Delaware Water Gap mile 1296.9 (0 miles, 271.45 miles)
It wasn’t the best night of sleep in the little shelter behind the church building. The building had very bright lights, and it took a long time to fall asleep, as I was also excited by the prospect of my zero coming up the next day. It could also have been all the caffeine I’d had during the day getting me through the 20 miles I’d done.
In the morning, I spent a while chatting with Jedi, and we headed down together to the Village Farmer and Bakery in town that we’d heard good things about. Sandals had gone to Dunkin’ already and stayed at the shelter reading.
The bakery reminded me almost exactly of a mini Blossoming Acres in MA, my first job and a place very dear to my heart. I had an apple dumpling and a large bacon egg and cheese sandwich, while BFD, Fallout, and a couple other hikers joined. I saw Professor K briefly at the bakery as well before he hiked out, the flip flopper I had last seen before Port Clinton.
I saw Rattle Ass/Turtle in town for a few minutes, with her current hiking partner, Dixie, a man I hadn’t met yet. She seemed well, but said she was thinking of getting off the trail in a couple weeks, more interested in spending time with her kids while there is still time in the summer.
She said she realized section hiking is still a valid way to complete the trail, which I totally agree with. If her heart isn’t in it, and it isn’t making her happy, I definitely support that. There’s nothing wrong with knowing when it’s time to call it personally, and pursue other avenues of happiness.
Back at the shelter, I laid all my wet stuff out to dry in the bright sunshine, including my socks so I could put them on to try out shoes at the outfitter. Sandals and I decided to put our clothes together to wash, since it would be $10 for laundry.
Down at the Edge of Woods Outfitter, I bought a few protein bars and more stove fuel. I found a stack of shoeboxes, with a sign saying all shoes are 50% off. I saw stacks of Oboz and Solomons, and started trying them on.
I couldn’t find any that fit me, they were all too small, and I feared I’d have to hike on in my Altras. I saw a battered box of Brooks Cascadia 13s that I had passed over earlier on the men’s table and decided to give them a try.
They were apparently women’s size 10, a size bigger than my Altras, and bright blue and orange colored. I put them on, and they seemed to fit decently, with room to accommodate the foot swell that builds during the day. Hopefully not too much room, though, but I won’t know until I hike with them.
I’ve heard of Brooks at least, and I asked the woman working the counter how much the shoes were. She looked it up and told me $60, which really is half off. Sandals and I couldn’t help laughing when she told us with a smirk that the shoes were half off because so many hikers come through and try them on, and then the shoes stink.
I figured it was hopefully meant to be since they only had one pair of Brooks and it was the only shoe that fit me out of everything. The Brooks even have a Pacific Crest Trail design on them. There has been a lot of synchronicity lately with that type of stuff, seemingly confirming I’m pointed in the right direction.
Sandals and I came back to the Hiker Center, and waited to hear from Marty at a hostel when we could do our laundry. I started the usual chores of dishes and whatnot.
There was a big group of hikers at the hostel today, all taking a zero as well, and soon they were coordinating a tubing trip down the river. Fallout was leading the charge, and he headed to Walmart with a few others to buy rafts and tubes. I was on the fence if I was interested in going or not. It seemed like a lot, and I had all my chores to do still.
Eventually they came back, and had a whole trunk full of tubes, including a 4-person raft, and a lot of beer. They had room for 8 people, and the count kept changing as people added and dropped out of the trip.
Sandals, Cobra, and I were all deciding to stay behind. At the last minute when there were two spots left, Sandals caved and said he would go if I would. “We can do laundry later,” he said.
So I decided to go for it, but at the last minute, Fallout realized they were one hiker higher than they should be. I quickly bowed out, happy to hang back. Even though it sounded fun, I wanted to actually relax and get my chores done. I did tell Sandals I’d handle both our laundry, though.
I got the laundry going at Marty’s Yellow House Hostel, and used the town clothes available to borrow to put together a whole look for myself. Between walking back and forth to switch the clothes out, Jedi and I hit the gas stations in town to finish up our resupply.
It was pricey at the gas stations, but I got enough food to last me three days to get to Unionville, NY. The trail flips back and forth between NJ and NY a few times in the next week or so I believe, so technically in three days I’ll be in NY, but will still have more of NJ to hike.
I took a very long shower, since most people were gone, finished the laundry, put my food bag together, and charged my electronics.
I talked to Cobra for a bit about the plan for his flip flop. Since we are both tracking to finish earlier than the September 1st recommended start time to go back to Harpers Ferry, he has a really tempting plan to hike the northern section of the Long Trail before going back to Harpers.
I’ll talk about that more in the future most likely, but it is something that sounds highly intriguing to me depending on how the time frame shakes out. Soon it was 5pm and time for happy hour down at the local bar.
The rafters and Sandals hadn’t turned back up yet so I went with most of Jedi’s trail family called “The Cult” to the Sycamore Grille where they had happy hour. When the hikers who went on the river got back they also joined in, and soon there were about 20 hikers all in the bar, getting food and drinks. The bartenders were amazing, and it was a really fun atmosphere. The first real social scene I’d been part of on the trail so far.
I had a couple seltzers, some nachos, steak tips on mozzarella garlic bread, and a big leafy salad. I sat and talked with The Cult, and got to know Shrek, Neon, and Piñata better. They were all a really kind hearted and fun crew.
After happy hour, we headed back to the bakery for pie. I bought a chocolate cream cheese pie and a slice of blueberry pie as well. Five of us went next door to the sake bar and sat down on the couches.
Neon, a hiker we found at the bakery named Lightfoot, and I housed the chocolate pie, and I ate the slice of blueberry as well. Jedi and Piñata split the key lime pie, with another hiker helping them finish it off. When we were done, we sat back on the couches, and I enjoyed the view of a sliver of the moon overhead with whispy clouds floating in front of it.
I was very proud of how much I ate, knowing it’s key to making sure I have enough energy to complete my hike. Last time on the trail it was hard for me to eat, and it affected my hiking a lot.
It was 8:00 by then, so we headed back to the church center to set up camp. I decided to tent because it had been two nights in a row curled up right next to a shelter wall, and I was dearly missing my space and the little home that is my tent.
I set up as dusk fell, pitching my tent in the grass near the shelter and moving all my stuff from the shelter into the tent. Several hikers came back after that and set up around that area as well. After socializing for a little bit more I headed into my tent around 10:45 to get ready for bed.
It had been a really fun town day, and definitely more social and of a party atmosphere than I’d been part of yet to this time around. It was familiar from last time, though.
Jedi and Neon joked about exposures to The Cult, and being invited after a certain point, or being “Cult adjacent”. I guess they are quite well known on the trail, but I hadn’t heard of them yet, being so new.
They are a great group of people, they clearly all care about each other and are a tight knit trail family. They invited me to join them for an Airbnb rental coming up next week.
I am on the fence about that, very flattered to be invited, but really wanting to make sure I am being true to my hike and the overall goals that I have for it. Jedi hiked alone for most of the CDT, and says he really learned to appreciate the social aspects of the PCT and AT, and that does make me think.
There has to be some sort of a balance between the extremes of being super social and totally independent. I love hiking alone and having a solo journey, but I also don’t want to miss out on spending time with people I see on the trail, that I never know if I will see again down the road or not.
Town zeros are fun, but they can be expensive, and I don’t want to spend more than I had budgeted for this hike, for the simple reason that financial independence is important to me.
I really like The Cult members, and do hope to spend more time around them on the trail. I just have to be careful to stay true to myself, and try to find a balance between enjoying myself and having a hike I will be proud of in the end.
It’s also funny to know that no matter what I do in the northern half of the trail, the southern half will be a totally different journey, anyway. I truly loved this zero day, but I am looking forward to doing some hiking tomorrow.