Date: 2005-08-25
From: 1 1/2 miles south of Mashipacong Shelter, NJ

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 35.7
Weather: clear sky

35.7 miles todaySleeping in a bedRamada InnDelaware Water Gap, Pa.I'm in Pennsylvania!!! I slept good last night on those soft leaves. I woke up at 5am and it was still real dark, but I was ready for coffee. I stuck my stove outside and made my coffee and had breakfast. I packed up and started walking at 6:25. It was another cool morning with the temperature in the 50s. It's my son's birthday today...wonder what he's up to. My first climb was up Sunrise Mountain. Had I thought about it, I could have went up there for sunrise. Most of the climbs are much smaller climbs down this way. When I have a big climb here, it's 500 to 1000 feet, so they're pretty easy. The valley below me to the west is nice because there's fog laying in the bottom. I love being on top of a mountain and looking down on fog and clouds. I walked past Gren Anderson Shelter without stopping because it's .3 miles off the trail. I kept going and climbed up to Culver Fire Tower and saw the 2 sobos that Moosie and I met the other day when I was walking north with him. Their names are Chris and Amanda. I walked on down to Culver's Gap and went to the pay phone at the gas station and sent in my journal and checked my email. The pay phone at Worthington's was gone. I walked another 1/4 mile to the bait shop and bought a few sodas. I drank 2 and carried the 3rd one with me. I stopped by the old Worthington Bakery building and kinda nosed around. Someone has remodeled the building and it looks really nice. I found the owner and asked if he was going to continue to make the cinnamon rolls that were so good. He's not. :-((( He's going to have a regular deli and expects to be open in a month. I asked if I could fill my water bottles and he said no. He said the water hasn't been tested. Oh well. I hiked on and when I got to the top of the next climb, I sat down and ate my lunch at 9am...uh oh, what am I going to do at lunch time?? I drank that last soda too. I started thinking about where I was headed today. My plan had been to go to Mohican Outdoor Center for the night, but I knew I had wanted to get a motel in Delaware Water Gap and today was Thursday. If I waited until tomorrow to go into town, I'd have to pay the weekend rate. I also knew that I would be walking in a very rocky area today and it would be more difficult, but I was feeling good. I got motivated and kicked it into a higher gear. Chris and Amanda had walked by me while I was eating, but I passed them on the next hill. I didn't see them again. I walked by Brink Road Shelter without stopping. That's the shelter where twice in one night I had a bear come up to my tent in '02. I saw a large doe on a ridge looking down at me while I walked by. About 10 minutes later I scared a spotted fawn that was bedded down near the trail. I got to Blue Mountain Lakes Road and used a water pump to fill my water bottles. I filled my 2 one litre bottles and one of the soda bottles I had drank earlier. I wasn't sure if there would be anymore water between there and the Gap and I didn't want to have to walk up to Mohican Outdoor Center to get more water. I met a nobo by the name of Flapper at 2:30pm. He said he took 40 days off the trail and now he thinks he's just a little behind everybody. I hiked by Mohican Outdoor Center and kept going. I hiked by Sunfish Pond and got slowed down some by the hundreds of large rocks in the trail. I kept going and walked down the mountain into the gap. I got to say hello to Pamela when I crossed the state line from NJ in Pa. I had to cross the Delaware River, but you have to walk on a sidewalk on the bridge of Interstate 80 for about a mile to do it. I can walk all day long in the woods and be happy, but walking on the interstate with all the trucks and cars flying by is stressful. It's life in the fast lane out there. I prefer life in the slow lane of the A.T. I got into Delaware Water Gap and stopped by the hostel. I was thinking I would stay there if there wasn't anyone else there. There was a sign on the door that said they would be serving dinner at 6pm on the porch. I don't know where that was and I was late anyway. It was 6:25pm, exactly 12 hours since I started walking this morning. There was half a dozen backpacks laying around, so I figured I'd go with my original plan and get a room at the motel. I signed the register and walked another half mile to the Ramada Inn. This is only the 3rd motel on this hike. Only the second if you count the Stratton stay as a stay in the hostel. I dropped my backpack off and walked up to the diner and had dinner. There was a mirror next to the booth and I glanced over to see what I looked like. My eyes were drawn right to my shirt. My shirt has worn through again. I have skin showing!! I only seem to get about 3500 miles out of each hiking shirt. I'm not sure when I'll get another shirt, but this one with the hole in it makes me look bad. :-))) My new socks already have about 4 holes in them and I just got them at Manchester, VT. That doesn't say much for New Balance socks. I usually wear Wigwam Ultimax Ultralite socks and I get almost 600 miles out of those. My shoes, Asics Gell Trekkers now have almost 900 miles on them from this hike and they had about 100 miles on them before I started. I think they will make it to Harpers Ferry, WV. That's not bad for the cheaper Asic shoe. This pair was $70.00 compared to the $90.00 Asics Gel Trbucos I usually buy. I always throw away the insoles that come with them and put in Superfeet insoles. My hiking shorts are new for this hike. I got Royal Robbins because they have a steel zipper. I was planning on wearing one of my older pairs that has about 5000 miles on them, but just before this hike, the material started to desintagrate. Glad that didn't happen on the trail...this hiker doesn't wear underwear. ;-))) My hat is still ok, but I'll get a new one when I find one that I like better. Whoa, I think I just did a clothes review. Ha!!! When I got back to the motel room, I called some family members that I hadn't talked to in a while, then went and took a shower. I have the air conditioner blasting me, I'm clean and I feel great. Hey Mac & Cheese, I tried sending a reply to your email, but it was a bad email address. I just wanted to thank you two for the trail magic you did in NY...Thanks!!!