Date: 2005-07-11
From: Blue Mountain Lakes Road

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

I was up and gone early this morning. I was on the trail by 7:30. Last night it was so hot that I slept for the first time totally nude. The screen on my tent was great at keeping out the bugs however, it was also great in keeping in the heat and humidity (especially if the fly was attached on top of the tent). I tricked it out the best I could and tried to stay in the open where I could catch as much breeze as I could. There were times that I connected the rain fly but pulled it off of the top with unsnapping a few straps. I figured if it rained it would only take a few seconds to make it water tight. As far as the heat went, what I needed was a fleece blanket to use as a sleeping sheet and then use my plus 40 bag as a comforter.    I over heard that Turbo Joe had left the trail. Too bad, he was a strong hiker that had a will to go all the way. From what I understand he had a sick friend at home and needed to come off the trail to take care of that person. I hope he gets to finish it in the future. I also heard that T-Bone returned to the trail. I wondered if it was the same T-Bone, related to Doc, that I new from down south.    At 9:00 that morning I came upon three more Black Bears (numbers 15,16 and 17). The cubs went right up the nearest tree and climbed about half of the way up, then stopped. The trail went up an incline that put them just above my eye level. I walked right up to them but, before I could get my camera out they were down and gone fast. Momma bear was just below me on the next ridge and I was able to get a photo of her (it is in the photo log). Note: There were other bears before these today that I did not record in my log book. I know my count was accurate and these numbers are accurate.    Just after leaving the Bears I had another exciting experience to say the least. I was hiking along and stopped just short of stepping on a good sized Copperhead snake. It's head was truly a copper color (hence the name), it was almost translucent. It stretched clear across the trail and all it's colors were beautiful. I have seen them in the wild before but never looking like this. I figured perhaps it must have shed it's skin just recently to have such detail in it's color pattern. Ironically I saw this snake just south of Rattle Snake Mountain.   Shortly there after I recalled reading in a local paper down south that there were two plane crashes on the same day, both in NJ. One in the southern part of the state and the other in the northern part. Why do I mention this? As I was walking along I noticed the trees were damaged at different levels and said to my self. "could it be?" Sure enough just off the trail I found the wreckage. Here the pilot got help from a hiker. What a unique find (there is a photo posted). Both pilots from both crash sites survived the accident.   I stopped at Culver's Gap earlier and had a good meal in the Sunset Grill. Buffalo Bob joined me while I was there. I met him earlier in the day. He was a former Marine who was retired as well. He and I hiked together on and off for a while. Injuries pulled him off the trail and I know after talking to him, he must have been disappointed. In fact if I know him at all, he will return to finish (one thing I have learned is that it is next to impossible to stop a Marine).   We all ended up at the Gren Anderson Shelter, Vapors, Buffalo Bob and I. We were sitting at the table and I looked up and the biggest Black Bear (#18) that I have ever seen in the wild, was coming our way. It was scavenging and probably looking for some hiker trash (yes, we were hiker trash). We stood up (got big), yelled (made noise) and eventually threw stones near it (a deterrent as a last resort). The Bear walked around the shelter for about 45 minutes. It made an interesting night.   This day was exciting indeed plus that little toe of mine was keeping me from making a full stride (painful little bugger). It also was the day I decided to record my logs for my children's children in the Trail Journals format that you are now reading.