Day 99: New York!

17 miles: Pochuck Mtn Shelter to Furnace Brook

We left camp at about 9 am. The first section of the day was a bit tough. Frequent rocks and ups and downs. Eventually we came to county road 517, just before the road we came across some trail magic left by our fellow thru hiker bleep, bloop! Cold gatorades! :) After we crossed the bridge we walked a few miles of beautiful boardwalk over a grassy marshland. Although it was a Monday there was a very large amount of  tourists/day hikers. Most of them didn't know what the Appalachian trail was or that they were even on it. We had quite a few strange looks from people because of all our gear. After hurrying out of that culture shock we made our way to the base of a mountain referred to as "the stairway to heaven". A very steep staircase up the mountain awaited us. After summoning energy we walked until we came across wawayanda state park headquarters where we took a siesta, ate a late lunch, and charged our phones. We then continued four more miles to the New Jersey/New York state line!! After crossing the border we walked on a very rough and rocky ridge for quite a while until we reached NY's highest point. At the peak someone had erected an American flag. It was quite a view. We made our way down to furnace brook, filled our water bottles, and sheltered in our tents from the Mosquitos for the night. 

Thanks bloop, bleep!

This puppy was so excited to be here!

Had to get the epic poise pic ;)

Day 98: Bears!

NJ 23 to Pochuck Mtn Shelter- 14.1 miles

After having a wonderful continental breakfast and enjoying the room for just a little bit longer we split a taxi ride with Count and Lavender back to the trail. I was in a very low mood this morning. The thought of going back out into that crappy, cold weather was just tortuous to me. But after hiking 5 or 6 miles I started to find my groove again. Me and Tric ran into 2 Cubs and a momma black bear! It was part adorable, part scary, and part exciting. After that I hiked with a new friend named Iso until I came to a road crossing that led into Unionville. Since I knew Tric was still about 30 minutes behind me I decided to walk into town and get a slice of pizza. At the pizza parlor I had 2 slices and a root beer. I also ran into "our friends" and Turbo again. After eating I grabbed a coke for Tric and hurried back to meet her at the trailhead. She very much appreciated the coke. The next 5 miles of trail to the shelter was roadwalk, a big circle around a lake, and a very interesting boardwalk. After that we hiked part ways up Pochuck Mtn and found "our friends" again where we decided to camp with them for the night. 

Iso in the lead.

Roadwalker.

Walkill pond. 

The beginning of the boardwalk.

Hello everyone

Hello everyone, this is Jordan's dad. I just wanted to post an update for those interested. Due to a variety of reasons, weather, loss of signal, dead battery, fatigue, the tediousness of writing and posting these blogs from a small IPhone 4S in the dark from your tent etc, Jordan has fallen behind on his blog posts. His progress on his blog and his progress in "real life" are way off. He has still been writing daily blogs and saving them, posting a few when he gets a chance. At one point he had decided he was going to write one big, long post to catch up but then thought better of it. He said he changed his mind because he wants to have a daily log for himself to read and remember the adventure by in the future.
So, if you follow his blog (which you obviously do or you wouldn't be reading this) keep checking back, he is making good progress. He and "Tric" are still hiking together and had a day in NJ with their former hiking buddy "Jersey Girl" (who by the way is NOT a girl! lol) then spent a day in Manhattan's upper west side with his cousins Casey & Madi, who live there, and their parents Aunt Martha and Uncle Tom who were up from Tampa visiting. He is back on the trail and nearing the NY/Connecticut border. He said he and Tric would be visiting her parents near Boston by this Thursday. That means barring any unforeseen circumstances he will be entering Vermont within a week or so of that, leaving him roughly 600 miles left. Even thought one of the toughest parts of the trail, the White Mountains in New Hampshire lay ahead, I would still say he's in the stretch run!
Thanks to all who read this and share in our beloved "Fozzy's" adventure!
Clint "Old Fozzy"

Day 66-97: Catching Up!

Oh! Where to begin? So as many of you may have noticed I am a little behind on my blog. In order to catch up and make life (and this hike) just a little bit easier I'm going to consolidate the next set of posts.

Mileage:

Day 66:Harrison Ground Spring to Rocky Row Trail- 15 mi.

Day 67:Rocky Row Trail to Brown Mountain Creek Shelter- 16.4 mi.

Day 68:Brown Mtn Creek Shelter to Spy Rock- 18.5 mi.

Day 69:Spy Rock to Devils Backbone Brewery @ Reeds Gap- 19.4 mi.

**Camped behind the brewery! Awesome!! Thank You Devils Backbone!

Day 70:Reeds Gap to Waynesboro,Va- 19.2 mi. 

**Stayed at free camping at the YMCA in town. 

Day 71:Waynesboro, Va to Spring @ 869.8- 8.1 mi. 

**Entered Shenandoah National Park!

Day 72:Spring @ 869.8 to Pinefield Hut- 25.7 mi.

**Experienced our first Shenandoah wayside! Basically a restaraunt/convenience store combo very close to the trail.

Day 73: Pinefield Hut to Bearfence Mtn Hut- 20.6 mi. 

Day 74: Bearfence Mtn Hut to Byrds Nest #3 Hut- 22.4 mi.

**Very rainy day. Byrds Nest Hut was very comfortable.

Day 75: Byrds Nest #3 Hut to Hogwallow Flat- 21 mi.

**Finished the Shenandoah's!

Day 76: Hogwallow Flat to Dicks Dome Shelter- 25.2 mi.

Day 77: Dicks Dome Shelter to Sand Spring- 21.2 mi. 

Day 78: Sand Spring to Harpers Ferry, WV- 16.6 mi

**Finally done with Virginia! Harpers Ferry is considered the mental halfway point of the AT and it sure felt like it. 

**Sadly, this is where Jersey Girl decided to get off the trail, but he promised to section hike with us later down the trail.

**We also went to Washington DC and visited the natural history museum at the national mall.

Day 79: Harpers Ferry, WV to C&O Towpath North End- 3 mi

Day 80: C&O Towpath North End to Dahlgren Backpack Campground- 14.3 mi

**This campground was awesome! It had bathrooms and showers. Also, we passed into Maryland!

Day 81: Dahlgren Backpack Campground to Ensign Cowall Shelter-14 mi

Day 82: Ensign Cowall Shelter to Tumbling Run Shelters-18.1 miles

**The tumbling run shelters were gorgeous!

**Crossed into Pennsylvania!

Day 83: Tumbling Run Shelters to Birch Run Shelter-19.4 mi

Day 84: Birch Run Shelter to Campsite at  Mile 1113.2- 21 mi

Day 85: Campsite at Mile 1113.2 to Stealth Campsite at Mile 1133- 19.8 mi

Day 86: Stealth Campsite at Mile 1133 to Pickup Spot for Hershey, PA- 15.8 mi

**Special thanks to our friend Andy for being so hospitable to us when we were in Hershey, PA!

Day 87: Pickup Spot to Stealth Campsite at Mile 1160- 11.2 mi

Day 88: Stealth Campsite at Mile 1160 to PA 72 Campsite- 20.6 mi

Day 89: PA 72 Campsite to Hertline Campsite- 18.4 mi

Day 90: Hertline Campsite to Port Clinton, PA- 18.5 mi

**Scott Jurek passed us in this town on his speed record attempt of the AT.

Day 91: Port Clinton, PA to Eckville Shelter- 14.8 mi

Day 92: Eckville Shelter to Stealth Site- 22.1 mi

Day 93: Stealth Site to Leroy A Smith Shelter- 18.8 mi

Day 94: Leroy A Smith to Delaware Water Gap, PA- 20.2 mi

**Very cool little town.

Day 95: Delaware Water Gap, PA to Stealth Site after Mohican Outdoor Center- 10.6 mi

**The Mohican center was very comfortable. Good place to day hike the AT from.

**Crossed into New Jersey!!

Day 96: Stealth Site to Gren Anderson Shelter- 20.6

Day 97: Gren Anderson Shelter to NJ 23- 11.3 mi

**This day got miserably cold and wet so we decided to emergency split a room in a nearby hotel with a fellow hiker named Joker.

My feet after 5 days of persistent rain in the Shenandoahs. They look much better now.

Muddy trail.

I was hiker #480 to come through Harpers Ferry, WV. The town is considered the 'mental' halfway point for the trail. It also hosts the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's headquarters.

Natural history museum in DC.

DC. 

Snake.

The first Washington Monument.

Oddly enough this isn't the first or second time we found a pair of shoes sitting on the side of the trail. And yes those rocks are the trail.

More "footpath". 

Crossed the border!

Halfway there!!

The older and more festive halfway point.

Trail sunset

I began the infamous superfund site.

Lehigh gap.

Lehigh gaps narrow ridge.

Summit of Lehigh gap.

After 1000 miles my salomon trail runners fell apart.

New shoes!!

Border!!

Beaver pond.

Blueberries! Yum!