Date: 2011-05-05
From: Gren Anderson Shelter, NJ

To: Rutherford Shelter, NJ
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We arose about nine o'clock and discovered the shelter empty of all hikers. As the morning was sunny and breezy, we hung our sleeping bag atop our tarp to thoroughly dry it out. We also hung our Dri-ducks inside out as well as our old field jacket liner. While things dried we used the privy and fixed a hot breakfast of oatmeal, freeze dried apples, fig newtons, and hot chocolate. We took some time to read the shelter log book and noted IRover had not logged in.We hadn't seen or passed him during the previous day's rain so we assumed he was ahead of us. Still, strange that IRover had not signed the book.We took advantage of the nice weather to reconfigure our pack to move the blue foam pad inside and off the top of the pack. Once expanded inside, we were able to drop our bag of dry, clean clothes into the bottom, put the Ursack with food upright against our back, and stuff the hammock system around the Ursack. Only the oversized tarp needed to ride atop the pack.After sweeping down the shelter, we hit the trail at about 11:30 a.m. headed for the Rutherford shelter at High Point State Park.Around one-thirty we arrived at Sunrise Pavillion. While there were no tables, the pavillion was lined with benches. We sat on the raised floor and used a bench as a wind break against the still blustery winds. Our feet had started to have hot spots from the fairly rocky trail. We doffed our boots and socks and applied heavy duty bandages and duct tape around three toes and both heals. While cooling our feet, we took time to break open a package of A Genoa salami and make some salami tortilla wraps. While eating a section hiker from Quantico, VA passed through. Just before we left a woman, child, and older woman came up the trail from the north side. (Clearly we must be near a road as they were not in our condition). We set off northbound and down a slight downhill and discovered not just a road, but a full fledged parking area complete with privies, trash cans and a picnic table and overlook. No mention of that in the guide books and trail discussions.We continued north along the every rocky trail and arrived as Mashipacong shelter a bit after four. Mashipacong shelter was a pleasant surprise as the shelter is on the Appalachian Trail and has a large grassy area in front. The shelter also features a new fiberglass privy, a large bear box, and generous trees and tent camping area just past the shelter. Most amazing though was the gallon jug of what was clearly water. There wasn't much left in the jug so we took just a pint to ensure adequate water to reach Rutherford shelter, still four miles distant on a warm afternoon.We found the log book and dutifully entered our arrival date and time as is our habit when hiking solo. We discovered that IRover had passed by before us so there was a chance we would met at or before Rutherford. The log also stated the shelter was maintained by Alf and also that Alf had hiked in and stashed some 13 gallons of pure water which was in the bear box. We wandered back by the bear box and opened the main right-side door. Sure enough. Two large blue 5 gallon water containers with spigots were inside along with a few gallon jugs. This is noteable because Mashipacong is renown for not having water and all the guide books and signage warn hikers to have sufficient water to hike several miles beyond Mashipacong.We donned our pack and set off north from the shelter down a dirt fire road and soon noticed the distinct lack of white blazes. Damn! Not on the trail. Back to the shelter were we last saw a blaze. Standing in the middle of the grassy area we turned slowly ina circle looking at all the trees. No blazes? We walked back to where we entered the grassy area originally and found our last seen blaze. Aha! There on the corner of the shleter roof was a double blaze signalling a left turn. On the back roof was a single white blaze. The trail runs along the south outside wall of the shelter and down what can only be described as a dainage ditch to the paved highway below.Crossing the road we found a nice parking area and an information display welcoming us to High Point State Park. The display included a detailed topograpghic map of the park depicting all the park trails and elevation contours. Hmmm.. A short climb, foolowed by a downhill to a lowland and then a steep climb just before Rutherford. Nice. Hikers always enjoy a steep climb late in the day when they're tired. Not.We left the parking lot and the short section of groomed trail suddenly reverted to nasty rocks. About a half hour in, around five, we found IRover resting on a rock up ahead. Trading information we learned IRover had fell on the wet descent into Culver Gap mashing his hand badly. He took a room at a motel several miles east of the trail. So, that's why he wasn't at the shelter with 3stoves and company. IRover stated he was headed for Rutherford but he was going to enjoy a cigar first. We joked that if he didn't show up by eight, we'd alert the park rangers, and then we headed on up the trail ahead of him. Always nice knowing another hiker is close by in case of injury.Around six and after an hour of rough hiking we encountered Mike from Quantico flip-floppoing back south to Mashipacong shelter. He had stood above Rutherford shelter, but not visited it. Mike told me he had been hiking about 20-25 minutes. We estimated our remaining hiking time to be around 45 minutes to an hour as we were moving much slower.True to the map the trail began a rocky descent down with large steps off of stones and roots. The left knee was really complaining now. At the bottom the rail became squishy. Great. Wet, muddy boots was just what I needed most. Nope. The local trail club had already decided what I needed most just then was to go up. Not just up, but a chance to tryout our old rock climbing skills. The rearranged pack with a closer center of gravity was much appreciated, although we did catch ourselves trying to do a head first back dive while attempting a "move." At the top we found ourselves among large slabs of rock running at steep angles along the hillside. About halfway across one of the largest we found a sign marking the blue blaze trail to the Rutherford shelter. All we had to do was safely descend a smooth slab and hike another 3/10ths mile to the shelter. We managed to get off the slab without a serious fall and discovered the woods below was swampy with massive blow downs of trees. About halfway to the shelter we crossed over a small creek, likely the water source noted in the guide books. We gathered a liter from the stream and skipped the iodine as we would boil the full liter while making dinner and breakfast.We arrived at the shelter about seven-thirty. Already the sun had dropped behind the ridge above and the temperature was dropping. We used two trees near the entrance to th shelter area to hang our hammock. One had a bit of poison ivy starting around its base so we went slowly to ensure we didn't contaminate or hammock or webbing. We didn't have much of an appetite despite the long day of hiking so we boiled a pint of water and made so soup and hot chocolate. While sitting at the table we noted the area had a lot of trash littered about from previous hikers. When storing our bear bag in the provided box we discovered even more along with oatmeal encrusted bowls and metal silverware inside the bear box. Not a problem, we'll be at park HQ tommorrow and will report the conditions to the rangers.We hung our now mostly empty pack on a nail under the left side of the shelter roof where we could keep an eye on it from our hammock, just in case a bear visited that evening.Eight o-clock found us snuggled into our hammock and wondering when we would hear IRover. We couldn't miss him as we almost blocked the entrance to the shelter area. About eight-thirty we really were becoming concerned. Should we file a missing hiker report with the rangers in the morning or should we assume IRover was OK?Thus ended the fourth day.