Tag: New Jersey and New York

Day 110 – Gren Anderson Shelter to Unionville NJ
Today’s Miles:20

Trip Miles: 1356.7

“I’ll never be your beast of burden

My back is broad but it’s a-hurting

All I want for you to make love to me

I’ll never be your beast of burden

I’ve walked for miles, my feet are hurting

All I want for you to make love to me” – The Rolling Stones

Up at 6:15. Out of camp at 7:30.

It’s very humid out here today. Heat index is mid 90s.

Stopped at Sunrise Mountain for a snack at 6:45. Topped off water at a small water cache at the parking lot for Sunrise Mountain.

Sunrise Mountain Water Cache

Stopped at Mashipacong Shelter at 10:30 and 5.8 miles. Excellent water cache.

Mashipacong Shelter Water Cache

We have 6.6 miles to High Point state park where we will stop for lunch and to dry clothes from last night.

Stopped at High Point State Park NJ at 1:50. Dried out clothes, filled up water, and got soda from vending machine. Woo hoo! Hung with the extended tramily for about 30 minutes. They went to the beach to swim and we went to the observation tower and high point monument. 8.8 miles to Unionville.

High Point State Park NJ

High Point State Park NJ

Nice water cache and Gatorade and snacks at mile 16.2 Ferguson Road. Topped off on liquids and had a snack. 3.2 miles to go to the general store in Unionville. Hope to be there about 7:30.

We got to the Unionville General Store at 7:20. Registered to camp behind town hall and got Dr Peppers. Great little store! Pizza place is right across the street from town hall and the tavern is one block away. Set up tents and got cleaned up before walking across the street to the pizza shop at 8:00. Had dinner with the extended tramily. Good food and lots of it!

Unionville General Store

Unionville Town Hall

Unionville pizza shop

It’s really cool that town lets us pitch tents behind the town hall and provides a porta potty, water faucet, and a nice gazebo for sitting. Thanks Unionville NJ!

Unionville Town Hall Park

Very humid again tonight and a chance of rain, so I must use my rain fly, which means even more humid. My little USB powered fan will be a life saver tonight. God I love that thing!!! In bed at 10:00.

Day 110 Map – Gren Anderson Shelter to Unionville NJ

Technical Notes:
- Pop tarts 270
- Brownie 170
- Oookies 400
- Cookies 240
- Cookies 240
- Skittles 75
- Snickers 250
- Soda 150
- Zero sugar sausage 120
- Skittles 75
- Peanut butter crackers 200
- Trail mix 270
- Doritos 150
- Gatorade 80
- Peanut butter crackers 200
- Root beer x3 750
- Veal parm 1400
- Hot wings x7 490
- Water liters 6
- Miles 20
- Time 12
- Elevation gain 2416
- Calories consumed 5600
- Calories burned 7500
Day 109 – Mohican Outdoor Center to Gren Anderson Shelter
Today’s Miles:20.6

Trip Miles: 1336.7

“Now Amos Moses was a Cajun.

He lived by himself in the swamp.

He hunted alligators for livin’.

He just knocked ’em in the head with a stump.

The Louisiana law is gonna get you, Amos!

It ain’t legal huntin’ alligators down in the swamp, boy!” – Jerry Reed

Up at 6:30. All packed and ready to go at 6:50. Breakfast starts at 7:00. Nice breakfast. On the trail at 7:50.

Overcast, humid, mid-80s, chance of rain on and off all day.

We have 20.6 miles to go to teach Gren Anderson Shelter this evening. Hoping to be there by 7:30, but that depends on how rocky this part of NJ is.

Stopped at an ACTIVE fire tower at 8:50.

Active fire tower in NJ

Beaver pond and two beaver lodges.

Beaver lodges

Beaver pond

Beavers have been hard at work

Climb up to the ridge we will follow most of the next 4 hours.

NJ… nuff said

Cute little guy all alone on the trail.

Cute little guy

Stopped for lunch at 11:30 by a spring. Back on the trail at 12:10.

Tried to get water at 2:30, but the water was stagnant and nasty. Will push on another 2.5 miles to the next shelter which may have water.

Stopped at Brink Road Shelter at 4:00 for water. Had to scoop from a weak stream. We have 3.8 miles to Culver’s Gap where we can have dinner at a tavern before continuing on another 3.2 miles to our final destination.

We got to the Mountain House Tavern in Branchville, NJ at 6:10. Very nice place! Ordered a burger with egg and bacon and pastrami! Boom!

Mountain House Tavern in Branchville, NJ

Back on trail at 7:15. We are road walking to a trail that connects to the shelter. It’s more direct, less steep, and not rocky. It’s an experiment/adventure. It’s a small country road, but we should be okay. Call it 2.2 miles.

Got to shelter at 8:30. The extended tramily is here. So is a group of 15 middle schoolers and 3 camp counselors. It rained a bit and drizzled on and off, so we stayed in the shelter. It’s very humid with no wind. Yuck. In bed at 9:30.

Day 109 Map – Mohican Outdoor Center to Gren Anderson Shelter

Technical Notes:
- Toast 170
- Sausage patty 280
- Two eggs 235
- Home fries 200
- OJ 150
- Skittles 100
- Turkey stocks 180
- Peanut butter crackers 200
- Zero sugar sausage 120
- Cookie 60
- Skittles 50
- Cookies 240
- Seltzer 100
- Hamburger 1000
- Fries 500
- Pizza x2 500
- Water liters 5
- Miles 20.6
- Time 13
- Elevation gain 3000
- Calories consumed 4000
- Calories burned 7500
Day 108 – Delaware Water Gap to Mohican Outdoor Center
Today’s Miles: 10.6

Trip Miles: 1316.1

“And my tires were slashed and I almost crashed,

but the Lord had mercy.

And my machine, she’s a dud, out stuck in the mud somewhere in the swamps of Jersey.

Well, hold on tight, stay up all night, ’cause Rosie, I’m comin’ on strong” – Bruce Springsteen

Up at 8:00. Got 10 hours of sleep. I feel great today.

Walked to the Village Farmer Bakery for a nice breakfast and coffee. What an amazing place! They have all kinds of fresh fruit, confections, and baked goods. I’m going to pick up some cookies or something similar to go.

Village Farmer Bakery in Delaware Water Gap

Clockwise: Overkill, Polar, Glass, 23, Newt.

Clockwise: Overkill, Polar, Glass, 23, Newt.

Short 10.6-mile hike to Mohican Outdoor Center in NJ today. We need a Nero, and Overkill has a resupply box there, so we will just stay there. The extended family is likely going there as well. I called Mohican, and they have lots of bunks. Their hot food stops at 5:30, and the store closed at 6:00. Our goal is to leave here at 11:00 and to get there about 5:00 today. Chill day.

We got on the trail at 11:15. My bad. Hiked along the interstate and over the bridge into NJ. Overkill flipped off PA as we walked into NJ. Good riddance, PA.

Hiking the interstate and over the bridge into NJ

PA/NJ line in the middle of the bridge

At 12:30, we crossed the 1300-mile mark. Not as big a deal as crossing into NJ.

1300 mile marker

Reached Sunfish Pond at 1:50. Very pretty. We hiked around it for about an hour.

Sunfish Pond

Sunfish Pond

Sunfish Pond

Stopped for water at 2:00 and 5.7 miles. We have 5.1 miles to go. That should get us there about 5:00. Back on the trail at 2:35.

Got a nice 360-degree view from the foundation of an old fire tower overlooking NJ.

360-degree view overlooking NJ.

YouTube Video of 360-degree NJ view.

I ran into a NJ bear at 8.8 miles in for today. Youngster between 1 and 2. He had his head in some plants rooting around. He did not see me until I tried to get my phone out to take a pic. Then he looked at me and ran off into the woods. My first bear since near Glasgow, VA.

Got to Mohican Outdoor Center at 5:05. Grill closed at 5:00:( But cold sandwiches were good. The extended family was here. They are leaving in a bit and going 3 more miles to tent. We will see them tomorrow night. We ate, got checked in for our bunks, and bought snacks for tonight as the store/office closed at 6:00.

Bunk house is very large and very nice. There are only 4 of us in here so far tonight. This place could sleep 20. It’s very expensive at $50 for a bunk. No linens or towels provided. You have to pay an extra $10 each for those! The AMC has good facilities but they take hikers on price. I’ll complain more about them later in New England.

I showered and washed my hiking shirt in the shower. It really needed it. Thank goodness I started carrying a light camp towel when we got to MD. There are state and local campgrounds with free shower facilities in the north as well as outdoor centers like this that have facilities but no towels. I’m using multiple box fans to dry my clothes and towel in multiple rooms. Hiker trash style.

Mohican Outdoor Center

Mohican Outdoor Center

Updated blogs (offline , no internet service) and planned for tomorrow. Clothes are mostly dry. Got food and pack ready for the morning. Breakfast available starting at 7:00. We plan to be there at 7 then get on trail by 7:45 ish. We have 20 miles tomorrow. Not sure what the terrain will be like. I think this is my first 20 with the new pack.

Hung out and snacked and read till 11:00.

Day 108 Map – Delaware Water Gap to Mohican Outdoor Center

Technical Notes:
- OJ 140
- Bacon egg sandwich 650
- Chocolate éclair 500
- Cheese crackers 180
- Zero sugar sausage 120
- Trail mix 250
- Dr Pepper 240
- Ham and cheese sandwich 500
- Chocolate chip ice cream sandwich: 400
- Dr Pepper: 240
- Hershey bar: 210
- Reese’s: 210
- Pringles: 500
- Doritos: 260
- Water liters: 2.4
- Miles: 10.6
- Time: 5:45
- Elevation gain: 1764
- Calories consumed: 4460
- Calories burned: 5000