Date: 2006-07-02
From: Unionville, NY

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 11.8

Gee, these short days are killers. One point eight yesterday and now 11+ today. This is what hiking is about lately and I have no complaints at all. After all my time feeling like I've been out here all alone and disconnected even though I'm surrounded by nice people, I'm really enjoying the company I'm keeping. It's fun and it's silly. I wake up in next to a guy in a hammock, his dog, and a teen from Texas. This doesn't happen to any librarians I know.I hung in town for a little bit after the others left. I was in no Hurry. Bumped into Maple Leaf again. Also saw Gary. Saw Kutsa sitting on the step in front of the storage room hostel and stopped to talk. She's great. Glad to be getting to know her better. It was a beautiful hike into Vernon this morning. Again I'm so surprised by what's here in New Jersey. The trail goes through Wallkill National Wildlife Preserve, a huge wetlands with tall grass, birds, crickets and serenity. The breeze blows through and the grass sways and I just felt calm and peaceful with now need to hurry. Another mile or so of trail built on a boardwalk crossed through more wetlands. I walked for a while with a young guy called Sunset. He's jumping around the trail in sections and has done most of New England. He finishes New Jersey today and has to do the final hundred miles in Maine. He told some intense stories of North Carolina in snow and New Hampshire in cold, driving rain. Congrats to him.After crossing through a cow pasture to NJ94 I got a quick hitch from a friendly New York couple. They're tuned in to the trail and follow a few hikers on Whiteblaze. They told me that Bone Pac was the first hiker this year to sign the register at the ranger station in Baxter. Great job. Tonight I'm in the hostel in the basement of St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Very cushy with carpet, shower, TV, kitchen and phone. Besides me, Happy feet and partner, Kutsa, Charlie Foxtrot, Maple Leaf, Stretch and Tex are here. Folks with dogs stayed in a motel.Very relaxing night after a long shower. Had a good conversation with Charlie Foxtrot. He'd read the entry I left in the register at the diner in Unionville. I'd written how amusing it was to watch straight people to talk about Brokeback Mountain. One guys said he's never wear a cowboy hat again. I pictured hats flying out of pickup truck windows all over the country. Another guy walked around doing his best John Wayne swagger. Hysterical. Charlie asked me how it was working out being an out gay man on the trail. I told him it was fine. I wouldn't do any other way. I told him I played it close to the cuff when laid up in Tennessee and that it really brought my hike down. Haven't done it since. I told him that there were supposedly a few fag jokes about me on the trail but that I hadn't heard any of them. Neither has anyone else I know. Probably one incident blown out of proportion. Charlie told me about the men's group he belongs to in England. He loves the guys and told me it would be an interesting mix if there were a gay guy in the group too. I immediately thought of the movie Bedrooms and Hallways that Andrew and I have at home. There's been plans and revisions of plans for the 4th. Still not sure what we're doing. Also talk of hitting the water park here in Vernon. Didn't get there today, but tomorrow is another day.k here in Vernon. Didn't get there today, but tomorrow is another day.