Date: 2010-06-19
From: Kirkridge Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ Presbyterian Church
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 83.Alarm went off at 6:15. Up with it since I needed to get to this Post Office. Heard one hiker throwing up. Too much snake and/or booze last night I guess. I hit the trailhead at 6:45.The hike was OK. Probably OK because it is only 6 miles or so. 2 hikers were closing the gap then I heard 1 start to vomit. Same one as earlier. They never did pass me.Hit the P.O. at 9:30. Picked up my box and shipped back my poles. They just are not for me. I carried them for the last 2 days. I am also going to do a small bounce box with my phone charger and watch charger. I really don¢t think it is working so I want to try it again in a few days with a new battery.After the P.O., I went to breakfast. Had my first with an omelet, hash browns, toast, coffee, and juice again. Second was my French toast, but this time I had the ham, bacon and sausage with it. Ate every bite. Stopped at the Outfitters to see about either a day pack of a fleece liner, but they did not have either. Oh well.Then to the hostel. Nice. In the lower level of the church. Took a bunk, sorted my dry box and updated my journals. A couple of hikers from last night are here, including the one who was sick. A section hiker just left with a 74 pound pack. He weighed 127 pounds. I told him when I caught up we were going to have an intervention. His pack is 58% of his body weight. Now that is nuts. Actually, he will rip his legs and back out in a few days.Now in are Deja Thru, Lola and Sunrise over the Sea, Bahama Dave, Second Breakfast, and 3 others. Well, I just got back where I found out the breakfast place opens at 6:00. Now I have a plan on where to be tomorrow morning. At the same time, I stopped at the Apple Pie Bakery for a sundae. I noticed they had hot/cooked chicken pot pies, so I had one first. It was terrific. Then dessert, which was a large brownie and 2 scoops of cookie dough ice cream. Yum.So at 1,284.4 miles, how are things going? Well, the good news is the poison ivy rash on my left hand and arm seems to have stopped spreading. The hornet¢s bite has gone away. My watch charger that was not working at least seems to be after fussing with it most of today. My phone just turns off and won¢t turn on until the battery is taken out and put back in. My ankle has help up in the rocks, although it has been sore and was acting poorly on the extended lifts. With all of the eating I am doing, my body weight is stable. I only have the clothes I am wearing and they seem to be holding up well. My pack smells bad, but also seems to be holding up well. My sandals were new at Harper¢s, so they are in good shape. Body strong, mind game is solid. So as it stands today, the only negative is whatever is going on under the toes of my left foot. Seems and feels like blisters, but I just can¢t bend my foot back that far to see what it is. Very painful and getting worse, so I will have to figure it out.With today being a short day, I decided not to take a zero here. Instead, I will push forward for 4 more days. 2 days to the Mayor¢s house, then 2 more days to Fort Montgomery, NY. I am bouncing a box with the 2 chargers, 1 packet of tuna and my sunscreen and journals. My goal is to run as light as I can; to go as far as I can for as long as I can. I will still need to find a way to the station in NYC since I will be passing by my original stopping point. The dates will be the same, only the getting off spot is uncertain.All is going well. Feeling like a hiker. Even better, a thru hiker. Life is great!!