Date: 2020-08-20
From: Catfish firetower

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

It was cold last night. Mid 50s. Hope this isn't a sign of an early winter. Armen, the German section hiker, was up early and climbing the fire tower, helping to get me up in time for the sunrise. He is a molecular biologist with a Japanese pharma in Princeton and partners with university researchers who've made breakthroughs they want to take to market. He's out for five days and seems to be planning around visiting lakes he can swim in.A hiker burst through soon after sunrise. He was shabby and mud-stained and obviously a thruhiker, but going the wrong direction. He turned out to have come from Maine. My first SOBO! Calls himself Blind and started from the base of Katahdin on June 6, about the same time I started at Springer. Plans to go back to hike Katahdin.I've been seeing more backpackers the last two days. Maybe it's this area or maybe it's the cooler weather. For the middle of the week it's surprising. Weather today was clear, calm, and cool in the forest. I hiked 16 miles to Branchville. Decided to resupply at Dale's Market a mile or so south instead of pushing thirty miles today to get into Port Jervis. I am out of snacks and breakfast entirely. Grabbed a huge calzone at Jimmy's Pizza next door and downed a two liter Coke. I never drink soda at home, but anything cold is good. Had to eat outside and the sun had me sweating. Grabbed a milkshake at Jumboland Diner on the two mile walk back north to Gyp's Tavern. There I picked up my new sleeping pad. I had sent it further up trail in case the shipping was delayed. But it came two days ago as promised. I could have sent it to Delaware Water Gap. Oh, well.Found Bumblebee behind Gyp's by the lake. He was three beers and a burger in and was loving life. He bought a six-pack of IPAs "to go", gave me a couple, and we each downed one on the spot It wasn't bad for an IPA. I'm usually more of a lager guy. I didn't plan to drink the other, but carried it up the trail to give it back later to repay the favor.Climbed back to the ridge. As I reached the top a family was just ahead and the little girl was very excited about having climbed the mountain. I encouraged her by asking if she'd really just climbed this big mountain. She beamed and nodded and said it was her mommy's idea. I said her mom had some good ideas and be sure to listen to her. Then I coolly exited by spending three minutes trying to figure out where the trail left the open bedrock area.The Culver firetower was a mile further. Bumblebee caught up and gushed about his experience here last year, where apparently some amateur radio enthusiast shindig was going on for several days, and he got beef stew out of it. It had a great view, but I didn't want another cold night on the exposed ridge. I dried the condensation off my tent in the early evening sun, then hiked another mile down to the shelter. There I met Ducky for the second time, having seen her right before Branchville. She's hiking all of the New Jersey AT with her pooch, and has a glittery duck hanging from her pack. She also has some very loud and annoying alerts on her phone which chimed out in the shelter well after dark. Trail courtesy people!