Date: 2004-08-03
From: Unionville NY

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Slimer (Jorma) called from Culvers Gap NJ / Branchville NJ 8-3-2004 @ 09:55 amLeft Delaware Water Gap PA, Monday August 2nd. Crossed the Delaware River into NJ, another state behind me.I'm in big time bear country now. Big bear problem around here I'm told. Guy at a tackle shop told me they opened season on them last year. Bears were in peoples yards, getting in trash, real bad. I saw three yesterday, and one today. They don't seem to be afraid of people.Bears didn't give me any problems yesterday, but a Polecat (skunk) did. was walking up the trail and heard a rustle, out on the trail right in front of me was a polecat. he turned around and pointed his business end toward me, raised his tail ... that was enough to send ole Slimer back down the trail a ways. Got what I thought was a safe distance. Started throwing sticks at him trying to get him off the trail so I could pass (was no way around him) that was one stubborn polecat, he just wouldn't move. After about 20 minutes he wondered off and I passed without incidentSkeeters, knats and black fly's are really bad through here. haven't seen many ticks. Only one's I've seen on me were picked up by the side of the road in the tall grass, some on the trail but not many.The people in NJ are very nice and helpful, great people through here. Everywhere I go I meet nice people.NJ is a very big problem finding water ! very hard to find. Next three shelters coming up have no water at all . Will have to conserve all I can. When I do find it will have to load up big time, that's makes a heavy pack. I have been using my tarp when it rains to catch water. Also have been catching it dripping from the shelter roof'sWeather is clear and hot today. My health is holding up ok. It's really hard mentally, that's the toughest part.Starting to run into south-bounders coming from Katahdin. The few I've met so far have not been very friendly. Hope the White mountains didn't make them that way.Back down the trail a ways I was hiking with Poptart through the rocks, he slips and almost falls, gets up and just stares down at the rocks, starts cussing and yelling, I can only laugh. I've busted my butt several times in the rocks through here.Paparazzi, Wipeout and Gather are ahead of me, not sure how far. Met Whoa & Moxie at the hostel. Moxie is getting off the trail, injury ! That's a shame hiking all this way, very sad for her and Whoa.Walked by Sun Fish Pond yesterday, beautiful lake, but no fish. Water is too acidic . Only Sun fish live there they say.Called home spoke to mom. She caught me up on the world news. Storm off the Carolina coast, hope it doesn't come this way. Mom asks me how I'm doing, ok I say, miss home and friends very much. It's really tough out here.Mom said Freckles was doing fine, lying beside her on the couch with all four feet in the air. Said my cousin Judy Hartsock and her daughter Anastasia was there visiting from VA. They went to some concert in Charlotte last night.Mom asks me what part of the trail was the toughest so far, I tell her GA and NC because I was still green and out of shape bad. Also that's where I ended up in the hospital with knee problems, then later on ankle problems. That made it super tough.Got into Branchville NJ this morning. Stayed at the Brink Road Shelter last night. Stopped in a bar here and got a cherry coke and candy bar, watched news on TV awhile.Branchville is not very big, couple of bar's and a gas station. Real nice people here.Made 28.2 miles from Delaware Water Gap, need to pick it up, tired and run down.Gotta go hit the trail and head north, see if I can catch Gather ......I have my own journal now, slimer, or www.trailjournals.com/Slimer