Date: 2011-05-03
From: Mohican Outdoor Center, NJ

To: Camp Ken-Etiwa-Pec, NJ
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

Arose this morning at 8:00 a.m.. It is my vacation after all and our hammock is very comfortable and cozy. After a hearty breakfast of oatmeal, freeze dried apples, Fig Newtons, and hot chocolate, we broke camp, took some photos of the MOC visitor center, topped off our water and headed up the gravel road to the AT about 9:30 a.m..The trail started out fine, but quickly rose in steepness and rocks. About 10:15, we were atop Catfish and began the ridge walk we had anticipated when planning this trip. The trail in this section crosses over slabs of rock and offers views of New Jersey to the east.Just before 11 we were surprised to look up and find the Catfish fire tower framed by the trail. We had planned to be here at noon. We discovered a concrete picnic table below the tower surrounded by narcissus and lilies. We took a break to drop our pack and fix a quick salami wrap.After our break, we started down from Catfish fire tower. The trail first follows the gravel fire road downhill, but soon turns left where the trail does double duty as drainage. Lots of large steps down over rocks and roots. The trail continues down in this fashion until it T's with a gravel road and one must turn to continue.The elapsed time and distance indicated we were near Rattlesnake Spring. We noted some black plastic drain pipe crossing the gravel road to our left and went to investigate. We discovered a small spring seeping from the hill just a few feet above the road. As this was the only water source listed, we filled a bottle and dropped some iodine tablets.Following the gravel road we noted some stealth camp sites where the road makes a sharp left turn. About noon, the gravel road led us to CR-602, a paved road with more frequent traffic than we anticipated. While we took a moment to rest on the boulders in full sun to update our notes, we soon discovered after a brief road walk west, there were shadier rocks and logs up the rail where it reenters the forest.Fifteen minutes later the trail took us along a picturesque small pond where we heard a bullfrog and watched a goose dunk itself in the water. On the other side of the pond, the trail resumed its rocky rise back to the ridge.The day was sunny and warm. Feeling a bit tired, we decided to take a "safety" and pull off the trail and take a nap. We found two suitable trees, rigged just our hammock, and nodded off in the partial shade.Around four o'clock, we awoke, packed, had some water and a light snack and resumed our day's trek. We were passing along a wide section of trail that had once been a housing development. The houses were long gone and the road had nearly reverted to trail save for patches of old asphalt. Signage warning of bears and forbidding camping were prominent.Apparently we had once again been close to one of our mile markers when we stopped for the nap as just fifteen minutes later we found a weather station and a pump along a paved road. The pump proved to be inoperative which was disconcerting as this was a planned water hole and we were low on water.We had originally planned to stop just past the road at Camp Ken-Etiwa-Pec, but as the ranger had told us the camp was defunct and there being additional no camping signs across the road, we decided to keep going. Interestingly enough, when we crossed the road there was a white sign announcing the camp to AT hikers and the sign did not very old. None the less we pushed forward over a very rocky section of trail.About a half-hour later we began to round the end of Long Pond on which the former camp sits. We discovered water flowing across the trail from a small pond higher up that was overflowing from recent rains. We took advantage of the gift of water and filled two liter bottles and dropping more iodine.Shortly after we passed the two ponds, the trail widened and improved to wide grassy well graded trail. Except for a brief rock climbing section to change between trails, we found ourselves on a back-country expressway. We sped up our pace as sundown was approaching and the earlier rocks had slowed us down considerably. Our goal was to hike a mile past Crater Lake out of the no camping zone and find a legal camp site just past the Buttermilk Falls trail intersection. By 6:30 we still had not reached the trail intersection and we were overheating. We spotted an old trail/stealth camp and decided for safety reasons to stop and make camp. After a brief episode of side cramps and dry heaves, we rigged our hammock, made a hot dinner in the middle of the trail, and hung our new Ursack bear bag on a tree down the trail.By eight o'clock, the temperature began dropping, but we were snug in under our sleeping bag. The wind began to increase and about ten o'clock it began to rain.Thus ended the second day.