Date: 2015-06-27
From: 1,298.7 campsite, NJ

To: Branchville, NJ
Miles today: 22.9

Up at 6:30am to a dry tent due to rain that never appeared last night. I immediately checked the radar showing rain was fast approaching and would remain for the rest of the day. I packed up my gear, enjoyed a Coke and pop tart for breakfast, and was on the trail by 7:30am, leaving ahead of Moosehead and Burnsides whom I wouldn't see for the rest of the day.Light rain began falling within the first ~2 miles, just as I was reaching Sunfish Pond. I hopped along small boulders lining one side of the large pond, raindrops plopping off the water a couple feet to my right. Near the north end of the lake I stopped for a few minutes to watch as the rain fell across the lake as well as grabbed a couple pictures of cairns stacked near the water's edge. It was this spot that signified the 1,300-mile mark of the trail as well, though no marker was present.I continued on through the miles alone, listening to music as the rain gradually increased and slowly soaked my clothes. By midday by boots had been soaked through and my feet splashed in the small puddles that formed inside. My music complemented the day as every song for the first ~3 hours was of a slower variety. Eventually Bob Seger came on and turned things around. I walked by 2 turkeys, the first I've seen during my trek. I summited Kittatinny Mountain, void of any views due to thick fog, and passed Rattlesnake Swamp with its thick layer of lilly pads covering nearly half of the water. Cresting another mountain with a ~100+ foot fire tower ontop, I dropped my gear and climbed the ladder to the top hoping to get inside the small enclosed room atop it. Unfortunately the door was locked and I was only able to grab 2 quick photos before returning to the ground and escaping the steady wind, making me feel cold for the first time in over the past month. I considered eating lunch at the base of the tower, but the wind motivated me to keep moving instead in order to warm up.A few miles later I approached 2 hikers in front of me that I thought I recognized, but wasn't certain due to them being wrapped up in their rain gear. Eventually they turned around and I noticed it was Whisper and Drugstore. As I passed they informed me that Safari was just a little bit ahead. Within the next quarter mile I saw Safari hiking alone and I quietly approached from behind. When he got to a series of rock steps and had to momentarily stop, I spooked him by saying, "Hi!" We hiked together for the remainder of the afternoon, close to ~7 miles, as we headed for Culver's Gap. Up and over Rattlesnake Mountain and by Brink Shelter, we updated one another on our recent happenings and unique experiences since we last saw each other. He informed me that he saw 12 bears in the past 2 days, 10 being yesterday. I was a smidge jealous.At 4:00pm we rolled into Culver's Gap and immediately headed into Stokes Tavern, looking for a place to get dry, warm, eat, and enjoy an ice cold Coke. Over the next 2 hours I enjoyed several Coke's, a Yuengling, and 2 orders of the Get Out of Bed Burger, a beef patty topped with a hashbrown, a sunnyside up egg, and 2 slices of bacon. The retreat was filling and went a long ways in lifting my soaked spirirt, though the check did a fine job at bringing me back down to earth. Whisper and Drugstore also joined us during this time, turning to warm food and cold beer in order to put the crumby conditions of outside behind them. Plans were to originally continue at least another ~3 miles to the next shelter, if not further, but with the increased rain and drop in temperature, we turned to plan B: finding somewhere warm to stay.With most places already being booked, plus an overall lack of options, we ended up booking a room in the nearby Cobmin Ridge Motel in Branchville, NJ. This is, once again, another place similar to the Budget Inn's or the Travel Inn of 2 days ago. The 4 of us crowded into the small room with mustard yellow painted walls, 13 channels on the TV, and a bathroom stocked with 2 towels. We each took turns taking showers except for Safari who thinks he's clean due toma shower 2 days ago. He's obviously immune to his own musk and unfortunately I have to share a bed with him. Joy. The evening has been passed watching lame TV shows, drinking beer (Coke's for me), and chatting as our wet, smelly clothes hang from the windows, dresser handles, and a wall lamp in hope they dry a little before morning.The weather should clear up a bit as tomorrow progresses so my plan is to hike as far as my body will take me. The blister pain on my foot has since returned after wiping out on some wet, slanted rocks this morning. Through a combination of doing the splits and nearly pulling my groin, my right knee dragging over a foot of rocks, I managed to escape with only the nagging pain of my blister after agitating it during the close-call. It could've been a game-changer and I'm glad I can say that was the worst of my injuries.Here's to 1,300 miles down, 2 Get Out of Bed burgers, and an invite from Whisper, Drugstore, and Safari for a dry place to rest my head for the night.