July 6th: Up and out by 8, stopping in McDonald's for breakfast. I haven't eaten this much fast food and junk food in years. Subaru raised the question "Do you think our cholesterol levels are going up?" I think no. The sheer amount of physical activity is keeping it in check.
We got a ride back to the trail from the parents of another thru hiker, Olive Oyl. I have yet to meet OO, but I see her entries in the shelter logs. She has been about a day ahead of us for quite some time.
My first thought upon waking this morning had been "I'd really like to yellow blaze into Delaware Water Gap and just be done with Pennsylvania". Turns out, quite a few hikers did just that. But I'm happy that I didn't. I'm glad my final day on the trail in Pennsylvania was not that ugly superfund site. Today was much easier, a little cooler, and much more pleasant. It was the Pennsylvania I met in the south part of the state when my love/hate relationship with Pennsylvania was still firmly in the love phase.
We ran into a lot of day hikers and weekend hikers, taking the long holiday weekend. We ran through nice forested areas, rolling hills, and - yes - more rocks. But again, naturally occurring rocks are much easier to take than rubble piles from power line installation or zinc mining operations. My feet don't hate those rocks quite so much.
The trail enters the town of Delaware Water Gap and goes down the street, a true trail town. We opted again for a hotel over the hiker hostel, as Road Runner is wilting in the humidity and Sub and I love to have our own shower. We ate at a nice little tavern which was a bit pricier than we anticipated, but quite good with good service.
A nice sleep on a mattress....I feel like I've earned it.
July 7th: zero day. You know the drill....laundry, outfitter, resupply, sleep. We briefly considered getting a ride across the Delaware River to one of the beaches there. But going to a waterhole on the trail in your underwear is quite different from going to a vacation spot beach in your underwear on July 4th weekend. We decided to spare the general public and spent the day watching Pirates of the Caribbean on ABC Family.
We got a ride back to the trail from the parents of another thru hiker, Olive Oyl. I have yet to meet OO, but I see her entries in the shelter logs. She has been about a day ahead of us for quite some time.
My first thought upon waking this morning had been "I'd really like to yellow blaze into Delaware Water Gap and just be done with Pennsylvania". Turns out, quite a few hikers did just that. But I'm happy that I didn't. I'm glad my final day on the trail in Pennsylvania was not that ugly superfund site. Today was much easier, a little cooler, and much more pleasant. It was the Pennsylvania I met in the south part of the state when my love/hate relationship with Pennsylvania was still firmly in the love phase.
We ran into a lot of day hikers and weekend hikers, taking the long holiday weekend. We ran through nice forested areas, rolling hills, and - yes - more rocks. But again, naturally occurring rocks are much easier to take than rubble piles from power line installation or zinc mining operations. My feet don't hate those rocks quite so much.
The trail enters the town of Delaware Water Gap and goes down the street, a true trail town. We opted again for a hotel over the hiker hostel, as Road Runner is wilting in the humidity and Sub and I love to have our own shower. We ate at a nice little tavern which was a bit pricier than we anticipated, but quite good with good service.
A nice sleep on a mattress....I feel like I've earned it.
July 7th: zero day. You know the drill....laundry, outfitter, resupply, sleep. We briefly considered getting a ride across the Delaware River to one of the beaches there. But going to a waterhole on the trail in your underwear is quite different from going to a vacation spot beach in your underwear on July 4th weekend. We decided to spare the general public and spent the day watching Pirates of the Caribbean on ABC Family.
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