Friday, May 16, 2008

Delaware Water Gap and Beyond

Hi Everybody,

Sorry that I havn't left an update in a while, but we havn't seen much internet lately. We have completed PA at this point. We met up with one of phil's friends (Jessie) from Duke in Port Clinton, PA. He met up under really funny circumstances too. When we arrived in town we borrowed the phone of a local outfitter to call him. He had just spent the night in a bush just off the main road in town. It was the kind of town where everyone has an angry dog and a fake deer in the back yard. He said that he just didn't want to be seen from the road. We admired his sense of adventure and felt at ease that he would have no trouble fitting in to life on the trail.

Jessie provided fresh perspective and rejuvination for the hike. Most of all we had new things to talk about, which was good. We hiked along the fabled rocky ridges of PA, some of which had no vegetation due to chemical poisoning. This provided spectacular, but sickly vistas. Luckily it was a mild day for the ridge walk because there was no vegetative cover whatsoever.

We descended into the Delaware Water Gap and found refuge in the basement of a church that was very hiker friendly. At the church we met a middle aged couple from Alabama and a young solo hiker from North Carolina. All were hikers, and all had different plans for how they split up the miles. Phil and I were the only thru-hikers. The water gap marked the beginning of Phil and I's adventure into New Jersey along the Kittatinny Ridge through the DWG National Recreation Area. This area is famous for its high bear activity, but we didn't see a thing. From the Kittatinny Ridge we could see great lengths of the Delaware River, along which there are huge tracts of undeveloped land. Most people think of New Jersey as an industrial state where it seems like the only place to live is under a factory or highway, but NW Jersey is actually very green. I spoke to a hunter from Warwick, NY in a bar a few days ago who was raving about the quality of New Jersey bear hunting. Just another interesting dynamic to the state I suppose.

So by now we have crossed the border in New York State. People treat us differently now. We are more of a novelty because of the distance we have now covered. There is much more wonder in the eyes of the average person when we explain what we have done. I think that's because Georgia feels very far away up here. Its bazaar to think that we have now re-covered all the distance we flew on our plane down to Atlanta three months before.

I also have to give a belated shout-out to our friend Susan MacDonald who we met in Damascus! Thanks Jessie for meeting up, and we are looking forward to our BBQ in Harriman State Park, NY tomorrow with Stephie, Eddie, Phil's parents, and possibly Charles and Matu. Also looking forward to meeting up with Nick Tagliarino at Cornwall Bridge, CT on the 21st, and Dad (Big Chief) on the 26th or so. Thankyou everyone for the comments! Good luck with the Aussie mushroom picking Janet. Don't worry we'll try to keep Big Chief alive, but I can't guarentee that his toes will all be alive at the end of his hike. We might have to deal with the dead sausage syndrome. Maybe I can find a plant that deals with gangrene or somthing... Bye for now.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Janet,
Adam got back to me!hes still alive.Hes joined some weird sect and lives in a church basement!
Hey guys Im bringing to die for headgear.
FA cup final tonite..watch it in your dreams!...
Big Chief...

Adam Brodsky said...

adam red, its wes gibbs. The beacons have been lit and im entering that birkshere nook in two weeks. i believe it would be quite illuminating for the fox and i to find you two skinny nomads one day or another. Around when are you guys gonna be rolling our way?

Adam Brodsky said...

adam red, if you call fox's family at 413 528 2305, his little brother will run to our site and give us the message that your one day away or something.safe travels. -wesley

Unknown said...

hi adam, great photos, it all looks greener and warmer, wish I was there too! Bob lost his toes in a surfing accident years ago so don't worry about those bits. He is now trying to adapt an old broom into walking sticks. Thinking of embedding a GPS device in his head thou.
xx Janet

Anonymous said...

manu6chelsea5on penalties,Terry missed!!