Date: 2005-07-10
From: Highpoint Shelter

To: Episcopal Church Hostel, Vernon NJ
Miles today: 18.9

It's getting increasingly difficult for me to get up in the morning. I don't know if my body is breaking down or if I'm just getting less quality sleep, but I'm beginning to drag. Today was hot, very hot, and that didn't help my sluggishness either.    After the heavy rain two days ago, and a full day with great conversations with several hikers yesterday, Hopeful and I were ready to return to our regular hiking routine today. We typically begini our days with prayer as we hike away from wherever we spent the night. That is, we wait until the first flat area or gradual downhill of the day, and then we pray. Trying to talk much or pray aloud on an uphill can be disasterous, because we're out of breath and less patient with one another. Anyway, because of our change in routine, we've missed this prayer time together lately. So this morning, we purposely got out early and we had our chance. Some of you reading this may relate well, to others it may sound unusual, but prayer was exactly what we needed to kickstart are day and allow us to be ready to hike, and prepared to face with the right perspective whatever would come out way. Prayer is a way of connection with the Lord, whose creation we walk in and when we pray together it also connects us with each other in a special way. While it was so hot and we had a fair share of aches and pains (including new blisters), prayer helps us to be momre optimimisitic and accepting of the rough parts of the day. It's also a great way to feel a part of friends' and families' lives back home as we pray for them. All in all, it's generally a favorite part of our routine.   Today's hike included crossing some swamps on small board bridges. We also went through a former sod farmt hat is now Walkill National Wildlife Preserve. This has a series of board walks, including a suspension bridge that cover well over a mile of the trail.   When we reached the road crossing at the end of the day, there was a place called Heaven Hill Farm, just a tenth of a mile down the road. It's true to it's name. The fresh produce and bakery goods were incredible, and so was the ice cream! This saved us at a hot point in the afternoon, and we ate along with the others who would then try to find a ride a few miles up the road to Vernon, where there is a hostel. Colonel Mustard, Free, Hairball and Snowbunny, and "The Laugh Factory"-- Giggles and Box of Fun, would be staying the night with us along with Jax, Chuck, Vision Quest, and Platypus. The Laugh Factory, two young women who really do live up to their name, are fun to be with and the laughter is contagious.   The hostel is run by St. Thomas Episcopal Church, and they open the doors of their multi purpose room to hikers, as well as use of the kitchen, a computer with internet access, a shower, and laundry facilities. Wow! The hikers are asked to sleep in the end of the room, because our understanding is that it's used for many other activites throughout the week. We had dinner at a nearby pizza place with some of the others, and went to the grocery store for some resupply food. One of our friends from early on in the hike who had been weeks ahead of us, just arrived back on the trail after a two week break. So, he's at the hostel tonight and it's really good to see him again! Unfortunately, he's having problems with his legs and feet, so he's hoping that the rest has been enough. It's getting late. Whenever we are in a place with electricity, we're tempted to stay up past our bedtime.