Date: 2012-07-11
From: Backpacker Campsite (NJ) 

To: Brink Road Shelter (NJ)
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 92: Sunfish Pond and Beyond (Plus how X & N spend a day up on Kittatinny Ridge)(and then spend most of the afternoon worrying about a possible Great New Jersey Summer Drought of 2012) Before today, if you had described something to us as "one of New Jersey's Seven Natural Wonders," we'd have said that was a prime example of damning with faint praise. But that was before we saw Sunfish Pond, a 42 acre glacial feature so named, as well as designated a national natural landmark. Its ice age origin still effects its fish population, as only a few hardy species can live there. We skirted the east shore of the pond within a mile of leaving camp this morning. There were many indications of beaver, including several lodges that really stood out in the lake's low water. But the wildlife treat of the day occurred on the opposite side of the pond. We had stopped to watch a deer out drinking in the water, when we saw movement about 100 yards further down the shoreline. Here came a bear down to the water. After a few moments, he went back into the woods. The deer watched the whole time but never moved. After a moment or so, the bear returned, stood on his hind legs and busily started harvesting berries from the shoreline bushes. We watched until he had his fill and moved back into the woods. Our best bear sighting of our whole trip, and in New Jersey no less! [X would startle another bear when she came around a corner in the trail late in the day, and early arrivals at tonight's shelter reported seeing two hanging around the camp area until a hiker arrived with a dog which sent the bears scurrying...] The trail near the lake was very rocky, which put us behind schedule, time we would never make up, but our time spent at Sunfish Pond was totally worth it!We hiked the ridge line all day, and usually had great views when we got up to 1,500', such as on the open summit of Kittatinny Mountain and the junction with the Rattlesnake Swamp Trail (now there's an appealing name for you, made us just want to turn off to investigate!). We stopped for lunch at the old Catfish Lookout Tower, which N had hoped to climb, but which we found was in use, we think by a firefighter doing radio checks. Lessons learned from Colorado...After last night's poor water source, we especially appreciated Rattlesnake Spring at the bottom of a hill in the middle of many rhododendrons. Cold clear water of which we drank our fill.Yesterday we had noticed many droopy rhododendron. Today we saw many other wilted plants in the woods, brown well-trampled grass, yellow moss turning to dust under foot, and many prematurely falling leaves, not to mention places where the dry ground was shrinking and cracking. This all became critical for us when we arrived at our intended campsite to find the water source a stagnant mud puddle. We had to push on. The next listed stream was completely dry, and we wound up hiking all the way to the next shelter, much further than we had intended. We arrived around 6pm tired and thirsty, but quickly solved the last problem by mixing and downing a full bottle of Gatorade. We finished dinner and chores right at dark and the arrival of a mosquito horde, so we will now tackle that issue of "tired."