July 9, 2012

Start: Rt. 206, Branchville, NJ

Today was an awesome day!! We had a very late start (1:30 pm) and still got 14 miles in!! After we woke up and packed up, we got a ride into town to Rite Aid. My pinky toe blisters are still not healed and I wanted to get new insoles. I was hoping to get insoles that were thinner to give my feet more room in my boots. This turned out to be an amazing idea! We changed out the insoles and the pain was practically gone! We then got a ride back to the trailhead. Just before we were about to start, we were lured into Gyp's Tavern for lunch. It was a cute little bar on Kittitinny Lake that had country music playing. We ordered some sodas and yummy fried finger foods. At 1:30 we were able to escape and start our hike. Just about a quarter of a mile in, we saw a beautiful deer just off the trail. She didn't seem scared or bothered by us because we were able to just walk on by. After 5.4 miles, we reached the summit of Sunrise Mountain. There is a huge pavilion at the summit and gorgeous views. I imagine watching the sunset or sunrise from there must be amazing. We rested for about 20 minutes. We had some mixed emotions being in that pavilion. Looking around us, we were surrounded by such beauty, but we couldn't help thinking about a story we heard about Sunrise Mountain. In May, we heard Jennifer Pharr Davis speak (record holder for fastest AT thru hike in 46 days). During her first thru hike nine years ago, when she reached the summit of Sunrise Mountain, she discovered the body of a man who had committed suicide in the pavilion. As we sat there, we imagined how she must have felt that day in that very same location.

During our break, we decided to make our day longer again! We had planned for 9 miles after our long day yesterday, but we were feeling great, the weather was PERFECT, and we were having a great time. We took a look at our map and decided to make it a 14 mile day to NJ 23. There is a motel 1.5 miles from the trailhead on that road and they will pick up hikers for free. As we left, I serenaded Brian with Disney songs. I'm sure he thoroughly enjoyed it, but you'll have to read his blog to get the truth! 3.4 miles later, we reached Mashipacong Shelter and discovered potable water left in the bear box by trail angels! We were very excited because all of the streams in NJ seem to be stagnant or dried up! After getting a quick drink, we continued on. Just after the shelter, we ran into someone headed southbound hiking BAREFOOT!!! He was just out for a day hike, but that is still CRAZY!! I read Barefoot Sisters (they hiked the trail southbound, then northbound, barefoot) but to actually see someone doing it was insane. We had 5.5 miles left for the day. With 3.5 miles left, Brian turned his ankle pretty bad on a rock. Knowing that we were headed to a motel where he would be able to ice it, we decided to continue with our plan and bypass a shelter 2.6 miles before the road. For the last 20 minutes of our hike, we night hiked with our headlamps. So cool except the bugs really dive bomb your face because of the light. We arrived at the road and called the motel. Within 5 minutes, Ron picked us up and brought us there. We are now showered, Brian is icing his ankle and we are relaxing. With the exception of Brian hurting himself today, this was my favorite day of hiking so far! The terrain, the weather and our bodies were all perfect!

Looking back to 17 days ago, we've come a long way. When we started, 10 miles seemed like a long day. We would set out with a mileage in our minds and often found ourselves shortening the plan throughout the day. Now, we are increasing the miles planned as we go and 10 miles seems like a half day. I realized this change when we left Mashipacong Shelter and I said, "Only 5.5 miles to go!". It feels great to feel so much stronger, both mentally and physically. My blisters felt so much better after today and my knee is feeling nearly perfect. Brian is feeling great too, with the exception of his ankle. Hopefully, that feels better in the morning!

End: High Point Country Inn, NJ

Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka