Date: 2003-06-18
From: Delaware Water Gap PA

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

Day 97 Avg Mls/Day 13.2Weather: Back to rain, but ending in the morning. Overcast the rest of the day. Cool, high temp not above 70. Actually much better hiking weather than a hot & humid day.Today's Nature: Deer and chipmunks. Some beautiful views of the lakes in the valleys.Actually, things didn't work out too poorly today. It had rained during the night and continued through daybreak. I was considering taking a zero and then the weather channel showed the moisture going off to the east. Sure enough, it stopped raining, but remained overcast the rest of the day. I wasn't planning a full day of hiking out of DWG anyway as there is a nice hostel 10 miles out of town.I slept in somewhat as I got up around 6:30. Took advantage of the continental breakfast. I got a call from Richard and also got to talk with several of the people I had worked with before I retired. It was nice to find everyone in such good spirits... without me there.It was a little before 11 by the time I got packed up and went across the street to pick up a couple of food items...sub sandwich for supper, Hostess cherry pie for breakfast and 2 hotdogs (for 99 cents) for lunch before I left. Oh yeah, 3 Snickers bars for the Trail.I was on the Trail walking where I left off by 11:30. It was a mile before the Trail finally crossed the Delaware River on the I80 bridge. Construction had traffic down to one lane and moving slowly next to me.The Trail passed by the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Information Center and on into the Washington State Forrest. The assent of a 1,000' or so along Dunnfield Creek was nice and gradual and I thought I'd seen the last of the rocks on the trail for awhile. Not so, they started back up after several miles. The Trail did run along Sunfish Pond, the southernmost glacial pond on the AT. New Jersey calls it one of the state's 7 natural wonders. There, I ran into a group of 15 or so college students on a short hike. Except for them, I saw no one else and hiked alone today.Surprisingly, the Garden State has some beautiful landscape. There were some nice views of the lakes below from the ridges today even with the hazy skies.As I reached the road to get off to the Mohican Outdoor Center, there was "Trail Magic" from Butch Cassidy. You might remember, he also gave hikers magic 900 miles or so back down south. I took a couple of kiwi fruit, can of Progresso soup and a small can of diced peaches for supper. Speaking of trail magic, I received a nice e-mail from Apple. He was one of the first "Trail Majicians" we ran into...and he was good! I might have to go back and do some magic when I've completed my hike.I got to the Mohican Outdoor Center at 4 p.m. It is operated as a retreat center by the AMC. Thru-hikers are invited to stay in a cabin with a bunk, stove, shower and towel for $12. There are only 2 others here so far...Jane and Eric, neither are thru-hiking.I cooked my soup and ate it with my sub. Bought a coke and bag of chips from the office store. So, I sort of finally did some cooking.Tomorrow, I would like to do 20 miles. If I do enough miles early, there is a town along the way I could hitch into for dinner.Thought for the Day: Where are all the toxic waste dumps?