Date: 2008-05-29
From: Duncannon, Pennsylvania

To: Dalton, Massachusetts
Miles today: 422.0
Weather: clear sky

We are here in Dalton, MA staying at Rob's house with his incredibly huge and sweet lab named Tinker. It has been awhile since an update and we have decided to take our first zero since we have not had one for more than one thousand miles. We were ready to get out of Pennsylvania when we hit the Delaware Water Gap. Staying at the church was a wonderful experience. We had the whole place to ourselves, took a hot shower and looked through AT picture books while listening to relaxing Solitude CDs. We also pigged out at the delicious bakery in town (Cannoli cheesecake, mmmmm). We hit New Jersey and hoped for a better experience than our ongoing bad luck through Pennsylvania with our gas stove dying, not finding denatured alcohol, people not picking us up, no hot meals, a run in with an unprofessional and arrogant park ranger, rain rain and rain, etc. But, the rocks really weren't bad. The state was flat and the woods like fairy land. Back to New Jersey, we got our wish. It was still rainy, but beautiful...and wild. No bears, but Aaron was followed by nine wood duck ducklings on their first outing from the nest on their way to the water. I suppose they were hoping Aaron would lead them to their frantic mother who was hopping around in a large circle around us squakking and acting as though her wing was injured. Then Aaron caught his sandal on a root and fell to the ground. As we knelt on the trail there all of a sudden we heard a loud Maaaaa!!!! and found a day-old fawn jump up no more than five feet from us with all its spots and jello-like legs. It must have thought we were about to pounce on him and he could no longer contain himself! We also came across a turkey and her chicks as well as geese with their goslings. It is spring time. Lastly, Aaron was attacked by a rabid chipmunk. It catapulted out of the bushes, flew between my legs and hit Aaron's leg. Then it stood on the edge of the trail for a few seconds and slowly waddled away with its hind legs paralyzed. Kinda scary. I must mention staying at The Mayor's house of Unionville, New York. We were still hiking the New Jersey section, but jumped the border to resupply in New York. The Mayor and his assistant Butch and his cook Bill were wonderful! We ate well and had good conversation. The Mayor even brought Aaron to his office to staple his sandal back together! New York was rugged, climbing rocks with our hands and slipping on wet lichen. How did Pennsylvania get stuck with "the rocks" reputation? We are definitely in beaver territory here, more evergreens too. The Hudson River was gorgeous from the ridge.Connecticut was "Martha Stewart land" as one lady explained to us. George Washington seemed to have been everywhere here. Many cottages here and the Hoosatonic River is picturesque. We met a group of day hikers who brought us to their summer home. Carol works in the Empire State building on the 50th floor and visits her cottage twice a month. She has invited us to her cottage in New Hampshire as well. What wonderful people to invite stinky hikers into their home and let us use their clean shower, and feed us too!!!Massachusetts is home to many beavers, we saw one in a lake with his head popped up above water near his lodge. It gets prettier and prettier as we head north.