Date: 2015-06-07
From: Lee Roy Smith Shelter 

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: clear sky

Woo hoo! My longest hiking day so far! It was brutal and I did not think I was going to make our goal but the promise of a hotel room tonight and meeting up with Bear Biscuit again kept me highly motivated. Little Prince and I rolled out of our sleeping bags in the shelter at a record 3:55am and we're on the trail at 5:15am. I had less than three hours sleep as I had more trouble than usual falling asleep. I was plenty tired but too keyed up for my big day today. I do not understand how so many hikers do 20-39 mile days. I know they have been hiking since Georgia, but still? Really? I can't see myself doing that many miles in one day ever. I figured out today that I have walked almost 11 marathons in a little over three weeks with over 30 pounds on my back with my feet making their way over jagged sharp pointed rocks.It has been very hot and humid which drains the energy from my body. This is why I like getting started early in the mirning. We are usually the first to leave camp in the mornings. Today was no exception. I have a tendency towards hypoglycemia and today I had two bad bouts. It comes on with no warning and I feel like all I want to do is lay down in the middle of the trail before I pass out. I have discovered that powdered gatorade is am instant fix for me and it saved me twice today. I was a completely different person within 10 minutes of downing a bottle. I love the fact that gatorade was invented for athletes by my Alma mater The University of Florida. Go Gators!We met Mechanic, a trail angel at Smith Road, who gave us four bottles of water as water was still difficult to get. It was a long day that I thought would never wnd. Pennsylvania planted some of it's pointer and sharpest rocks on this last 20 mile stretch. Rumor has it that the trail bandits come out at night and sharpen the rocks on the trail. I also personally saw the back up supply of pointy rocks at the world's largest cairn at pinnacle view a few days ago. If I could figure out how to post a picture from my cell phone onto this journal I would.We are playing a game that keeps us entertained while we hike in these unforgiving pointy rocks for endless hours. Pennsylvania has become a forbidden word and whoever says it owes the other person a beer if they catch them. I imagine other words will be added to this list as time goes on. I am sure Pennsylvania is a beautiful state but I am so intent on looking at my feet to avoid a hike ending injury that I have not been able to see much other than rocks.I feel very thankful to have made it out safely. The climb down into Delaware Water Gap was very steep and I did fall and hurt my knees slightly but nothing serious. We finished it at 6am and were ready for a big celebration. We walked a few blocks to the Church of the Mountain Hostel where Bear Biscuit was waiting for us. Yeah! We will be hiking together again. We went to a great restaurant whose name I cannot remember and I had a delicious crab cake sandwich with French fries and calamari. The drink menu had some interesting martinis so I decided I had to celebrate with one called Mermaid. It had my name all over it! It was green and did not taste that great but the Godiva chocolate martini was insanely good. We walked back to the hostel and said hello to the other thruhiker we have been leapfrog gong for days. We had reserved a room to split at the Days Inn and are waiting for a cab from hostel.What a fantastic but challenging day. Tomorrow will be a much needed zero day.