Date: 2015-06-21
From: High Point Shelter

To: St. Thomas Hiker Hostel, Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

6/21, St. Thomas Episcopal Hiker Hostel, 18,9It is 11 pm and I am just now laying down to write after an evening of cleaning up and relaxing. I slept well in spite of the heavy rains drumming the roof of the shelter. Judging by he streams this morning the total rainfall must have been strong. I was awake at 5 as usual, but it was still raining pretty heavily. I decided to wait it out a bit so was able to read for a short time. Soon the rain let up and I was able to visit the privy and retrieve my food bag from the bear box. Bear boxes are provided at the shelters in New Jersey because this state claims more bears per square mile than any other. Our shelter included a nesting barn swallow so he/she decided to leave when we all started stirring. I took my time packing since the forecast was for clearing around 8 which meant I could hike out in a lighter rain and tree dripping but still have plenty of daytime to dry. At 7:15 I was anxious and departed the shelter first. Sweet Eyes and Neon were headed to the same place as I and Penguin was meeting a friend, and hiking a shorter day. It was clear very soon that stream crossings were going to be a challenge as was the trail itself running wit all of the rain water. Navigating crossings was often a matter of deciding if the water going over the stepping rocks was deep enough to get over my boot or if I needed to look up or downstream for another crossing option. The trail was another story. Walking in the center was not an option as there was 1-3 inches of standing water on much of the low path. Walking along required stepping from one edge to the other picking the uphill side away from the draining water each time. It made for slow progress but as time passed the sun broke through around 8:15. I covered the first eleven miles by 10:30 and decided to walk a few tenths of a mile toward town to try and find a cold drink. The humidity is back and along with temperatures rising under the morning sun I was hot, sweaty and thirsty. I stopped at the end of the line market which is slightly better stocked than a convenience store and has a short order grille. I headed for the ATM to get some cash and discovered it was out of money. That limited my choices so I grabbed a 40 oz Mt Dew, an iced tea for later and a bag of chips with some dipping cheese. At the counter I added a freshly fried hot pocket like breakfast sandwich and together it all made a fine Father's day second breakfast. I am guessing this may be one of the few father's days I get two breakfasts. I sat on the bench outside the market and visited with Sparky, a thru hiker from Massachusetts. He was in the store when I arrived and was planning to relax there waiting for Danger Ranger to join him. We visited as we ate talking tiny houses, education and returning to new careers after the trail. At this point we are beginning to function like a hiker class in the sense of a group of seniors trying to finish high school together. We all are encouraging one another and it matters not who we are, just that we have all made it this far and will drag one another all the way to Katahdin if that is what it takes. The thru hiker class of 2015 is taking shape!I finished and hiked up he road toward the trail passing Danger Ranger on his way into town. Back on the trail I hiked briskly as the terrain was gradual and I was full of fuel. Around a wildlife sanctuary the trail skirted it's perimeter and as I was making my way I caught up with Neon. She had left the shelter after I did and was glad to have someone with whom to hike. Since we were heading into town I hiked with her knowing from previous conversations that she tries not to hike into town alone for safety reasons. She hikes my pace anyway so it was nice to visit along the way. About an hour later we were taking a break before heading out onto a long boardwalk over a swamp when Sweet Eyes caught up. He had left the shelter not long after me but went into town on the other end of town to stop at the diner for second breakfast. As he was hiking back to the trail he stopped and shared a Coke with Sparky and Ranger Danger as well, just missing me by about 15 minutes. We hiked on as a threesome for the last few miles arriving at the road crossing for Vernon, NJ, 2.4 miles East. Hitch hiking is illegal in New Jersey so we planned to look for a parking lot where we could yogi a ride or just walk it. Neon spotted an ice cream cone sign to the west so we decided an cold treat before the long walk would be a good idea. As we walked in the driveway the car that was going by slowed and the driver asked us if we were staying in town at the hostel. That was exactly our plan so he offered to give us a ride in. Neon boldly asked if we could take a moment to get a cold drink and he said sure, pulling back in to park and wait. Shortly he was dropping us very happy at the door of the church hostel in Vernon so we thanked him and counted our blessings. Here at this hostel we get a spot on the floor of the air conditioned basement, shower and laundry facilities for a 10 dollar donation. There is a small area of couches around a Television with a selection of DVD's, a refrigerator with food just for hikers, and plenty of instructions to make ourselves comfortable. After showers we walked to the Chinese take out next door for dinner then down the street to the A&P for a few items. Sweet Eyes and Neon needed more resupply than I but we all grabbed a couple town items, like popcorn and fresh fruit, to enjoy back at the hostel.Tomorrow we plan to grab Dunkin' Donuts shortly after they open at 5, then come back to the hostel to pack and head back to the trail. We all have the same goal to hike to a shelter twenty miles North but will separate from there. I will be hiking a short ten miles on Tuesday to a restful town stay, Neon is hiking on to meet her husband for a visit Wednesday, and Sweet Eyes is just hiking on. We will probably cross paths again as long as we stay relatively healthy. Silverback