Date: 2003-06-08
From: Presbyterian Church of the Mountain 

To: Mohican Outdoor Center 
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Alooooohaa! Come on everyone say it with me. Let's say aloha to PA!   Ready... Aloha PA! And aloha PA rocks! Wuhuu! Seven states down and seven states to go! And no more rocks! Unbelievable! So let's all now say aloha to New Jersey.   Ready... Aloha New Jersey! And aloha New Jersey... rocks?   Rocks? Wha da hell i' dis! Rocks in NJ? You never hear anything about rocks in NJ. You hear about the rocks in PA, not in NJ! Weren't these things supposed to stop at the border? I repeat, wha da hell i' dis!   Ahhh.. Before I get into the rock thing, which really wasn't all that bad but still present, I should probably start this at the beginning. Don't worry it's short.   This morning came in with grey and overcast skies once again but this time without the rain. After a couple of cups of coffee and my 500th attempt (or so it seems) over the past two days to transmit journal entries (pay phones seem to experience transmission interruptions often.... grrrrr) it was back to the trail.   ChuckLuck, being another early riser, joined me.   Our first mile took us both out of PA and into NJ via a very busy freeway (I80) next to and across the Delaware River. Easy walking but a bit scary when the 18-wheelers would blow by. Anyway, the mile passed quickly and we were in the Worthington State Forrest.   Lovely! It was another easy five miles due to gentle ascents along the Dunnfield Creek, gorgeous views of the roaring creek and cool temperatures. Excluding the bridge/road walking, it was a great trail for the most part.   The rocks reappeared slowly over a couple of miles. First just a scattering and then they were back in all their glory. They aren't lasting as long but they're certainly here. Just enough to irritate you. But just as you get to the point of being ticked off they either stop or lead you to a gorgeous vista.   Funny how that works.   While stumbling across these though we did walked alongside Sunfish Pond. The pond is the southern most glacial pond on the AT. Accordingly the pond was almost lost years ago when a power company wanted to use it as a cooling pond to save a few dollars, rather than build their own cooling pond.   Publicity and the resulting public outcry prevented that from happening. Today the pond is a popular spot with hikers and often quite crowded on sunny weekends. Thankfully that wasn't the case today due to the rain. Instead it was perfect for a waterside lunch. I loved it.   From there it was to the rocky vista atop Mt Mohican. Great views for 270 degrees. Another super spot for a leisurely break and snack. Getting there the rocks led us through forests, past budding (not blooming) mountain laurel, babbling streams, and blueberry bushes looking to start producing any day now.   Again, I loved it.   Shelter, shelter, hostel, shelter, shelter, hostel, hostel, bunkhouse - that's my sleeping arrangements for the past eight nights. So that means I'm in a... bunkhouse. Life is so good! You gotta smile.   A short couple of miles after the vista brought us here - to the Mohican Outdoor Center. This is a retreat center for groups actually. Thru-hikers can stay overnight in either a cabin with bunks for 22, shower and towel, kitchen, etc. for $12, or tent for free and pay for the shower and a towel.   There's also a small camp store that sells snacks and soda. The center is really popular on weekends so we lucked out by arriving on a Sunday. Lots of space in the bunkhouse! Tent? What tent?   Upon our arrival to the bunkhouse we found good ol' Bono giving massages. Women only please. Since there were only three women present I signed up for the third hour. His pay? A pizza or beer down the road or whatever. He does give a decent massage.   I'll pay him back somehow somewhere down the line. We were also going to rename him to "$20 Make You Hollar" but it's too long.    Also in the bunkhouse tonight are She-Ra, Chaos, ChuckLuck, Krumholtz (new), and two weekend hikers. Out in the misty rain are Mighty Mouse, 58, Trooper, and Neuryl. Most of these folks I expected far far ahead of me. They would have been had yesterday not been so wet.   Good for me, good for them.   Also in our bunkhouse is a Bob Crowley, an Appalachian Outdoor Adventure Licensed guide. He's been a wealth of info for a gal entering bear country and never having seen one out of the zoo. That and snakes. I was only uncomfortable with snakes and excited about bears before.   Now, I'm leary of bears and jumpy about snakes. I can't say that having all this new found wisdom is comforting. A bear charges me and I'm supposed to stand completely still.... yeah, right!   Bob was kind enough to take everyone to a local bar where the camp manager plays in a folk rock type band. I opted to stay back to chat with you folks but ended up playing Doctor instead. Haven't done that since I was real young! Trooper has huge nasty blisters covering most of his feet, top and bottom.   We spent the evening with the other campers telling trail tales and doctoring feet. Hopefully tomorrow he'll be able to fit his overly padded feet into his boots. If he can't then all I have to say is... playing Doctor was fun. As were the trail tales.   Okay, the bar hoppers are back. Time to say goodnight to you and find out how the local nightlife liked a bunch of tattered looking hikers. Clean and smelling a bit better but still tattered and torn. I can only imagine.   So for now, sleep well and know... I'm loving NJ!BSandTs: nopeAandPs: come on... at 10.5 miles?MandGs: I've put in two sets of batteries in my camera in three days. Something isn't working and I'm going to get ticked.Critter count: 2x chipmunks, 1x golden eagle, 1x fawn (precious!), 2x doe