Date: 2021-05-22
From: Unionville, NJ

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

When I was talking Pastor Doug yesterday  (trail name banzai) I told him I was from Holland, Mi and it turned out he was from Grandville, Mi - about 20 miles from Holland. And the very next thing he said was ¢what do you think about that Castle abomination they built by the highway¢.  I just lost it laughing. Everyone around West Michigan will know exactly what he¢s talking about and why he called it an abomination. Huge apartment building that is allegedly nice inside but looks like it was built using plans from Chernobyl. Anyway. Didn¢t get out of bed until 6:15 this motioning and left the hostel at 7:30. Can¢t say enough nice things about Doug and his family and the cookout last night with neighbors and members of his congregation. They don¢t just profess their faith, they live it. Off to the General Store for my final task in town for the EINJC- the Taylor Ham and egg sand sandwich (pic above). It was so good, I had a large coffee and a vitamin water to keep it company. Already on the porch were Hangs and Belch who had spent the night at the secret shelter just short of town. Then Saint, Halo and Zoomie came over from the hostel as well. While we sat, Punisher and Bopit walked by for the trail. I sincerely doubt I will see them again, they are on a mission.Got to the trail at 8:39 and had a flat first 4 miles including the longest road walk so far. Later, I walked around a massive wetlands restoration project intended to bring waterfowl back to the area. If it can somehow attract every single Canadian Goose from Michigan, I¢m all for it. I got water from behind the abandoned house (EINJC) then began the first 1000 foot climb of the day. I stayed with it without stopping (plod plod plod) and was so soaked with sweat when I got to the top I could have been swimming. The theme of the day was hot, humid, and no breeze. The bugs have really bloomed over the last few days and the mosquitoes, gnats and deer flies showered me with love and attention. On the backside of the hill I came to a fast flowing stream with large rocks by the banks. So I sat down, peeled off my shoes and socks and soaked my feet in the cold water for 10 minutes. Heaven  Next up was the long boardwalk through a massive swampy area  it¢s at least a mile long and the day hikers were out in force. Though most coming towards me back to their cars seemed pretty grumpy in the heat  After crossing another boardwalk though a boggy pasture 11 miles into the day I came to the road crossing where Easy had said there would be a hotdog stand an a farm market.  Before I got there, I saw a truck in the parking lot with it¢s tailgate open and a cooler perched there. I went over and there was a hand lettered sign that read ¢trail magic¢.  Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! Gatorade in the cooler.  A box with an assortment  of frito lay chips.  A five gallon jug of water.  None of this was part of the EINJC, but I hit it all.Then 50 yards to the hotdog stand for a dog with sauerkraut.  Then across the street to the farm market where Easy had listed three things:Ice cream - checkApple cider donut- checkCold drink - check  Only one more item on the EINJC - a side trail near the summit of the next 1000 foot climb called ¢stairway to heaven¢.  As I was going up, down the climb came D-day - a friend of Bopit¢s who I met at the cookout and who was the reason they didn¢t stay at the hostel.  He immediately offered me some crackers and I asked him if he was the source of the trail magic.  He was! I told him I had loaded up already on his kind spread and thanked him profusely.  Also on the climb - I PASSED THREE DAY HIKERS!  And they weren¢t overtly disabled in any way and appeared to be under 30 years old.  I could almost retire now from thru hiking.  About three miles shy of the shelter I was heading for I came to another rocky stream and repeated my earlier cold water soak.  Two section hikers were lingering there, only .5 miles from the parking lot and the end of their hike.  One of them thought my soak was a capitol idea and he found a rock of his own to sit and have a soak.At the shelter now and the bugs and mosquitoes are pretty think.  There are probably a dozen people here and everyone got in their tents pretty quickly - I as well.Tomorrow promises to be just as hot as today.  I have no plan at this point and the shelters aren¢t spaced well. I¢ve got 42 miles to Fort Montgomery, NY where I have a food box waiting and where I may take a nero on Tuesday to give Dudley some rest.  Hope everyone is well.