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[Editor's note: My comments are in square brackets - Wendy]
May 29, 2001 - Near Millbrook-Blairstown Road (~1.0 m N)
Miles: ~15 Time 7.25 hr
I got a late start out of Delaware Water Gap today after picking up my mail drop and sending a letter home. I was pretty low on cash, so I wanted to cash a Postal Money Order. Although I knew it was unlikely that they would have enough cash on hand early in the morning, I checked anyway. The clerk said that they would probably have enough cash in about an hour. I decided just to check again when I posted my letter home and not worry about it otherwise. While writing the letter back at the hostel, one of the other hikers who had just been to the post office relayed a message to me from the PO clerk that the cash was now available! Personalized service from the U.S. Post Office - can anybody top that?
I started out in sunny weather but about noon it clouded up and a thunderstorm roared through. The sun is presently out but every once in a while a dark cloud covers it. I have set up the tent but not moved in. If it rains during the night I'll dive in . If not, maybe the tent will finally dry after a week of rain. Yesterday, my rest day, was the only non-rain day since two days before Duncannon.
I have somebody's (dead battery) digital watch/compass in my pack. Only one person that stayed at the hostel the same days as me is ahead of me, so I'm going to "advertise" the lost item in the registers to see if I can get it returned to its rightful owner. That should be an interesting trick. < I never did find it's owner>
May 30, 2001 - Mashipacong Shelter
Miles: ~22.4 Time: 11.75 hr
Snakes: 1
The trail in this part of New Jersey runs on a narrow ridge with good views to both sides (usually to the East, though). There is a particularly good, almost 180 degree view from Sunrise Mountain.
It was very cold this morning and stayed relatively cool all day. As the sun begins to go down this evening, it is getting quite chilly again.
I wrote about about trail names a few entries back and mentioned Huff N' Puff as a pair. Reading a recent shelter log entry, I now believe it is a single person. However, there was a husband/wife team Huff N' Puff in the last couple of years.
May 31, 2001 - Pochuck Mt. Shelter
Miles: 19.5 Time: 10.25 hr
I had the shelter last night all to myself. That's only the second time this trip. The first was way back in southern VA. It was very cold again this morning. I hiked in my down sweater until almost 10AM.
I met a day hiker who couldn't find High Point monument. "You missed it. Turn around. It's on the hill there" (and 200 feet tall).
I stopped in to see if Jim Murray's "secret hostel" is still there - it is. I sat on a hammock/swing type thing and had a snack there.
At the shelter tonight with me is Dan, a section hiker heading for VT. He arrived after I did and had stopped at a deli. I accepted his offer of a couple of salami and swiss cheese sandwiches.
June 1, 2001 - Wildcat Shelter
Miles: 24.9 Time: 12.5 hr
I finished New Jersey today. At the very last shelter in NJ (Wawayanda), I gave in to temptation and put a quote from "The Advertures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" in the register [probably, "We're not in the 8th dimension! We're over New Jersey!]"
I stopped at Heaven Hill Farm but didn't find much of interest there - the fruit looked kind of kicked around and was expensive. I finally wound up with a couple of smallish pecan danishes and a soft drink.
When I reached Rt 17A, I encountered a section hiker who was just about to go home after hiking NY twice because he had no way to shuttle his car. He kept offering to give me stuff and I got a sewing needle from him. I had lost mine in Delaware Water Gap and needed to repair my pants. We talked for some time, during which I wound up accepting a pepsi, a can of sardines, a freeze dried lasagne dinner, and some "natural" insect repellant. The repellant is citronella-based, and he said it works better than deet but that it smells bad. It smells like, well, citronella. < The brand name is "Natrapel" and in the years since I have discovered that it works very well, but not for very long. I still use it rather than DEET when I stop for lunch or need other temporary protection from the airborne beasties. >
I got to the shelter just at dark. There are three other hikers here, including "Clueless", whose shelter entries have immediately preceded my arrivals for several days now.
June 2, 2001 - Fingerboard Shelter
Miles: 14.3 Time: 9 hr
It was slow going today. There were a lot of steep ups and downs and rocks slippery from last night's downppour. Still, although I was running a bit late, I expected to get 6 miles further to William Brien Shelter. I stopped for a snack near Island Pond and was just about to get moving again when a couple of young fishermen came by. Upon finding out that I had started in GA, they asked if they could sit and talk with me. I agreed and they offered me a beer. After a few minutes, it was clear that there would be no six more miles. A friend of one of them just started in Harpers Ferry and is going to Maine.
The shortened day turned out to be a good idea anyway as the occasional sprinkles all day turned to a downpour just as I reached the shelter. Here tonight is some kind of camp or scout troop who are tenting, Clueless, Walks Alone, Weatherman and Mortis [was there ever a "Tenon"?].
June 3, 2001 - Graymoor Shelter
Miles: 20.7 Time: 10.5 hr
Flowers: Mountain Laurel, two varieties of WIid Rose
The sun has been rising around 5AM but I have continued to wait until 6 or so to get started. This morning, one of the other hikers was up at around a quarter past five. Since he was already making noise (although not much), I used the opportunity to get up and get an early 5:45 start.
It began to rain at about 10AM but cleared as I went over Bear Mt. There I met and talked to "Ranger Mike" who gave me a grape soda and a lemon ice tea. Mike enjoys meeting the hikers and has met Tuba Man (who carried a tuba the length of the trail), the Barefoot Sisters, and a guy who was legally blind who hiked the trail (not Bill Irwin). He likes to read the online trail journals and was disappointed that Wingfoot has discontinued them. I gave him the URL for TrailJournals and, of course, for my own site.
On the way down the mountain, I met a woman who just moved to New York from California and was hiking her first two miles of the AT. She says there are places on the Pacific Crest Trail where you can be walking in snow abut can see the 105 degree desert below.
On the way through the zoo, I saw two black bears, a silver fox, red fox, coyote, otter, and a bobcat. The cat that I saw near Pearisburg was definetely NOT a bobcat.
On the north side of the Bear Mt. Bridge, I met Mrs. Clueless who was meeting her husband there.
The Graymoor Friary no longer houses hikers in their dormitory, but they allow them to use their ball field shelter as a hiking shelter and that is where I am tonight. Father Donald stopped by to say hello a little while ago.
June 4, 2001 - RPH Shelter
Miles: 18.8 Time: 10 hr
Snakes: 1
It was an unexciting day. I didn't see anyone or anything (except a ribbon snake) and there was just one uninspiring view from the top of Shenandoah Mountain. But it didn't rain today (yet), and aside from the condition of the trail in this area (blowdowns, boggy/flooded areas, water running along the trail), it was a very pleasant walk with the temperature reaching about 65.
There were two guys here at the shelter when I arrived but they are both asleep (at 4 in the afternoon) so I don't know who they are yet. Joe Hrouda, the caretaker, stopped in and we had a short chat (1.5 hours). "Mortis" has also stopped here for the night.
June 5, 2001 - Wiley Shelter
Miles: 25.6 Time: 13.75 hr
Snakes: 1
There was no rain last night, so I took the opportunity to sleep "under the stars" for the first time in weeks. There was a thin cloud cover so there weren't really any stars, but the full (or nearly full) moon showed through.
I was up and moving early, which was a good thing, because I wanted to cover the distance to this shelter and I went to the deli/store on Rt. 52 to resupply. I also spent some time being sample thru-hiker for a couple of school groups. (Most commonly asked question: "Aren't you tired?").
The only other person at the shelter this evening is southbounder "Clydesdale". This is the northeren-most shelter in New York and in a mere 1.2 miles tomorrow I will be in Connecticutt.
June 6, 2001 - Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-To
Miles: 19.7 Time: 11.75 hr
Snakes: 1
The day was mostly hiking yet more ridgetop green tunnel trail. Near the end of the day, the trail dropped down to the Housatonic River and followed it for a couple of miles to this camp site.
I stopped at the Country Market near Bull Bridge and bought some
fig newtons, a soft drink , and a pint of ice cream. The ice cream
was a chocolate chunk/black cherry combination called "Cherry
Garcia". It was pretty good but also pretty expensive. I called home to find out where my next mail drop is, as the
schedule I am carrying doesn't cover it. It turns out to be Falls
Village, and I can't for the life of me figure out why I chose it.
There's no grocery store or place to stay there, just a Post Office.