Date: 2007-07-23
From: Murray Property - Secret Shelter

To: Vernon, NJ - church hostel
Miles today: 13.6

The rest of the crew were out and on the trail before me today. I was about ready to leave when Jim Murray, the owner of the shelter and surrounding 85 acres, stopped by. He thru hiked the trail in 1986, and we had a good half hour conversation about hiking and many other topics, before I was able to get going. Just as I started hiking a light rain began to fall. I already had my rain cover on my pack and wasn't too concerned about getting wet today since I was hiking a short 13 miles to Vernon, NJ to pick up mail and stay at a church hostel.As I hiked on, however, the rain came down harder and colder. I did not bother with a rain jacket and by the time a arrived at the Walkill National Wildlife Preserve I was uncomfortably cold as the rain came down and the wind increased in this open wetlands area of the trail. I did not want to stop and pull out my rain jacket and soak the contents of my pack. I thought I'd wait until I reached the shelter. When I finally arrived at the shelter, I immediately stripped my shirt and shorts off and wrung all the water from them. Here I was, in the shelter stark naked, with just my socks and boots on, hoping no one else would reach the shelter at this moment. I quickly put on my damp shirt and shorts (as opposed to soaking wet) and put on my rain jacket. I started feeling much better as I munched on some gorp.I left the shelter only to slog another very wet 6 miles and finally reached NJ Route 94. I needed to hitch the 2.5 miles to Vernon, and wasn't too confident that anyone would pick up a soaking wet and dirty thru hiker. I initially had no luck but repositioned myself at an intersection where drivers had to stop for a traffic light. This proved successful in allowing me to hitch a ride.I am here now in the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel in Vernon, NJ. It is a very nice place in the meeting area and Hall of the church basement. I am able to shower, wash my dirty clothes, use the kitchen and computer and dry out my gear. After I showered and put on some clean dry clothes, I walked to the post office to pick up my mail. I was amazed when the PO employee carried out 4 packages! Each one had quite a bit of good items I needed, and one, mailed by Peggy, a friend from home, was huge and weighed a ton. When I opened it, I found loads of bulk item packages of food which had been purchased at Sam's Club. Peggy sent a note saying that I should take what I needed and leave the rest in the hiker box at the hostel, to share with other hikers. I thought that was real nice of Peggy. I collected all of the goods in a large plastic bag and lugged it back to the hostel where I sorted through it, packed what I needed for the next leg, sent some ahead, and put the rest in the hostel hiker box.I just want to thank the following folks for all of your wonderful trail magic generosity:Peggy - who I now will call the "Sam's Club Trail Angel Extraordinaire" Cindy & Andre - you really know what a hiker needs! Thanks for all the great items in that package, especially the Met's cookieThe Alix Family - how did you know those chocolate donuts are one of my favorite?Good to be here at the hostel and out of the rain.