Date: 2006-10-14
From: Murray Secret Shelter

To: Mashipacong Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

It was hard to leave the Murray cabin, but I set my new watch alarm and was up before dawn. The morning sky was still full of stars. I cooked some oatmeal and began packing up. I swept the shelter and put everything back as I found it and then I left. It was 7:40. Not too far down the trail, I crossed a pond outlet and entered a field and found someone sleeping along the trail. It was B-Rad whom I met in Vernon. I guess he missed the shelter and/or couldn't make the next one, so he cowboy camped. A cold night for sleeping under the stars - there is frost on the ground. A few miles later, crossing another cow pasture (this one had cows in it too), I came across two more hikers sleeping along the trail. I hope that they don't wake up and have to eat cow patties for breakfast!A few more miles and I am at High Point, NJ, the highest point in NJ at 1803'. I missed the turn off to go up to the monument - NJ is not big on labeling the trails and when they do its with these funny colored dots, not names. Oh well. I could see the monument just fine from the viewing platform. There are lots of fall colors in the foliage decorating the vistas, but the terrain of the vistas is flat, not the mountainous views of ME and NH. Still a view worth taking in and admiring. I had lunch at the Park office building and filled up on water. The water in NJ is very sparse. South of the park office, the terrain turned rocky. Ankle turning rocks hidden by fallen leaves. At one of the viewing sites along the trail, I met the two cowboy campers. Turns out they are sobo thruhikers too, Molasses and John. They've been 1 or 2 days behind me since Gorham. It was nice to know that there are other hikers out there, but like those before them, they passed me. Molasses has to be in Port Clinton by a certain date in order to go home to KY for some business, so they are having to make miles. Perhaps we will meet up again later down the trail - they are even more fond of zero days than me.By the time I get to the Mashipacong Shelter, I have decided to call it a day. I had wanted to make 18 miles today, but the rocks took too much out of me and the weather is looking very ominous. Plus, I would probably be hiking the last mile in the dark and I hate night hiking alone especially over rocks. So I set myself up in the shelter and am soon joined by six others from Long Island. They are a friendly bunch and one of them has brought along a gps unit for finding a geo cache. The only thing distracting about this group of hkers is their use of cell phones. Three of the four adults whipped them out and started chatting away without any consideration to me. While I recognize that there is a place for cell phones on the trails, one should always remove themselves from the presence of others before engaging in their use so as not to interfere with the enjoyment of others wilderness experience. So cold tonight. Makes me wonder if I'll be able to finish this hike in the winter.Happy Hiking,Superstarwww.trailjournals.com/happyhiker------------------------------Sent via PocketMailEmail Anywherewww.pocketmail.com