Date: 2018-08-09
From: Delaware Water Gap 

To: Hemlock Springs campsite
Miles today: 112.4

Before I summarize the next ten days I wanted to share some of the phrases you hear often on the AT. A few of these are mine, but most are ¢official¢ phrases (and I added some comments after them).1- It¢s not the miles, but the smiles (my biggest smiles were when I ignored the miles and enjoyed what each day had to offer)2- Carry in , carry out (I think every hiker should carry out more than they carry in)3- Leave no trace (except dead mosquitoes and black flies, I think that is ok)4- Take only pictures, leave only footprints (again, leaving dead mosquitoes and black flies is ok by me)5- Enjoy the journey, not just the destination (this is a saying that I have tried to instill in my boys)6- The AT is sometimes more difficult, sometimes less difficult. Never easy. (my own perspective)7- Virginia is flat (ha ha, it is not)¢¢¢¢¢¢¢-7/31 Day 140. Tented at Rattlesnake Spring after 13.5 miles. Ahhh, another bear (#6) and this one was closer and bigger than the others. We stared at each other, at about 15 yards, while it stood on its back legs and peaked around a tree. Then, both our curiosities satisfied, we each walked off in opposite directions. Another snake also today plus walked by Sunfish Pond and hit 1300 miles.  Yes, 1300 miles !!!8/1 Day 141. Brink Shelter and 11.3 miles through the rain. Stayed in the shelter due to the rain. 8/2 Day 142. Rutherford Shelter. Another night in the shelter. Rain and sun. 15.0 miles. Getting closer to NY. 8/3 Day 143. 10.8 miles to Unionville NY. The AT was still in NJ but a 0.7 mile road walk took me into NY. Tented in the town park. Before the rain was a late lunch at Horler¢s Grocery (roast beef sandwich since they ran out of sub rolls and of course, a pint of chocolate ice cream). Dinner was at Annabel¢s Pizza, a chicken and portobello mushroom panini. I¢m sure eating well tonight ... and then 13 hours of nonstop rain overnight. The tent leaked and everything I have is wet. 8/4 Day 144. Zero day. In Wayne NJ at Veronika and Matt¢s as these friends picked me up, and I was able to dry everything out, do laundry and eat well again (liver and onions, yum !!). True trail angels and trail magic with this support coming just as I truly needed it. Met Veronika and Matt¢s new baby, Maddox, and Matt¢s twins, Taylor and Ryan. 8/5 Day 145. Stealth camp after 15.0 miles by a stream. Nice site but very tired and feet aching from the last 150 miles of rocks. Did manage to grab a hot dog and an ice cream at a road crossing. That was after I missed a trail turn and walked an extra mile. Not the first time, and not the last. It tends to happen when you are always looking down where you are walking to avoid tripping. Also I want to mention some well appreciated boardwalks in NJ, through swamps and bogs. 8/6 Day 146. Wildcat Shelter. 14.8 miles and into NY. Another state completed. Yeah !!!!  And, can you believe it ... another road crossing with ice cream, milkshakes, water and phone charging. Ahhh, the trail is good. Even had sun today. 8/7 Day 147. Tuxedo Motel, 9.9 miles. HOT, sun, rain, rocks ... well, so much for a good trail. Reached Rt 17 and could not pass up the Tuxedo Motel two miles down the road. Time to use Lyft !!! Shower, free laundry and able to dry out again. I needed that to get my head back into a positive frame of mind. Ordered out for pizza and a turkey sub !!  That also helped my mental state. 8/8 Day 148. William Brian Memorial Shelter. Sun, hot, BUGS !!!! 9.7 miles. Stopped early, tired from the heat and wanted to escape the mosquitoes. Set up my tent and climbed in. I have been passed by many SOBO¢s (southbound hikers) over the past week. Today was a father and two kids, ages 8 & 10, who started their hike at Mt. Katahdin ME and are heading to GA. I heard they have done a 30 mile day. 8/9 Day 149. Hemlock Springs campsite. Sunny, good trail, up and down Bear Mtn, a concession stand by Hessian Lake, a trailside zoo and crossed the Hudson. 12.4 miles today. Most of the day hiked with Ron, Holy Ghost and Thunderbolt (and two other hikers, a couple, that I do not have their names). Great weather today, maybe the best I have had the whole hike.