Total Miles: 903.0
I didn't get as far as I had hoped today, but I still covered enough mileage to be able to make it to Smith Gap Road tomorrow, hopefully with plenty of time to spare. There were two big accomplishments today as well - crossing into Pennsylvania and passing the 900 mile point!
I was able to start hiking at a reasonable time today, which can probably be attributed to the availability of heat to motivate me out of bed. It was another chilled morning. I had to put my gross smelly clothes back on, which always seems so much worse after a nice cleansing shower.
As I headed up towards Kittatinny Mountain, I passed a man on the ridge who was counting the number of migrating broad-winged hawks that passed through. He said they keep track of all passing hikers in their log as well. There was a beautiful view of the clouds all nestled down below the ridgeline, so I decided to stop a little ways up for a snack and watched some of the clouds burn off. From there, I continued until I reached Sunfish Pond. There were a lot of rocks all around, the big annoying rocks that take time to maneuver carefully around. Everyone talks about the rocks in Pennsylvania, but the last few days in New Jersey have presented some sections that I can't imagine something being much worse than.
After I stopped for lunch, Doc passed by. Everybody was planning on stopping in Delaware Water Gap, but my original plan was to continue on. I soon came to a highway crossing, where I impressed myself by not getting lost. As I continued on to the bridge, I passed a group of bikers that I approached with some apprehension. They were stopped in an odd location, and there were quite a few of them. I would soon learn that they were waiting on an ambulance. One of the guys had taken some kind of spill and was pretty beat up. He was still ok, able to talk and hold a conversation, just a little bloody. They all asked a lot of questions about the hike, so I stopped and talked to them about it for a little while.
When I hiked onto the bridge that crossed the Delaware River, my opinion of the day started to change. It was a long stretch on a busy interstate, and I soon started to get a headache from the sun, the exhaust fumes, and the swaying motion of the bridge. I crossed into Pennsylvania somewhere along the way, but was too annoyed to care too much about the exact location. If the bridge wasn't bad enough, I soon found myself trying to navigate my way through a construction site. There was so much noise and dust, and I was on sensory overload at that point. I was going to stop at an ice cream parlor along the trail, but soon discovered it was closed. I changed my original plan and headed to the bakery that I knew everyone else would be meeting at. I could really use a piece of pie at that point. Doc was there, and Chewie and Pumba arrived shortly after. When I headed back towards the trail, I passed Chaco. She said a few men on their porch had just seen a bear running across the street, so I should keep an eye out. It was good to see everyone again before I head off the trail for a little while, since I'm pretty sure they'll all be staying in town tonight.
The last few miles of the day passed quickly. I had a climb out of Delaware Water Gap to Mount Minsi, and I could hear the annoying road sounds of the interstate for a good remainder of the day. When I got to the shelter, I was surprised to find Chicory there. It was nice to have some company. Tomorrow I'll be heading back to the civilized life for a short time, and I think my knee is ready for the break.
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