Date: 2008-07-10
From: Mohican Outdoor Center, NJ

To: Gren Anderson Shelter, NJ
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: clear sky

I woke up at 5am and laid in my bed at Mohican Outdoor Center until 6am. I went into the kitchen area and found a small bag of coffee someone left....it was horrible coffee! :-(Oh well, I had a honey bun and a Danish, then packed up my stuff. It feels great out this morning because of lower humidity and I see the sun shining. I left Mohican Outdoor Center at 6:55am and started walking north on the Appalachian Trail at 7:05am under beautiful skies and much less humidity...I love it! :-) I got data service on the top of the mountain and was able to check my email. I really got quite a response about those '03 nobo whiners in yesterday's journal! They came out of the woodwork in full force and signed my guestbook. They even whined in the guestbook! I don't think Mrs Liteshoe and my ol' buddy Chief realize how bad they sound whining about going for a walk...and on the easiest year I can remember weatherwise. At least Maw-ee had fun. Hey Maw-ee, I didn't show up at the '03 hiker's reunion because I didn't think I could stand listening to all the whining, but if I'd have known you were going to be there, I might have come. At least there would have been two of us that weren¢t whining. Maw-ee is a good hiker....she loved the rain! :-) In response to Mrs Liteshoe saying there was a wedding gift there from me...I don't remember getting you anything, but if it's there and it's starting to smell, then I'd be proud if it was from me! :-) I thought about sending a balloon with a picture of my face on it and send it to Mrs Liteshoe, but then I figured she would probably just pop it when she tried blowing it up because of all the hot air she's full of. Chief and the beautiful Carlene at Mrs. Liteshoe¢s wedding reception I was climbing the first hill and scared up a young deer that look fawn sized, but didn't have any spots left on it. I got to Catfish Fire Tower and took a picture of it, then climbed it and sat up there enjoying the view and the breeze. View from Catfish Firetower When I walked back down off the fire tower, I noticed it said "1922" on the bottom step. I checked Rattlesnake Spring as I walked by and it was flowing nicely. I came to a pond with a beaver den in the middle of it and a couple frogs were croaking as I walked by. Water lilies in the beaver pond Liberty had passed by me pretty quickly while I was up on the fire tower. He passed by me quickly again about 45 minutes later. He said he missed the Trail and it took him a while to get back. :-) I met the first sobo of the year....a young guy by the name of Flash Dance. He said he left Katahdin on May 29th and he did run into Trek...a friend of mine that finished his nobo thru hike on June 3rd. We talked a while and I got his picture, then I walked on slowly while Flash Dance walked off quickly. ;-) I came up to a mother turkey that was standing in the Trail. I took a picture of her and when I started walking, some babies took off from the low bushes all around me. I have to thank Lipstick for showing Mrs Gorp how to do the multi pictures on my journal....Thanks Lipstick! That's working out great! :-) I saw a nice rock at 10am, so I sat down and ate some tuna salad and crackers, nuts and a couple pieces of chocolate. It's a beautiful day today! I got to Blue Mtn Lake Rd and there was a group of about 40 youngs kids around the water pump, so I passed on by without getting any water. They were getting ready for a noisy walk. :-) I was walking along and saw three more turkeys in the Trail up ahead of me. They were all about 3/4s grown. I stopped at the trail junction to Brink Rd Shelter and sat down and ate another snack and aired out my feet. I met Dancing Bear as he came up out of the shelter area. He's just gotten on the Trail and plans on walking to Hanover, NH. I walked up the next hill and got a couple pictures of a buck that was watching me. I could tell from the look in the buck's eyes that he was thinking to himself....now that's a dashing backpacker! :-) I got to Culver's Gap and ate at Kevin¢s Steakhouse. I had a so so hamburger with fries and a Coke and it cost me over $15.00. I guess I won't be visiting them again. It used to be Sunset Grill, but has changed hands....oh well. I climbed the next mountain and saw two baby turkeys real close to me in some bushes, then I saw the momma turkey watching me. I now have a new record for seeing bears on a thru hike! I had been tied with another year when I saw 13 bear. I was almost to Culver Fire Tower when I saw a large black thing in the bushes just 15 yards from me. I stopped and saw it was a large bear feeding on berries. He didn't see me, so I just stood there and watched him for about 2 minutes. He was probably 275 to 300 pounds. Black bear eating berries in the bushes I finally decided it was time to walk on, so I started talking to the big guy, but he didn't hear me. The wind was coming up the ridge and I guess it was blowing enough that it muted my voice to the bear. I talked louder and he looked around and saw me. I'm sure he thought I looked quite dashing too since I was sportin' my new hat with the neck cape. :-) He walked about 5 yards up the hill, then stopped and watched me as I walked by...stopping a few times long enough to snap a couple pictures. That's 14 bears I've seen on this thru hike! It's a GOOD year! :-) I passed by the Culver Fire Tower and took a picture of that, then walked another mile to Gren Anderson Shelter. I found a nice flat spot out by the Trail...about 1/10th of a mile from the shelter. I set up my tent and walked down to the spring and filled up my water bottles. I ate a few nuts and Fritos, then had five dark chocolate Dove pieces because I deserved them! ;-) Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)