Today was fun. It started off alright. I finally gave into the rocks, and turned to my radio (bought at Port Clinton) for support. You see, constantly having to watch your feet is tedious, and boring as hell! When I saw the clouds, and the flat terrain with no views, it was decided. So the radio provided a diversion from the monotonous morning miles.
It was the first time I had ever listened to music while I walked, and while it was enjoyable, I think that music while hiking will be kept to a minimum from here on out. It's just different. Instead of hearing the birds, or wind, or the rustle of leaves as a toad hops away, you hear "Uptown funk won't give it to ya, don't believe me just watch!" It was motivating for a hard day like today, but weird.
The music only lasted until about noon, when I ran into Hook, another thru-hiker. We made the usual conversation, but when the start-date question was asked, my jaw dropped. Hook started on April 28!!! He'd been doing 30+ mile days. Today he walked from the Outerbridge shelter, which is before Lehigh Gap, all the way to Delaware Water Gap, another 2 miles from me. His method is simply to start early and finish late. He never runs as you would expect, and in fact I ended up hiking with him for 15 miles at a very manageable pace. He told me some crazy stories of his hike, such as his first day, when he did 43 miles, and the Smokies, when he ate nothing but 70 Snickers bars in his 3 days there. Crazy!
But Hook is used to doing crazy things. He's an ultra-marathoner, or a participant in races more than 26.2 miles. He told me about the time he accidentally set the record for the Wonderland Trail, a 90 mile loop around Mount Ranier, and the time he nearly blew a kidney while qualifying for the US ultra-marathon team. I was thoroughly impressed and fascinated!
By the time me and Hook split up at the Kirkridge Shelter, I had amazingly done 26 miles, and it was only 5pm! I think hiking with an ultramarathoner might have had something to do with it... Anyway, I knew I'd be sleeping in Delaware Water Gap tomorrow, and I was only 6 miles south of it, so I ate dinner and hiked a little farther to perhaps my most epic camping spot yet. I'm on the edge of a cliff, looking over the Delaware River (and I-80), with a huge cliff on the other side too. It's spectacular! I'll sleep well tonight for sure.
Oh yeah, and if all that wasn't enough, I SAW A BEAR!!! Yes, a real bear, and this was no through the trees, get a glimpse before he runs away type of sighting. I got within 60 feet of him! I snapped some really good pictures. It was awesome.Anyway, I don't know how it happened but I did 30 miles today and I'm feeling pretty beat. The good news is that I only have 2 miles to go tomorrow and then it's on th New Jersey!
-Scribbles (aka Ted)
9:32 p.m. 6/5/2015
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