Date: 2004-07-07
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Mohican Outdoor Center
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I had been tempted to make for a campsite 17 miles away. But watching the Weather Channel while sampling the buffet in the motel breakfast room changed my mind. Severe thunderstorms were predicted in the evening. Suddenly the snug cabins of the Mohican Center seemed a lot more attractive. My tent is not the most windproof and no tent stands up well against falling trees and other severe storm accompaniments.I had to wait for Socks to vacate the room before checking out, so we ended up starting together at 730 and hiking the day together. A local trail alumni drove us to the Trail and we started out across the I-80 Delaware River Bridge. I put on my best George Washington imitation, "Mouse Crossing The Delaware" but the hair on the sides of my head doesn't curl the right way and George had more gray than I do, so I did not quite pull it off.Pennsylvania has been good to me. Between eating in towns, roadside restaurants, trail magic and all those berries I think I have gained weight. I am all fed and ready for some more states!After bidding farewell to the Delaware, we started the climb up Kittatinny Mountain. We will stay on its ridge until we reach High Point at the northwest corner of the state, then turn east and descend. The rocks were just as bad as Pennsylvania. At Sunfish Pond the rock situation got much worse. The Trail takes a strenuous boulder hopping route along the shore. Finally it headed uphill and I thought to myself "At least we are heading away from that rugged shoreline". No sooner had I formed the thought than we hit a double blaze with the top one offset to the right, signalling a right turn. I groaned as the trail dove cheerfully back into the rocks. Talk about too much of a muchness!Sunfish Pond is a glacial pond too acidic for all but a few species of sunfish and perch. I joked about treking poles, deer, and thruhikers being dissolved by the acid while Socks giggled.The rocks continued all the way to Mohican, well-rooted and often too close to step between. Our feet and ankles got more and more sore from the uneven footing. It did not even have the long respites of smooth path I found in Pennsylvania.In compensation, there were lots and lots of blueberries. Not only the ones we had seen earlier but a large dark variety that were REALLY sweet. A few miles past Sunfish Pond the vegetation changed; large grassy meadows topped the ridge dotted with scattered trees. It made for nice views of the river to one side and lakes to the other and was unlike any vegetation we had seen so far. Sort of like the balds but with shade trees. The sunlight made for lots of big sweet berries. We could have stopped and gorged ourselves insensible on them, but by now we were getting tired and wanting to get to Mohican. As it was, we ate our share.At last we descended into a gap and came to the road to the Center. Because of the forecast of rain we decided to forgo the free tenting and paid the fee for bunks indoors. It was very nice; beds with soft mattresses and pillows, hot shower, even a kitchen with utensils! I showered and then hand-laundered my t-shirt and shorts. It was amazing how much gunk I washed out of them even after just one short day! I hung them outside to dry and had a nap while Socks went to swim in the lake and sooth her feet in the cold water.I took advantage of the kitchen to heat some water and fix the dehydrated pork and beans I had gotten as Trail Magic back before Duncannon and had been carrying for a week and a half, along with some ramen. It was the first hot meal I had prepared since sending away my cooking things back in central Virginia. Socks was sharing beans and rice on tortillas, eager to reduce her pack weight, so we all ate well.Adam came in late and was having pain in the arch of one foot. He iced it and hopefully it will be better in the morning.The first thunderstorm rumbled through at about 5pm and the rain continued off and on into the night. I read my way through the library of books and old National Geographics. Some were so old I remembered them from my high school years!