Date: 2009-06-30
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: scattered clouds

My first dilemma of the day was whether to get an early start or wait until 8 o¢clock for the bakery to open. I decided upon the bakery. After a cinnamon raisin bagel with a coffee, followed by an apple Danish with icing, I headed back to the church hostel. Martha and Stud the Dud still had not returned, which disappointed me. I didn¢t know when our paths might cross again. Several people were sticking around to visit the outfitters which did not open until 10. I chatted with some people and then decided I might as well go there, too. I wanted to get a buff like the twins had, and I also wanted some jewelry to wear on the trail. However, the outfitters had neither. An employee told me that they sold jewelry at the bakery, which surprised me. I decided to go back and check it out. After looking over the entire store, the cases, located high up were pointed out to me. I picked out some blue flower earrings, put them on back at the hostel, and told Papa Kiwi to give his daughter a message from me if he talked to her. Sir Richard had finished his business with his new shoes at the outfitters and we both took off together- down the road and over the Delaware River Bridge to enter New Jersey! We made our way into the woods and up and over small climbs. I tripped a lot on the rocks- much more than normally. I didn¢t know what was going on! Then we arrived at Sunfish Pond, which was nice. The water was clear and looked inviting. Sir Richard said he didn¢t want to swim. Besides, the water was acidic and not meant for swimming. I wonder how all of the fish lived in that kind of environment. We passed a few rock sculptures, heard a chorus of frogs, and came upon a group of 4 guys. Lumpy and his friend were sharing their moonshine with Kog and D.O.C., and they offered us some. Richard and I declined. I ate a half of a power bar while we conversed for a few minutes and then we continued on. Dark clouds rolled in, followed by thunder. The storm was clearly behind us. Richard and I had wanted take a short food break, but in these conditions, with an open ridge coming up, we decided to keep moving. Raindrops began to fall. I had not prepared for rain. I didn¢t even have a Ziploc bag in my hipbelt pocket for my camera or phone. I wishfully hoped that the storm might skirt around us. It did not. The rain began to fall harder and harder as we crested the exposed rocks. I had my umbrella out, but I knew I had to stop to protect my camera. I let Richard go on as I stopped in the now downpour to open my pack, undo my small stuffsack to pull out a ziplock and pack my camera and phone away, as well as pull out my rainpants and jacket. The back of my skirt was already dripping wet. As I was slipping on my rainpants, Kog came up. ¢This is ridiculous!¢ he said. ¢Lightening is hitting right in front of me!¢. ¢You aren¢t scared, are you?¢ I asked him with a smile.He shook his head. ¢But I¢d prefer not to be on this ridgeline right now!¢ He said he better go on.   I struggled to latch my pack. The clip seemed to be broken! Why now? I managed to close it and continued on, holding my umbrella over my head. The trail had now become a river. Should I try to step around it or plough right through it? I decided it would be better to avoid the direct, constant soaking, so I tiptoed around the sides. I looked behind me to see Pusher and D.O.C. right behind me all of a sudden. I felt so bad, because I had not heard them! I apologized and let them get ahead.   I had expected to reach the Mohican Outdoor Center around 4:30, where I knew the twins, Squeegie, Sunbeam and Halfmoon, and Bison were staying. When I left the DWG, I had not planned on stopping there, but now that idea seemed very appealing. I came to a road crossing with a sign. Was that it? Oh, just an AT sign... but wait... there was a little notice underneath it. ¢MOC- food, lodging, canoeing...¢! Yes! It was around 2:30 and it was 0.4 miles up the road. I could do that! The rain started coming down hard again. I reached the porch, took off my pack, and saw Bison inside. I waved and both he and another guy waved back. I was so happy to get inside. Everything on my body was soaking wet. I checked in and got a bunk for the night. Bison was eating his second deli sandwich. D.O.C. commented that he felt like a wuss when he came upon me strolling along with my umbrella. He was scared of the lightening, too!   I got a turkey sandwich (unfortunately they only had white bread), a Coke, and then a packet of M+Ms (to Erik¢s dismay). I was cold sitting in my wet clothes. Bison offered me his dry rainjacket, which was awfully nice of him! It was so big on me, but nice and warm. Thanks, Bison! Kog played some beautiful music on the piano. All was well. I headed over to the lodge, found a bunk in an unoccupied room (it reminded me of Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch) and checked out the showers. To my great joy, I found both shampoo and conditioner, and took a nice warm shower. I hung up as much of my wet gear as possible. Everything, including my backpack was soaked through! It had seeped through my large stuffsack and onto my sleeping bag stuffsack, but the sleeping itself was still dry). Kog was not as fortunate. He carried his sleeping bag without any cover on the outside of his pack. He strung it up over the doorway and hoped it would dry out.    As I started to journal, more and more people came in. I made a pot of coffee with grounds that Erik had sent me and shared it with Kog and Sir Richard. Bison had received a maildrop that he did not need and put it up for grabs. I got a milky way, a Balance Gold bar, and a peanut butter granola bar! (Thanks again, Bison!). After a dinner of dehydrated Fiesta Rice, I got comfortable and labeled all of my pictures.    None of my gear had dried in the least by the time I got to bed (which was really late)! I had vivid dreams that night.