Date: 2004-11-21
From: Gren Anderson Shelter, NJ

To: Culver's Gap, NJ
Miles today: 3.0

3 miles todayCulver's Gap, NJ Today started early at 4:45am when I woke up to a stomach that wanted food. I knew that Worthington's Bakery was probably shut down, but I was still thinking about the best cinnamon rolls on the trail. Rainbow Slick read in the register last night that Worthington's was closed for good and up for sale. I wasn't completely ruling it out that they might still be open since I hadn't heard anything about them being closed. When I woke up, I started saying; cinnamon buns...cinnamon buns, until Rainbow Slick stired and said; "what did you say?" He's a morning person too, so I wasn't worried about waking him up. I made coffee and had a Kudos for breakfast and when it was light out, we walked the three miles to Culver's Gap from Gren Anderson Shelter. Worthington's Bakery IS closed for good. It looks like they have sold most of their equipment and there is a "for sale" sign out front. I had sent Hippie an email yesterday morning saying that we would be at Worthington's at 8:30am and for her to pick us up then instead of 10am like we had previously planned. She didn't get that email until this morning and she sent back an email saying that she would be there at 9:30. Rainbow Slick and I sat down in front of the bakery and waited. I kept looking in at the empty cinnamon roll rack with a broken heart. They were really good cinamon rolls!! A guy drove up and offered to take us to the diner, but we said our ride would be there soon and we thanked him for stopping. Hippie and her boyfriend, Tripod showed up right at 9:30 and we went down to the diner and had breakfast before we took Rainbow Slick back to his car in Unionville, NY. Rainbow Slick has to go back to work tomorrow. He really seemed to enjoy his long weekend out here hiking even though it rained all day yesterday and he handled that 18 mile day easily. I was impressed with that since he doesn't get to exercise too much with the job he's got. Tripod, Hippie and I went to where my truck had been parked at the trailhead at Rt 94 in NJ and Hippie and I drove to Ct while Tripod headed for home. Ok, everyone has been making comments about how hard it is to follow this crazy thru hike I've been on this year...well, sit down, it just got crazier!!! Hippie is one of my best friends from the trail. I've hiked some with her in each of the last four calender years. She even started her nobo thru hike this year by getting on the trail where I was at on February 10th and walking south with me from Fontana Dam to Springer Mtn in Ga to finish up my sobo thru hike that I was on...so, I decided to wait on her to catch up to where I'm at on the A.T. and we will both finish our flip-flop thru hikes this year together. The problem is that she is 140 miles behind where I'm at on the trail because she had to take a couple weeks off to make a little more money. We came up with this plan for me to take my truck and slack her the 140 miles which she feels like she can have done in a week and then we'll start walking south from Culver's Gap, NJ to Glasgow, Va together for the rest of our hikes. She will actually be done at Swatara Gap, Pa, but is finishing out the year hiking with me. See, I told you it just got crazier!!! I got her up to Bulls Bridge in Ct and dropped her off on the trail and I drove to Kent, Ct and about 30 minutes before it got dark out, I walked in 2 1/2 miles and met her on the trail and walked back the 2 1/2 miles to the truck, so she wouldn't have to walk in the dark by herself. I think she was glad to see me when she did because it was just getting too dark to see without a light. Now she only has 132 miles to catch up to me. Even though I can only claim three miles today, I actually walked eight miles. I hope to keep getting in a few unofficial miles each day just to keep moving until she gets to Culver's Gap next week.Another great day on the A.T.