Out of Pennsylvania and Into New Jersey at Mile 1,330

Tom's arrival into Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania on Saturday, June 28th was sweet. The town was celebrating Founder's Day as well as being designated a trail community that day, so there were festivities galore.

Classic car show in Delaware Water Gap, PA  6/29/2014

 A classic car show was on main street, dignitaries from Appalachian Trail Conservancy were in town for the presentation, music being performed along the main street. What a day to arrive! He enjoyed a few restaurant meals, checked out the car show and had a bit of R and R at a local hotel complete with a shower and a real bed.

Sycamore Grill, Delaware Water Gap, PA-dinner spot

The rocky areas continued along the trail and it was good to come  and into New Jersey.

Into New Jersey from Delaware Water Gap, PA

 As Tom approached The Mohican Outdoor Center near Blairstown, NJ Sunday midday he was very pleased to come across the biggest" trail magic" yet.

Outdoor Center operated by Appalachian Mountain Club

 The organization called "Hikers for Mental Health"  had provided a gourmet spread like no other.

Hikers and volunteers June 29 at Mohican Outdoor Center

Tom tells me he ate 2 cheese burgers, lasagna, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and dessert. He visited with the volunteers and about 10 other hikers before making his way along the trail a few hours later. Slowly he says!
This morning while crossing Route 206 he came across  "Joe to Go deli" which had a great breakfast and hot coffee. Some hikers have told him the hike in New Jersey can be described as going from deli to deli.

Breakfast deli spot on Route 206 near Culver's Gap, NJ

New Jersey along the trail.

  The total  AT mileage in New Jersey  is 72 miles. The Appalachian Trail runs along the Kittatinny Range in New Jersey and  is rugged and more remote than one might expect considering its proximity to large population centers, with abundant wildlife, including an active bear population. He has come across 2 sets of bear cubs and mothers. he tells me that are smelly and loud when you get close. The cubs have been out front with the mothers bringing up the rear. He did have time to record one encounter with his Go Pro camera. Look for that later on !

Elevation changes are generally moderate and vary from relatively flat and gentle to short, steep, rocky pitches. Other sections cross bogs and wetlands, including a wildlife sanctuary that features a wide spectrum of bird species.

High Point  State Park, NJ

Tom passed this park late in the day Monday  and it was deja vu because our sons, Phil and Kevin had camped there with him when we lived in Bridgewater, New Jersey many years ago.

Treated like royalty in Palmerton, Pennsylvania- mile 1251

The Appalachian trail in this section of Pennsylvania is known for rock formations so large that at times the trekking poles have to be strapped to the backpack just to climb up the boulders. Some have called it one big river of rocks.

The rocky climb out of Palmerton, PA

Tom has found this to be true. In fact, while hiking one of the boulder fields the rocks got the best of one of his Black Diamond trekking poles as you can see by the photo. He says he did not slip though and can replace them when he gets to Delaware Water Gap tomorrow.

Broken trekking pole tip

The other challenge in this area of the trail is finding clean drinking water as a result of heavy zinc mining in years past on Blue Mountain.



signage at superfund clean up site-but the gate was open

 The area is now an Environmental Superfund cleanup site so care is needed particularly with drinking water. Tom went 15 miles between water sources so he carried 3 liters instead of 2 through the area.

cool morning spider web

He stayed at a cool campground a few days ago called Eckville Visitor Center which had solar showers and real plumbing which was a treat I am told!

Eckville Visitors Center with Solar shower

 Tom found some "trail magic" again yesterday. Just as he was nearing Palmerton someone had left a stash of food which included some Entenmann's Danish treats, snacks  and bananas. That brought a smile to his face.

trail magic

 Just as he was trying to figure how to  make it the 2 miles into town, a day hiker struck up a conversation with him and offered him a ride into town. It was  just in time to shower and watch the US-Germany World Cup game at one of the local restaurants. Palmerton is a unique town because they have a former county jail site now renovated for use by thru hikers that is in the basement of the Borough Hall. Once you check in at town hall and are given a welcome package you are then free to shower and stash you gear in the basement bunk room of the hostel and stay for no charge. The local laundromat was just across the street. They also welcomed hikers at the library. Tom tells me the mayor paid the visitors a visit in the hostel.

Palmerton Borough Hall-Jail house hostel is in basement

 Tom enjoyed a Dunkin  Donuts coffee and croissant before leaving town and was feeling good about the town and its friendly people. About that time a  resident walking his dog stopped to chat and because he had always wanted to hike the AT himself, he paid for Tom's breakfast. Then it was icing on the cake for another town resident stop and offer him a lift back up the hill to the trail. Typically it is a downhill walk to get into the trail towns, in this case it was 2 miles, and to have a ride going back up was a treat for sure. Tomorrow Tom will be arriving into Delaware Water Gap, the same day the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is officially naming the city as an "Appalachian Trail Community."

Delaware Water Gap

Two rattlesnakes in one day sighted followed by a great breakfast today

snake is just in front of downed tree

Wow...after talking about rattlesnakes with Stephanie just yesterday Tom saw two in one day. These snakes actually coiled and rattled upon Tom's approach and he waited for them to move on before he continued.  These are Timber Rattlesnakes and the following information is from the DCNR brochure.

 

The largest populations of timber rattlesnakes occur in remote, heavily forested regions of Pennsylvania which means they often call state forests home. These amazing creatures are frequently misunderstood and feared. The truth is that they just want to be left in peace, are a beneficial part of the ecosystem and without them some of the wild character of our forests would be lost.


3 C's in Port Clinton



Then this morning Tom enjoyed an omelet with pancakes at this restaurant in Port Clinton. He says it was worth the extra 20 minutes to walk to the far side of town. Established in 1974, 3C's scenic view borders the Little Schuylkill River, and is known as the "Thru-Hikers" favorite spot and areas "best breakfast" from "Maine to Georgia." 

I Guess I Should Have Warned Steph that She Would Be Picking Me Up on Hike Naked Day

Steph Looks a Little Surprised

June 21st is Summer Solstice day, I believe.  It is also the day that my niece Steph and her fiance Matt had agreed to come pick me up from the trail and take me to their place in Phoenixville, PA for some much needed rest and relaxation.  Oh, and one other thing about that day that Hemlock reminded me of when I saw him early on the trail... it is the traditional Appalachian Trail Hike Naked Day.

Truth be told, I very quickly decided that I would not be hiking naked.  There are just certain things that a 60+ year old should not do unto others... that being among them.  Hemlock said he too was going to pass on that tradition.  But he has a friend hiking the Shenandoah National Park section with four others who claimed they were going to do that.  Can you imagine the surprise of many out for a day hike on a beautiful Saturday in June when they encounter that spectacle?

One other thing about the 21st... it is Anne and my 39th anniversary.  It has been nice to be able to communicate with her.  She is enjoying a weekend at the lake with our good friends, the Reicherts... the ones that came out to meet me on the trail with her way back at Fontana Dam Village.  I told Anne that the time we celebrate our next 39 years, we will both be centenarians!

My legs had started telling me a few days ago that they were in need of a little R&R, so I told Steph I was going to take them up on their kind offer to come pick me up and take me back to their place.  The nine mile hike to the rendezvous point that beautiful morning was fairly uneventful.  I did pass several groups of local hikers, none of which were hiking naked.  I suspect that this naked hiking tradition is practiced by very few hikers.

Once at Steph and Matt's place I was treated like royalty.  After the mandatory shower and laundry load was done I was treated to a "gargantuan" Jimmy John's sub from one of Matt's stores to tide me over till dinner, and then got an epsom salt bath treatment for my feet while watching the Germany - Ghana world cup game.  Later in the evening, we had a great meal at the Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant.  Steph and Matt said we ate more than they typically do. I had sweet potato fries and a chicken enchilada as a shared appetizer, scallops with risotto with a shared extra macaroni and cheese, and we shared fried brownies with ice cream for dessert.  We closed out a superb day with a couple of games of 31... and I was content to the world even though they each took one of the wins.

Steph and Matt are the couple for which I will have the privilege of coming off the trail in early August to officiate their wedding.  I am excited about that.  We will spend some time preparing today.  Other than that it will be a lot of resting, eating, some more epsom salt treatments, and resupplying to get back on the trail this evening.  Matt offered to wait until after the US - Portugal world cup game to drive me back to the trail this evening and I jumped on that offer.  Fortunately, there is a shelter very near the PA 501 crossing where I will be dropped back off.

I am generally feeling good right now.  My Injinji sock and Oboz shoe combination seems to be working well, with my toes all in the best shape they have been in for quite a while.  The only concern is a blister under the ball of my left foot that worsened during that very wet week a couple of weeks back.  It split open at that time, and seems to have a hard time doing any healing since it is in a spot that continues to take pressure all day long.  So far, I have been able to avoid infection by applying Neosporin twice a day and trying to keep the area sealed with a sterile bandage during the hikes.  Thanks, Nikki Wilke , Child Life Specialist/ Recreational Therapist at Shriner's Hospital for Children, for again getting her wound specialist team to advise me on how to best keep the blister treated going forward!

I was running some numbers my last evening before being picked up for this rest break, and I think I will be able to complete this hike if I can stay healthy the rest of the way, despite my upcoming "month plus" off beginning in early August for the wedding and my visit to my new granddaughter (and her family of course) in Oregon.  With the miles I got in yesterday morning, I hit the point where I have less than 1,000 to go for the first time.  I have 100 miles left in Pennsylvania before hitting the relatively short trail states of New Jersey (70-some miles), New York (about 95), Connecticut (40-something) and Massachusets (about 95).  Most of that stretch will have relatively mild elevation changes.  Then the close becomes very tough again with the mountains of Vermont (150 miles), New Hampshire (160 miles) and finally, Maine (280 miles).  I'm figuring that I will have to be well into the state of New Hampshire before my month off in order to be in a position to finish.  Hiking on the final summit of Mt. Katahdin is closed each year no later than October 15th.  It can close earlier depending on the weather.  Of course, what my month off the trail due to injury/illness earlier has already shown me is that the best laid plans mean very little.  And a key for me is that I want to enjoy the hike, living in the moment of each day's hike.  So, bottom line is, "we'll see".

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and support of my hike and of my friends at the Frazee Dream Center!



Steph and Matt get a stinky hiker embrace

Hemlock awakens to Hike Naked Day

Food , Glorious Food!

It is reported that all the thru hikers think and dream about food at this point along the trail. It seems to be running true for Tom and he is thrilled to find more real food options now, especially since he opted to reduce his total pack weight and not carry a small stove.
He is at The Doyle Hotel in Duncannon, Pennsylvania with hiker, Forester Gump. Yes , it is a hotel, but no air conditioning and the it seems every bit as old as the 100 year old age. It is one of the original Anheuser-Busch Hotels.  The lunch choice looks mouth watering.

Doyle Hotel Lunch

They were so pleased to see signs all over this hiker friendly town saying " Free evening meal to hikers Wednesday nights at Christ Lutheran Church". Well, they had to check it out and it was great I am told. The folks were so nice they even offered Forester Gump a ride to buy some new boots.

Christ Lutheran church Wednesday meal

It has been very hot and humid this week  so the mid day siestas are helping out.

Mile 1115 in The Cumberland Valley

The Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania is the official midway point of the Appalachian trail for the thru hiker. Tom has been hiking with "Double R" these last few days.


Tom at the midpoint of the trail

Double R at the midpoint

 Historically once a thru hiker passes this mid way point they try their luck with eating a half gallon of ice cream from the Pine Grove Furnace General Store.  This is called the half gallon challenge.  Tom and Double R hit that mile marker yesterday about lunchtime. In years past if you could do it you did not have to pay for your ice cream . Nowadays you get to keep a commemorative spoon and leave with a full stomach. 

 

ready to go into Moose tracks ice cream



He did it!


Before Tom took off again today mid afternoon, he and Double  R ate at Boiling Springs Tavern.  Double R was waiting on a care package with supplies and Tom wanted to keep on hiking so that he can meet up with his niece Stephanie and her fiancé Matt by the weekend.

 

Reflections at Mile 1078 in Pennsylvania

It has been a very wet few days since the last post. Below is one of the streams that Tom and the hikers had to cross and they all removed their shoes and carried them because the stream was knee deep in places.

Just before leaving Virginia a 4 foot snake crossed Tom's path. It was a black snake he tells me which are not poisonous. They startled each other! There is an upcoming area in Pennsylvania referred to as" Rattlesnake Rocks" which may be an adventure.

Just before leaving Maryland the  AT goes though a wonderful park called Gathland State Park. This arch below was built in 1896 during the Civil War and is referred to as War Correspondents Memorial Arch.

 

The native mountain laurel are in full bloom now and beautiful along the trail.

 

 

 

After having a very wet day and finding a campground called Dahlgren Backpack Campground,  Tom was pleased to find a restaurant less than .4 miles away called Old South Mountain Inn. The special of the day was beef filet and then he followed that with this yummy dessert. It is true that on this part of the trail it will be more likely to find restaurants along the way. It was worth it walking in the rain to find this place. Two other hikers were also eating there, and they were from Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

 

The Mason Dixon line is actually the demarcation among four states and forms part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia. It is also a cultural boundary between the Northern and Southern States. For Tom is marked his entry into Pennsylvania.

The sign below was along the trail and of you do the math it does not add up to the 2,180 miles that now comprise the current AT. The mileage has changed over the years due to geographic changes . This sign was made several years ago.

 

 

Tom has been hiking with some veterans this week called "Warriors" and The Washington Post published an article June 12, 2014 about their journey entitled,

"In a trek from Georgia to Maine, a group of veterans aim to walk off the war". It is a great article and if you are interested you can google the article online.

 

 

Tom will be coming into two great trail towns this week called Boiling Springs and Duncannon, Pennsylvania. The reason these are called trail towns is that the town  will be "hiker friendly" with an outfitter and many lodging and eating options for the tired and hungry hikers usually right along the main street.

 

Into Maryland he goes...

Tom has made his way through West Virginia into Maryland in the midst of some pretty significant rainstorms. He tells me that he will be hiking in wet shoes today.


state line-West Virginia and Virginia

 He did get officially registered at the Appalachian Trail Headquarters yesterday. 

 

Then he crossed spot where  the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers join.

 

Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers

 

Jefferson Rock is on the Appalachian Trail and a Historical Spot because it is the location where Thomas Jefferson stood in 1793 and overlooks Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. A rock was named in this spot as "Jefferson Rock."

 

Jefferson Rock

It is a short trek in West Virginia then Tom arrived in Maryland yesterday also.

 

 

Maryland makes it as state number six and should not be long and he arrives in Pennsylvania by Thursday.

 

 

 

 

Back on the AT and loving it all in Virginia

ready to go!

I just heard from Tom as he was about to enjoy a pizza and pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream at Bear's Den Hostel mile 996 on the AT. Below is a photo of Tom standing in front of this famous structure built in the 1930's and originally an 8,000 square foot private mansion. Now it sleeps up to 26 hikers with no television, radio or computers to be found. But it provides what a hiker needs; showers, a snack bar and a fireplace for cold nights in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Bear's Den Hostel June 9, 2014

Since we dropped Tom off on Saturday he has seen a lot of wildlife! One hour in he came across a doe and a fawn.  Not an hour later he saw a baby bear cub near Highway 522.

A doe and fawn

 He has come across some more great people and many in his age group he tells me! Last night he says it rained cats and dogs all night but his tent kept him dry. He is taking it a bit slower than his previous 20 mile days partly because it seems to be hot and humid. Also he wants to build his stamina back up. He is about 20 miles from Harpers Ferry and that is also the location  of the Appalachian trail headquarters office. They account for all the hikers and take a photo which I am sure we will be posting.
Anne

Off and Hiking Again!

I had the chance last Friday to run by the Frazee Dream Center and spend a little time with the kids there... always fun!  I told them a little about my Appalachian Trail hike experience thus far, and as always, they had some great questions.  One of my objectives for this hike, as I have mentioned, is to raise funds and awareness of this great organization that serves needy inner city children in Greenville.  If you haven't seen my chat with Matt Reeves, the co-director of the organization along with his wife Jenny, please do so by clicking on the video link to the right of this blog.

Yesterday, I received some great news... Dr. Leeke informed me that my follow-up chest x-ray was clear and that I am free to resume my hike!  I plan to drive back to Front Royal, Virginia with Anne, brother Dave and sister-in-law Isa today.  We'll have a nice dinner there this evening, and then tomorrow morning they will drop me back at the trail where I had come off about a month ago.

Right now I am feeling very grateful - for the time I have had with family and friends to heal, for all those in the medical community who have provided care for me, and for all those who are interested in helping to make my hike a success and have offered words of encouragement and advice.  I feel good, having gradually increased my level of exercise as I have been able to.

Here are some of the things I will be doing differently as I go back out to hike:

• I've decided to use a trail shoe rather than the full boot that I used in the cooler weather.  I've decided on an Oboz Sawtooth Low shoe, with the green Superfeet insole.  Thanks to Joey Fuseler who researched this issue for me and made the recommendation.  I've decided to avoid the Goretex now that the weather is warmer to improve breathability and avoid building up sweat and moisture from the inside.  I've decided to "let them get wet" if it is raining out, with the understanding that they will dry out fairly quickly in the warmer weather once the rain lets up.  Thanks to sister-in-law Mary too, for getting me an awesome pair of Oofos sandals to wear around the shelter at the end of the day.  They are really comfortable with great arch support.
• I will be wearing lightweight Injinji toe socks as the inner liner with a second lightweight anklet sock outside.  The toe socks should prevent any blisters due to toe-to-toe rubbing.
  
• I have done a number of things to reduce the amount of weight I am carrying in my pack, including:
  
  
  • Eating only cold foods while on the trail to avoid the need for the stove, fuel canister, cook pot and hot drink mug.  (Thanks to Eric at Half Moon Outfitters who introduced me to the concept of Chia seed gels for hydration and nutrition.)
  • Limiting "extra" clothes to a rain jacket, socks, a bathing suit and a T-shirt.  (Leaving behind items like Goretex pants, fleece jackets, and gaiters.)
  • Switching to a summer weight sleeping bag.  I will be taking out a Marmot Nanowave 45 Degree sleeping bag, which will not only save on weight, but importantly on volume too.
  • Even a little thing like switching out my two 1-liter Nalgene bottles with two 1-quart Gatorade bottles.  They hold essentially the same volumes, but the Gatorade bottles are 4-1/2 ounces lighter (each).  In the freezing weather during the early part of the hike the Nalgene bottles were  necessary because they are so robust when they go through freeze and thaw cycles, but I am counting on being done with freeze cycles.
  
  Off we go!  Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.