Date: 2006-06-22
From: High Point State Park

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 20.6

Well - to start off, we were not busted for stealth camping behind the Park Headquarters. We did have a couple of anxious moments when a bunch of young males showed up at 2:30am, but they turned out to be harmless.We got up and out as quickly as possible to avoid arriving rangers. The day provided us a myriad of sights and experiences. Within an hour we were very near the high point of New Jersey. I am not sure if I mentioned this, but the rocks in NJ up to this point have been pretty much just as bad as PA. That changed quickly after the high point. We got off the ridge and began hiking through rolling forest land. We crossed a number of small creeks (also different than what we've seen for a few weeks) and enjoyed easy walking. By our Tensie break, we had already covered 8 miles. We came up with a plan that would put us at a place that we could buy a nice lunch, then cover 11 more miles to hitch off to a church hostel and resupply tonight instead of tomorrow night. Excited, we headed out. At lunch we walked .4 to Sara's Soda Shop in Unionville NY. This place was awesome! Great food and friendly folks. After lunch things got a little rougher.The heat had kicked up by the time we got back on the trail. Instead of flying by, the miles dragged. Midway through the afternoon, we had a 1,000 foot climb. I felt like I was going to croak. I had no energy in my arms and legs and the heat was all around my head like a heat ball. I started drinking all my water and eating trail mix to make sure I didn't crash. I think it was the Mtn Dew and Chocolate Shake I had with my lunch. I won't do that again. It wasn't a good feeling. Later in the afternoon we walked around a wildlife preserve. This looked to me like a big rice field. Not real impressive. The heat was brutal through here as well. We finally arrived a a water source (an abandoned house with a spigot). I drank 2 quarts and poured another 2 over my head. After our break, we were ready to finish up.We walked more small hills, then crossed a road into a wetland area. The whole area (probably 1.5 miles) had a raised wooden walkway. There were cattails and plants that looked like marsh grass. Red Wing Blackbirds scolded us as we walked by. The mosquitos had been building all afternoon. They finally go to the epic stage after the suspension bridge. It was a swarm everywhere. It was so bad, we couldn't stop walking. So we handed the deet to each other as we kept our pace going. This worked, but the swarm still followed us for another mile or so. Finally we reached the last road and walked to what looked like a nursery, but also had a bakery inside. We got snacks, looking for possible rides. I asked a couple "We're hikers, and we are looking for a ride to Vernon. Do you have room?" She answered "No, thank you". I didn't know if I was supposed to say "you're welcome" or something else. I guess a bearded, sweaty, deet covered man was outside her comfort range. ! We finally hitched a ride to town and found the hostel at the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. Nice place. Well - it's getting late and we've got 20 more tomorrow. So it's off to bed. More tomorrow...