Days 27 (Fri. May 17) to Day 35 (May 25)
Delaware Water Gap, PA to NJ/NY state line
Biggest Day this period: 12 miles
Total Trail Miles Hiked: 349.3
AT Photos by state (latest is NJ):
DAY 27 - Zero Day
Friday 5/17
0 Trail Miles
Delaware Water Gap
After 13 hiking days, a rest day was much needed. Usually any aches and pains we have at the end of the day are gone when we get up in the morning. However, the rock-scattered trail hiking in Pennsylvania has caused some pain in my right foot starting during a long speed hike last week.
Since Trail Horseâs shoes and poles did not survive the rocks of Pennsylvania, he picked up some new ones, along with groceries for the next five days, while I stayed at the hotel to do laundry.
DAY 28 - Welcome to New Jersey!
Saturday 5/18
10.6 Trail Miles
to AMC Mohican Outdoor Center tent site
It was a painful start for me with my foot still hurting as we walked back through the cute town of Delaware Water Gap (another friendly hiker town). At least Trail Horse was happy to be sporting his new hiking shoes.
Crossing the Delaware River on a sidewalk along Interstate 80 was a neat experience as the bridge bounced with each tractor-trailer that passed us. We crossed into New Jersey part way across the bridge.
The trail is absolutely beautiful in New Jersey. It started out with acceptable rocks, but the last two miles of todayâs trail was covered with the sharp pointy rocks again, causing my foot to scream with pain, again. We stopped to set up our tents at an outdoor center, then headed to a lodge to eat, play cards and study the next dayâs route.
DAY 29 - Beaver Bog & a Porcupine
Sunday 5/19
10.3 Trail Miles
to tent site near Buttermilk Falls
I went extra slow today in an attempt to not twist my foot on too many rocks. During the later part of the day the rocks were spaced out more which made walking less painful.
The trail crossed by a beaver bog and we saw several trees that they had felled. Then during a road crossing, we saw a very cute porcupine eating flowers.
Todayâs hike was primarily on the ridge line surrounded by very pretty vegetation and rock outcrops. We think we might of seen NYC way off in the distance though a break in the trees.
DAY 30 - 300 Miles Complete!
Monday 5/20
10.7 Trail Miles
to tent site at Glen Anderson Shelter
Had foot pain for first two hours before the ibuprofen kicked in. Hiking to a tavern for lunch was a great inspiration to keep moving at a decent pace. Trail Horse and I had lunch with Data and Yogi beside a lake at Culverâs Gap was really nice. After lunch, we stopped part way up a long, steep hill to celebrate our completion of hiking 300 trail miles!
DAY 31 - 25th Wedding Anniversary & a Bear!
Tuesday 5/21
11.3 Trail Miles
to tent site Moseys Hostel near High Point State Park
This is our 25th wedding anniversary! When we married in 1999, we honeymooned in Bar Harbor, Maine and did a lot of hiking in Acadia National Park. Since then we have returned to hike in Maine every five years, so I am quite happy that we will be hiking in Maine during our 25th anniversary summer.
We got a special treat on trail for our anniversary: a bear siting! A little after 2 p.m., Trail Horse was walking behind me when I spotted a bear in the middle of the trail! I immediately began talking to make sure that I did not startle it. It eventually looked at us, looked right, looked left, back at us, then side to side again before sauntering into the woods. I must say it was quite the adrenaline rush to see a bear standing there, staring at you with no fear.
DAY 32 - Navigating Bogs
Wednesday 5/22
8.8 Trail Miles
to Unionville Village Park
The Garden State also has several bog areas scattered about. Luckily, the area trail mantaining group appears to have enough funds, and volunteers, to buld some bogs boards to allow a dry passage through the worst areas.
At one point we met a southbound hiker who just walked through a bog that came to her chest. Apparently beavers have caused some flooding and she missed the marks that rerouted the trail around the flooded area. The app that most hikers use, Farout, had not been updated to show the reroute, but the trail itself was marked quite well. It makes me think of how a boater might follow the magenta line shown on a chart plotter while ignoring the fact that the channel markers in the water that show a different route.
We stopped in Unionville, just over the border in NY, for lunch and resupply at a general store. After setting up our tents in the town park, we went to the ice cream parlor, then to a tavern for dinner.
Caloric intake - We eat a lot when in town. Trail Horse has lost a lot of weight, and me a little bit. While hiking, it is hard to eat enough food since we can carry only so much with us (weight and volume), so we try to make up for it in towns. Today, a local told one of our hiker friends that they love how much money hikers spend on food when they come through town.
DAY 33 - Half Day
Thursday 5/23
5.3 Trail Miles
to tent site at Pochuck Shelter
The morning started out with saying our goodbyes to Data as he will leave the trail for 12 days. The remainder of the morning was spent hanging out on the porch of the general store waiting for storms to pass by. We ended up eating two meals in town, before finally heading back to the trail after lunch.
The hike was blissfully rock free through more beautiful NJ terrain. I even got to sit in a comfortable chair that was left in a pasture for hikers to take a short break. The last half mile of todayâs lovely, easy hike ended with a very steep, rocky ascent before pitching our tent near a shelter.
DAY 34 - Movie Anyone?
Friday 5/24
12 Trail Miles
to Warwick Turnpike & Drive-in
A pretty hiking day again, but with more hills and more rock stepping. During our lunch break we discovered a DEET explosion đ„ in Trail Horseâs backpack. The lid of a bottle of Benâs came loose and spilled onto several items. DEET can dissolve plastic and rubber articles. The hardest hit item was the dry bag holding our tent. The straps completely melted. It appears that the tent might be compromised, but hopefully can be used a while longer. The next few weeks will reveal the extent of the damage.
After cleaning up this giant mess we got back on trail to tackle âThe Stairway to Heavenâ, a very long and steep incline (930â in 1.5 miles).
To top off the day, we caught a ride from locals into Warwick, NY (where the local citizens were so friendly to us!).  That evening we set up our tents at the Warwick Drive-in! It is pretty cool that they have a hiker special: $5 per tent, $5 to rent a radio to listen to the movie, and rent out comfortable chairs for $5 each. Four of us set up our chairs in the area showing Furioso. Since sunset is after 8 p.m., the movie didnât start until around 9 pm. After the long, tough day, Trail Horse and I couldn't stay awake for the entire movie. All in all, it was a fun experience. đ
DAY 32 - NJ Complete!
Saturday 5/25
9.4 Trail Miles
to NJ/NY State Line
We had a shuttle driver pick us up from the drive-in and back to the trail at 7 am to hike the last few miles of New Jersey. It was about 9:30 this morning when we reached the state line, thus completing the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey. So far it has been our favorite state.
Trail Horse will pick up the story of our next state, New York, next week.
Beautiful photos. What a treat to see the black bear and other wildlife on the trail. I'm enjoying the blog and your description of the simple pleasures you encounter on the trail, like a chair in a field. I hope your feet heal completely, and your gear holds up. Thank you for sharing.
Richard Reinert