Date: 2007-06-27
From: Mohican Outdoor Center, NJ

To: Culvers Gap, NJ
Miles today: 18.0

I was up early this morning because of the distance I would have to hike today and because of an approaching storm front. By 6:30 AM, I was walking. The others in the bunkhouse were still sleeping and I think that the campers (Beach Bum, Backyard Boogie, Blazer, et.al.) either wanted to sleep in or they wanted hot coffee that was being prepared in the main lodge, or both. I tamed my coffee addiction somewhat and got going without it.Even at this time of the morning, it was hot, relatively speaking, and very, very humid. When the sun finally made it above the height of trees, I felt like I was baking. Every so often, I'd hike over rocks on the top of the tree-less ridge and I could feel the heat radiating towards me from below, too. It's a wonder that I did not get heat exhaustion. It was rough going!However, there were some places along the trail that followed an old, level, Jeep or 4x4 road. That was a relief from having to hike up in elevation in this heat. Then again, there were rocky places on the trail where I thought that I was still "fighting" the Pennsylvania rocks.I did see a large family of wild turkeys today: mom, dad, and quite a few little ones. They moved down the trail quickly and I couldn't get my camera out fast enough. What do you call a group of wild turkeys? Is there such a thing? You have a pod of whales, a heard of cattle, but what about a dozen turkeys? I dunno, maybe drumsticks? (sorry, a poor attempt at humor) I also saw a grouse. I could not positively identify it, but it startled me by flying away, quickly, as I passed it.The next interesting thing that I saw on the trail today was a homeless guy out here in the middle of nowhere. I say homeless because he had a different "method" of hiking. I came upon him as he sat in the shade on a log that fell across the trail. I said, "Hello. It's hot today." He mumbled something in a quiet, timid manner like, "Yes it is." By that time, I was passing to his side, continuing down the trail. I quickened my pace when I saw him reach one of his hands into the button-down, long- sleeve shirt that he was wearing. I don't know what he was reaching for, and I didn't want to find out. This man had black hair, was about 5' 8", and what was really unusual was that he not only had a big, royal blue backpack, but he was also traveling through the woods with a big, light blue hand bag and a black suitcase. Then, I began to wonder. Before I started hiking the Appalachian Trail, about two weeks ago, I read a thread on http://www.whiteblaze.net about someone fitting this description who is out on the trail, carrying two suitcases. Could this be the same guy?Around 11:30 AM, I started to hear thunder in the distance. It was too hazy to see the line of storm clouds, but they were coming. I downed a king size bag of peanut M&Ms - that were melting in this 90 degree weather - for a little energy boost to get me to the shelter before the rain and lightning got to me on the ridge. I moved as fast as I could, trying not to overheat.Finally, after a while, I found the shelter at 12:50 PM. It was an early day, time wise, but I covered a lot of ground already and wanted to stay dry.   Flaxseed and his sister were there hanging out, trying to decide what to do. They camped somewhere beyond the Mohican OutdoorCenter last night and still wanted to put in more miles today. Flaxseed was content to stay because the thunder was becoming louder and more frequent, but his sister wanted to hike another four miles at least to a diner at a road crossing and then camp in the woods. After filling their water bottles from the nearby spring, they were off and up the trail. I'm not sure that they made the best decision because the storm began a few minutes later.The thunder became deafening and you could hear it crackle and tear across the sky from left to right, ending with a big boom that made the floor of the shelter shake. The flashes of lightning made me keep my head down on occasion while I typed out this journal entry. Rain fell lightly and then poured. As I looked outside the shelter, what was once puddles were now streams of mud and debris traveling down the hill. It is now about 3:30 PM and I am wondering if the guys who camped at the Mohican Outdoor Center stopped for the night or if they are waitingthe storm out in a place down and away from the ridge. My guess is that they did take refuge, but they're probably making their way to this shelter area slowly, now that the weather is calming down slightly. Around 4:30 PM, I was getting restless, I had plenty of energy, there was still lots of daylight left, and I was feeling good. My new shoes are treating my feet really well. I am thrilled. There's always the possibility that I can have foot problems in the coming weeks, but for now, my feet feel very good.A few minutes later Backyard Boogie and Beach Bum came walking towards the shelter as I was walking away from it. I mentioned to them that Iwas pushing on for another four miles to Culvers Gap, down the mountain. They said that No Worries, Blazer, and others were not far behind.I told Blazer and No Worries last night that I might have the incentive to make it to Culvers Gap where there are restaurants at the trail intersection and a motel where we could share the expense and avoid the forecasted storms.So, I continued to the gap, being careful to avoid slipping on the wet rocks. Thankfully, my hiking poles prevented me from taking what could have been some nasty falls. At 5:15 PM, I heard a noise to my left and saw the first bear of this trip. The bear took about seven big leaps and disappeared down the other side of the ridge. New Jersey is known as having a high bear population because hunters haven't been allowed to hunt bears frequently and on a consistent basis, as I understand it. I guess it's about time that I saw a bear. Other hikers have seen dozens of bears so far. The blueberries are ripe and found all along the trail so I guess it was no surprise that the bears are eating the berries and so are the hikers. I reached the Culvers Gap road crossing just before 6:00 PM and made my way to Archie's on Kittatinny Lake. The sign outside advertised "The best hamburger in town." How could I refuse? So, I dropped my pack at the front door, ordered a Coke, salad, cheeseburger and fries. Oh, yeah! They deserve the award.A few restaurants, including Archie's, are on Lake Kittatinny. It looks like it's a huge lake. There are very nice views of it from about 1/2 mile up the Trail. Many homes are on the lake and it looks like a great place to take a boat out and go water skiing. Finally, my last stop of the day was to the Forest Motel after my dinner at Archie's. I called the motel office from a payphone for a ride in exchange for renting a room. I already hiked eighteen miles today. I didn't feel like walking two more miles on a busy road to the motel.The Forest Motel looks like one of those very old ten-room, mom and pop motels that you see along the stretch of an infrequently traveled highway. You might pass a motel like it and wonder if this is the place where all of the town's criminals pay a weekly rate to stay while trying to avoid the police. This place must have been built in the 1920s and the Christmas lights, still hanging and lit up, add to its "charm." Actually, even though it is small, it is surprisingly very clean inside. However, I'm still going to prop the desk in front of the door for security reasons. Let's hope I can get a lift up the hill and back to the trail head tomorrow morning.Again this evening, another wave of strong storms entered the gap. The lightning made the lights flicker at the motel many times as I typed this entry.Well, I think this journal is long enough. Until tomorrow...