 more miles. We stopped at another firetower, although this one was closed. We got into the shelter about 5 seconds before an incredible downpour. The thunder and lightning was amazing all night. There were just the 3 of us in the shelter, and the storms had us up early on day 113. I was out by 7:15, the earliest in a while. We have been slowing down lately, and need to do more miles again. There were rumors of a "secret shelter" 18 miles away, so that was out goal.We immediately climbed to the pavilion at Sunrise Mountain. It was cloudy and hazy, so we didn't stop long. We continued on past a shelter, tolerating rocks, humidity, and bugs. My socks were wet, which made my feet ache. We eventually got to Hugh Point State Park, which includes the highest point in New Jersey. We hiked off the trail a little to get to the official point. On a clear day NYC would be visble, but we couldn't see it. We took a few pictures and pressed on.It got later in the afternoon, and we were concerned about the weather. A ranger at the park told us to expect more thunderstorms like the night before. We rushed on, down the gentle slope to the New York state line. That is state number 8! We followed the border for a while past roads and streams. Finally we came to an unmarked side path. We followed it to a former thru-hiker's property. We found a small building with a few other hikers there. It was the secret shelter. There was a sink, shower (with hot water!), and dryer. Trail magic! I couldn't believe some stranger had all this set up for thru-hikers. I showered, washed my clothes, and finished all the food in my food bag. I was happy about this shelter, as we had another night of nasty thunderstorms. It was less than 2 miles into Unionville, NY on day 114. We left the secret shelter at about 7:20, and soon hit Vernon Swamp. The trail crossed on puncheons, which are basically elevated wooden planks. It was fun. We followed the bridges, then over some small PUDs. This was the most hills we have seen in over a month. I guess this is a warmup for the mountans in New England.We walked into the small town of Unionville to the general store. Then it was to the post office to get our mail drops (thanks for the HUGE box, Carolyn!). We went to the town park to dry out and organize our stuff. The mayor came out of his office to welcome us to town. Unionville easily ranks very high on my list of friendliest trail towns.As always, thanks to all who email or send their support. It is a very big help when the trail is tough. It has been very humid lately, which makes the hiking hard. And with all the temptations of nearby towns, it is easy to relax too much. But we are getting back on track of doing more miles again. And as the goal draws nearer, the miles get slightly easier. 843.3 miles to Katahdin!