Delaware Water Gap, PA to Bear Mountain, NY

Day 2, Monday, May 24

Mohican Outdoor Center to Brink Road Shelter, 14.3 miles

A small rain shower passes by at 5 AM and I vaguely hear “Double Nickels” and “Endorphines” leave around 7 AM. I roll over until 7:30 AM before getting up and packing. I drop my towel and pillowcase off at the office door and walk to the trail by 7:45 AM. It’s gonna be another warm one today. It’s already muggy.

An hour later I take a break at the Catfish Fire Tower. The view into the valleys below is a little hazy this morning, even with yesterday’s rain. But it feels good to be in the woods.

Shortly after 10 AM I pass two girls with three Labrador Retrievers. The Labs fake trying to eat me before they figure out I’m harmless. The morning has a few climbs, but it’s mostly ridge walking on old roads part of the way. Great trail.

Around 11 AM I find the well pump beside the Millbrook-Blairsville Road crossing. The water is cold which feels great on this already hot day. I meet “Ghost” crossing the road. He’s southbound coming from the shelter where I plan to spend the night. Close to halfway for the day. I cross a beaver dam swamp and then another. New Jersey sure is diverse. Mountains, swamps, rocks, you name it!

Crater Lake is in the valley below and soon I’m climbing again into the sun. I take a longer break on top of Rattlesnake Mountain. The sun is scorching, but I’m too tired to find shade. Bird Mountain is next and it’s like walking across Mercury. The sun is pelting the mountain and the rocks are fighting back. It’s bright from the sun reflecting off the rocks and the heat is just radiating everywhere.

A few minutes later though I’m dropping toward Brink Road. A left turn on the road takes me 1,000 feet down the hill to the shelter. There is a small pond above the shelter that is going to make it very buggy. Quick find the mosquito repellant.

I get water and rest until 4 PM. Thunder is bumping in the distance and the breeze is picking up May get another rain shower. I take a quick shower myself and I’m feeling much better. It thunders for the next hour but no rain. It’s as if the storm moved around the mountain. Somebody is getting a rough storm though judging from the sound of the thunder.

A youth group hikes through the shelter area around 5 PM while I’m cooking supper. They keep walking down the road. Probably want to get away from the mosquitoes.

With nothing else to do I crawl inside my mosquito netting on top of my sleeping bag around 6:30 PM. I can’t find the rope to hang the netting inside the shelter so I use it as a blanket. It feels really good to lie down. Between catnaps I hear two hikers come in. after 7 PM. It’s a father and daughter out for a long section. They tent near the shelter. By 7:30 PM I’m gone to the world.

Sometime after dark another hiker comes in. I see a flashlight play across the woods before rolling over and going back to sleep.