Date: 2017-05-16
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Rattlesnake Spring
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: light intensity drizzle

5/16Tented .1 after Rattlesnake Spring13.6 milesI found a dead tick on my sock when I undressed yesterday. Which, eek! A tick! But also yay! The permethrin is working! I also found one on that sock when I undressed tonight. Different tick though. Last night I slept well but with no natural light in the bunkroom I couldn't tell what time it was. At one point I was convinced it was dawn. I fumbled for my watch and it was more like 1:30. Finally I saw somebody else standing and knew it must be time. I got up as quietly as I could and went to stand in line for the one bathroom. I extremely skillfully changed into my daytime clothes whilst peeing. I managed to only kick the cabinet three times.I ate my calzone leftovers (which sadly did not include sauce) for breakfast with my leftover ginger ale. When I started pondering how I was going to get some caffeine, another hiker who had to leave the trail offered me a couple of Cafe Bustela instant coffee packets. They made good coffee. While my eyelids were flapping up like a released window shade, he told me it was espresso. Very very effective wake up juice. I got on the road, literally, shortly after 7. There is a longish road walk across the river between PA and NJ. I finally put feet on dirt and started heading uphill, quickly passed by all the younger thruhikers. There were rocks of course, but the difference between yesterday and today is these rocks weren't trying to kill me. Despite the espresso I had a low energy day. My right sciatic nerve was doing all sorts of things to my leg, and there was a hard knot in my left lower back.  Very uncomfortable. My pack was a little heavy with resupply, but not excessively slow. I guess it was just my body being pretty normal, for it. After a quick lunch on the summit of Kittatinny Mountain, I trudged on until I reached the turnoff to the Mohican Outdoor Center. In my other traversals I never went there so I figured I might as well have a look see. The store there was dinky. My attempts at getting food were almost a complete failure for various reasons. I almost got hummus but it was made with bell peppers in it. My grilled cheese was grilled on one side, soggy with oil but ungrilled on the other and only half melted in the middle. My coke was warm. But they brought me ice for my coke and the sandwich came with potato chips. The chips and cold coke went a long way toward reviving me. I used their wifi to download new podcast episodes, refilled my water at their tap, and lounged on their sofa until I felt revived enough to continue on my way. Immediately after I got on the trail a man wearing a ..clown outfit? He came bounding toward the trail toward me, giggling. Guys I met shortly after said they were in radio contact and playing some sort of game. Whatever it was looked fun. Arriving at my planned destination I found Cocoa and several other hikers I didn't know. Dinner was Sticky Rice with Mango. Delicious, but too much. I hope it's good for breakfast tomorrow. It's supposed to be near 90 the next three days. I'm better at dealing with cold weather than very hot weather. I'm pretty sure it's going to be miserable. Im hoping that at least tomorrow night I can stay at a motel to recover from the heat of the day. Also since I've started finding ticks my paranoia has ramped up and I keep thinking they're on me. Super fun.