Date: 2015-06-17
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: scattered clouds

6/17, 20.2, Delaware Water GapDaylight begins to break and the birds begin to sin in ernest slightly before 5 am so I am waking without an alarm, unable to sleep any longer, at that hour. Fortunately the entire shelter had early hiking plans today so the amount of disturbing others was minimal. Sir and Hummingbird tented up the hill from the shelter while Sister Em, Penguin, Haiku and I stayed in the shelter. We were joined by a new hiker, who was somewhat inexperienced, but I did not get his name. Packed and ready to go I started hiking at 6 am. The day was glorious to say the least. Mid 60's temperatures, lower humidity, bright sun, and clear skies greeted me as I hiked out of the shelter area. I hoped to see some animals hiking this early unfortunately all I saw were a lot of spider webs across the trail ahead. Each morning the first hiker through a trail area clears the webs that have been strung across the trail overnight. It is not greatly unpleasant but does carry its own sort of annoying. I learned a method from Ironman Bill for using my hiking poles to clear the webs ahead that involves spinning them in front of you as you hike. I am sure if someone saw it happening they would think I was nuts waving my poles ahead of me like that. The six of us planned to hike to the first gap, six miles north, and try to hitch hike in to the town of Wind Gap to a diner again. It is a good way to pack in enough AM calories to carry further up the trail. I reached the ridge above the gap first but the others all hiked in within a few minutes and we descended into the gap together. Generally it is hard for that many hikers to interest a single hitch but we had such good luck yesterday we decided to give it a shot. Twenty minutes later we decided we needed a plan B. Penguin was debating the trip anyway since she was planning a 20 mile day all the way into Delaware Water Gap, then a zero to heal her feet. She is a retired school teacher who just returned to the trail Saturday after two weeks off so she is going through the same reconditioning as I am. Additionally she has new boots, and the blisters are a bit daunting. She decided to hike on ahead and bid us farewell. Our plan B was to hike down into town a little further and try to catch a hitch. The diner was 3 miles away so we limited our range to the first convenience store where we could at least refill our water for the ten waterless miles of hiking to the next shelter. As we walked we held up our thumbs, but no takers. We stopped and asked a couple residents who were sitting on their front porch where the nearest diner was, an attempt to yogi a ride, and they helpfully shared their best guess. At that point I looked to the construction pickup parked at the next intersection 1/2 block away. The driver was looking at us and I noticed he had been there a relatively long time. When he saw me looking he motioned me over. Hey I think we just got a ride I said so we all walked his way. He had seen us coming down the hill and was waiting to give us a ride so we told him where we were headed, and he drove us the three miles to the diner. The Gap Diner was a nice local place complete with elderly patrons visiting at their morning tables. I had a fantastic three egg corned beef hash omelette, a banana bpancake, coffee, home fries and toast, for $8.95! Then our server graciously filled our water bottles and we were headed back to the trail, walking with thumbs out looking for a hitch. Five minutes later we were in the back of a small pickup headed for the trail. All in all our side trip cost 2 hours and had us back on trail by 10:30. The Alaskan family was headed for the next shelter only 10 miles further so they took a leisurely pace. Haiku was headed for town, 6 miles further than the shelter, Penguin headed there skipping the breakfast trip and I was planning to decide shelter or town based on my body and when I reached the shelter. The climb out of Wind Gap was steep but short so we found ourselves hiking on the usual relatively flat trail loaded with rocks. I hiked with the family for a while but they soon broke into their bladder relief formation where I hike ahead and they each stop one at a time while all hike on. I did not see them after that until they reached the shelter. I was hiking at a pretty good pace today and my legs felt very strong. I also noticed my desire to walk has returned which I credit to the good company of Sir, Hummingbird, Sister Em and Penguin. They have all made me feel like part of the thru hiker family once again and ready to complete this journey. I arrived at the shelter in time to catch Penguin on her way out, heading for town. I took a break at the shelter and met section hiker one boot from Wi, and flip flop thru hiker chip from Colorado. They had been hiking together and were taking a break before heading to town. The day had remained perfect and it was only 2:30 so it was an easy decision to head to town. The family hiked in as I was hoisting my pack on so we said our goodbyes as it is unlikely I will see them again since their plan is to zero through the weekend in Delaware Water Gap. I was able to hike the 6.7 miles into town by 5:30 and headed fir the ice cream shop on the edge of town. I had met Ha Ha, who knew Penguin, and told her of Penguins interest in splitting a room if the church hostel looked unpleasant so my next goal was to locate Penguin. And find where she was staying. She was in the ice cream shop working on a malt when I sat down to get mine. I had a butter pecan malt made in the old fashion way by a classic "Soda Jerk" behind the counter. After we finished we checked the hostel and found it musty, warm and full of twenty year olds making it a difficult place to stay. The younger crowd is pretty mellow at the shelters, but kind of cut loose even in hostels where they are not allowed to drink. Penguin and I Searched for a third roommate but decided to forego the awkwardness recognizing that we slept closer to each other in the shelter last night than we would in the hotel tonight. So we checked in and set up plans for laundry, dinner and resupply. I have a four day supply waiting ten miles north at the next stop so I plan to pick up a few things in the AM, and hike out around noon. Penguin will decide to orrow if she is going to zero for foot healing, or hike on as well. I am back to 20 plus mile per day shape and have set a course for New York by early next week. It is good to leave PA and will be even better when the rocks that have bled over into New Jersey end and the trail is once again smooth. On to Maine!Silverback