Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000
Subject: AT Update 7/6

Hi Everyone,

First off, because of the way that Yahoo displays the address book, I just realized that I may not have included a few of you in my last update or two if your last name falls near the tail end of the alphabet.  Sorry.  But the good news is that my friend Phil Poirier from my hiking club in Portland has been posting my email updates to the club's website.  So if you think you are missing an update, you can see them all at:
www.maineoutdoors.org   (Editors Note:  Feel free to visit MOAC's site, but all of my writings are posted here now on the Trudge site.)
Go to the "What's New" section and follow the link for "Trudge 2000 - email from the trail".  Also, Don Myers, my "Mail-Drop Guy", has said he may transcribe some of the snail-mail journal entries/letters I've been sending to him so they can be accessible from the web.  (Maybe even some photos from the first roll of film I shot.)  Stay tuned.

In my last update I believe I failed to identify my location at the time, which was Mount Holly Springs, PA.  I am now in the town of Vernon, NJ.  I arrived this afternoon at a hostel run by the St. Thomas Episcopal Church.  It not only offers a place to sleep and a shower, but laundry machines, a kitchen, TV, and this internet access.  Easily one of the best facilities I've stayed at, and there have been some strong contenders of late:  the hostel at the Delaware Water Gap, and the 501 and Eckville shelters.  In fact, New Jersey seems to be rampant with "Trail Magic" and "Trail Angels".  I spent last night at a place known as, "The Secret Shelter", which is known only to thru-hikers through word-of-mouth.  A former AT hiker has set up a "shack" on his property that offers electricity, running water, a hot shower, and a clothes dryer.  All free for those walking the Trail.  The AT seems to inspire a magnificent generosity in some people.

The count of bears is up to 7 with the two I saw recently in New Jersey.  However, nearly everyone I know has seen at least one venomous reptile except me.  Where is my snake?!?  I don't know why it should bother me that I haven't had a close encounter with a copperhead or rattler, but it does.

Other sightings along the trail include the last blossoms of mountain laurel.  And surprisingly to me, I occasionally have seen patches of rhododendron in bloom, which I had associated only with the South.  I sampled a few black rasberries along the trail today on my way here.  And, despite my loyalty to the blueberries of my adopted home State of Maine, I have greatly enjoyed those I have encountered the last week or two.  In fact, the best patch happened to be on the fringes of the EPA Superfund Cleanup sight near Palmerton, PA.  Suggested advertising slogan:  "It's the flavorful combo of lead, cadmium, and of course the zesty tang of ZINC, that makes the Lehigh County blueberries so tasty.  Mmmmmm... they're toxi-licious!"

I did survive the notorious rocks of Pennsylvania.  They were annoying at times, but PA began to charm me the last few days.  Since the rocks actually extend as far as High Point, I think PA gets an unfair rap and they should be known as the "Pennsyl-Jersey Rocks".

I haven't checked my maps yet, but I think I will cross the State Line into New York tomorrow.  Whereas the mountains that the AT follows in PA were organized into long continuous ridges, I think there will be a bit more up and down as I continue Northward, but nothing at a very high altitude.  That last point is worrisome, as the wet weather the Northeast has experienced seems to have produced a bumper crop of mosquitoes.  I may have to reach Vermont before I climb up high enough to get some relief.  The weather has been hot at times, but the next few days promise to be refreshingly cool.

I do enjoy seeing some of the same people from time to time, as we play this grand-scale version of leapfrog.  You might enjoy some of their trail-names:  E.T., Smiley, Granite, Grey Squirrel, Hawk, Relic, Big Country, Forest, Sweet Grass, Crash, Wahoo, Retread, Slowdraft, Zoom Loco, Buzz, Sneaks, and Mossy Old Troll.

Well, just because no one is booting me off here doesn't mean I should blather on all day.  I am, for the moment, clean and dry.  My feet are sore, but will feel fine by tomorrow morning.  I found a scale at the last hostel and it seems I have lost close to 40 pounds!  My pack, however, weighs about the same as when I first started!  And this is odd because my pack isn't allways begging for me to put stuff in it, whereas my stomach constantly is.  Time to go buy some food and then find a good restaurant.