Date: 2017-06-21
From: Mashipacong Shelter

To: Wawayanda Shelter
Miles today: 31.1
Weather: clear sky

Happy summer solstice! Longest day of the year and one of my longest hiking days. Out of the shelter before 6, I see a molten gold lake at an overlook with the morning sun. The solstice is also Hike Naked Day, so I get that out of the way while the trail is still empty. For ten minutes it did feel nice, worth trying once.I visit High Point state park HQ and they are giving hikers free sodas. Not my usual 8am drink, but I don't usually hike 6 miles by then. Much appreciated. The park has New Jersey's highest point, a whopping 1700 feet or so, marked by an obelisk you can climb. But it's closed this morning. Far northern Jersey is a varied landscape. I pass farms and rolling hills reminiscent of rural New England or my own Chester County. There are swamps, bogs, and marshlands, some with extensive boardwalks to cross built by the local trail maintainers. And there is plenty of deciduous forest, hills, and rocks.I stop in Unionville, a half mile from the trail on the New York side of the state line. It could have Andy Griffith as sheriff. Homes and stores have flags and banners displayed. There's a general store with a small deli and grocery and a pizza place. I settle on a egg salad sandwich which turns out to be quite large. I also resupply snack and breakfast foods. Sick of pop tarts so I try some fruit squeezers. Hoping to avoid scurvy.Outside town the trail winds around the Wallkill marsh preserve. I see red-winged blackbirds among many other birds and insects I can't identify. Fortunately the bugs aren't interested in me today. The water in this area is terrible. I filter from three flowing streams and get pink, orange, and yellow water respectively. It seems to come from bogs upstream. I bought some tea bags in Unionville to try and cover up the color and taste. Fortunately trail angels have left water jugs at several road crossings. These are a godsend. Thanks to all those who spend their time helping hikers with this essential.In the evening I reach a road that has an ice cream stand but it closed early today. It had been my motivation for the last ten miles and I still have 5 to go, with no morale boost. I rest snd commiserate with thruhikers J2 and Mr. Shoes and his son Canal Conuct. J2 often hiked with his daughter and both names start with J. I met him yesterday at the pavilion on Mt Sunrise. Mr. Shoes I met at Mohican on Monday and we've been traveling at the same hectic pace since. He and his son are Londoners originally from Jersey. Canal is homeschooled, which is quite difficult in Britain and very costly if you want to take exams required for university. They started out ultralight but have added on all kinds of luxuries and lug packs that weigh twice mine. But they always manage to stay a half hour ahead of me anyway.The last stretch starts with the Stairway to Heaven (cue Led Zeppelin), a 900-foot high boulder climb. It is strenuous to say the least, more so than any other climb since I started. But it's fun and I push hard to the top. The local teens and exercise groups love it  too and they are tough competition. A young girl and her dog, out with Dad, nip my heels most of the way. At the top I'm drenched in sweat and want a shower more than ever. The last few miles become a forced march to the shelter with the dusk closing in. Finally after much frustration the shelter is reached. I set up my tent in the dark with mosquitos biting me and go right to sleep.