Appalachian Trail Hike: New Jersey & New York - Mile 1297 - 1461

Hello all! New Jersey and New York tested me in ways that would impact the remainder of my hike. The elements - in particular mosquitoes - proved that perhaps I was not as strong as I had previously thought.

These two states are where my general thoughts/feelings of the Appalachian Trail began to change. It was no longer fun and I did not enjoy the day to day. I know that I had set a lofty time goal for myself and I decided to continue to push through to the best of my abilities.

Appalachian Trail Hike: New Jersey & New York Summary

Statistics:

Days: 7
Full hiking days: 6
Zeroes: 0
Neros: 1
Total Trail Miles Hiked: 159.4
Total Elevation Gain: 26,801 ft
Total Elevation Loss: 26,631 ft

Highlights:

Trail Angels truly making the AT experience
Frequency of stops and availability of food near the trail

Lowlights:

Bugs, Heat, Humidity, Rain
Poor trail maintenance and signage lead to many frustrated days
Sleeping pad remained deflating no matter how many attempts of fixing it
I no longer wanted to continue hiking the AT

Appalachian Trail Hike: New Jersey & New York Detailed Version

Day 63: Mile 1297.2 - 1328.7

Trail Daily Miles: 31.5
Elevation Gain: 4355 ft
Elevation Loss: 3443 ft
Weather: Sun, Hot
Overall Day Sentiment: Smoother than Pennsylvania so far…

My time in the Delaware Water Gap area was too short and it was hard leaving town again. This would continue to be a trend throughout the remainder of my experience on the trail.

I was hopeful that New Jersey was a fresh start in regard to the rocks that plagued Pennsylvania. And much to my surprise, this day did exactly that! I knew it was going to be a long day, but the distinct decrease in amount of rocks was noticeable. The trail was smoother and I got many views throughout the day. I had a great lunch with an equally great view but was suddenly inundated with black flies. The flies of the northeast are known and spoken about a lot, but I was hoping that New Jersey was not yet north enough - alas.

The day ended at a shelter with George already set up and a few folks inside the shelter. The bugs remained too present for me, so I set up my tent as well.

Day 64: Mile 1328.7 - 1354.1

Trail Daily Miles: 25.4
Elevation Gain: 3209 ft
Elevation Loss: 3619 ft
Weather: Hot, Sun, Buggy
Overall Day Sentiment: I’m nearly at my bugs’ Wits End

The day started out hot and it was only going to get hotter. New Jersey continued to provide sweeping views on ridges throughout the day. Looking ahead at the map and based on my friend Prick’s suggestion, there looked to be a bar (officially in New York!) near the trail. As the temperature was heating up and the bugs seemed to be spawning as the day went on - it was a no brainer.

In a funny twist, the bar’s name was Wit’s End Tavern, which could not have been more appropriately named. I was able to get a great meal, charge some of my electronics, and just take in the small town bar. There was great banter and community and I’m thankful that they allowed (very) smelly hikers to engage.

The remainder of the day was a relatively easy walk on State Line road with a surprise trail magic station. It wove through a wetlands area, which was great for bird watching. The bugs were beginning to be an issue and the collective amount of bug spray between George and myself was dwindling. We were close to another town in the coming days, though I lamented that we were just in a small town and could have purchased more.

After one last steep climb for the day, I arrived the at agreed upon shelter. George looked serious, not his normal disposition, and alerted me that this was a dry shelter. Aka there was no water source. We were not prepared and had to ration any last bits of water we had. It was, of course, the hottest evening thus far on this season so it was an uncomfortable night.

Day 65: Mile 1354.1 - 1375.8

Trail Daily Miles: 21.7
Elevation Gain: 3788 ft
Elevation Loss: 3523 ft
Weather: Bug Hell, Hot, Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Thankful for close towns and trail angels!

The night never cooled down. The humidity in the area due to the wetland allowed the air to remain heavy. There was a hoard of mosquitoes waiting for me on the mesh of my tent while I was packing up. They were as bad as we had both feared and used the last bit of our bug spray between us.

There was a farm stand named Heaven Hill a few miles ahead and I was counting down. The swarms of mosquitoes escalated from the few warmer days to a maddening level. I now began to require my head net in earnest while hiking. There was also stagnant water in this section - which aligns with the bug swarms - but it engulfed the trail. Typically I would go slowly through the mud fields, waterlogged wood boards, and giant puddles; but any slowdowns allowed the bugs to attack.

When I arrived at Heaven Hill the bugs amazingly stopped and were no where to be found. I was thankful for the reprieve but it made me feel as if the bug hell I had experienced for the 6 miles had been a fever dream? In a turn of events, I had passed George in my near run to get out of the bug lair and when he arrived at the farmstand - he was also scarred.

After much too much time sitting at the farmstand dreading going back in the woods with no bug spray, we devised a plan to get into Warwick, New York for the night. I needed a reset in the form of a shower to wash bug spray off, to purchase more spray, and to get anti-itch cream for the devastation that was already my legs.

We eventually arrived into Warwick and begin to do chores. Laundry was first on the list. It is always a special time to sit in my plastic rain gear while my other clothes are being washed. I stuck to those clothes because of the amount of sweat and bug spray is on my body. I promise thru-hiking is not glamorous all the time.

*One note about Warwick is that there is a drive-in movie theater in town that is very hiker friendly. They allow hikers to camp in addition to seeing the movies on the lawn. I desperately wanted to be indoors and not tango with bugs for the evening, so I opted out of this experience.

Eventually I start waddling to the accommodation for the night and just as we approached the hotel, a kind woman got our attention from her car and asked what we needed. She offered to drive us back into town later for dinner or run us to any store we might need for resupply. She also offered to give us a ride in the morning back to the trailhead at an early time which was exciting. It is sometimes nerve-racking not knowing how you’re getting back to the trail in advance for me.

Trisha brought us to dinner and dropped us off near a small store. I did a quick resupply and loaded up on bug spray. A speedy dinner at a Mexican restaurant and then a giant ice cream was a great way to end the evening.

Throughout all of this my sleeping pad continues to deflate and I cannot figure out where the hole is. That is letting air out. I spend probably 45 minutes this evening using the hotel bathtub trying to find the hole and despite my best efforts I could not.

Day 66: Mile 1375.8 - 1397.7

Trail Daily Miles: 21.9
Elevation Gain: 4581 ft
Elevation Loss: 4640 ft
Weather: Hot, Buggy
Overall Day Sentiment: Did I mention the heat, humidity, and bugs?

The day started early with our Trail Angel Trisha picking us up directly on time. Even though we got an early start, Trisha was such a good company that we gabbed a little too long at the trailhead and the heat of the day started to set in.

Once I had officially entered New York, I saw my first bear on trail. Of course it was a black bear and luckily it was running away from me. At this point, George had seen many bears, bear cubs, and corresponding mother bears. Because he typically hikes enough ahead that he scares the bears, he had gotten the majority of them. I was thankful to see one!

This day seemed to drag on and it could’ve been the combination of heat, humidity, and some new obstacles that New York presented. A theme throughout New York was a blend of lush flora and a substantial amount of rock. This rock was different than Pennsylvania because it was large rock blockading the trail that I had to climb. Whether this be in the form of stone stairs or rock walls at what felt like the end of a regular trail that I had to climb up. I also found that New York lacked some white blazes. Reminder that a white painted “blaze” indicates where the trail is so I often got turned around or took a side trail that I never intended to which added up mileage wise throughout the day.

A highlight was going through an obstacle called “the lemon squeezer”. This was just two slabs of rock that were close together creating a skinny channel that sometimes people have to take off their backpack. I was able to shimmy through the squeezer and was greeted with wet walls - that actually felt great on such a hot day.

I ended up off trail at some point onto another marked trail so I was not lost, but I was not on the Appalachian Trail. Luckily this trail reconnected with the AT a few miles down at the exact shelter that George and I had planned to meet AT for the day. Because I was on a less frequented trail. I saw a lot more wildlife in particular deer. Spring had sprung and fawns were everywhere.

I got to the shelter and wow the bugs were terrible. It was so hot that I left my tent flats completely open, laid on top of my quilt, and wore as few pieces of clothing as I could. Again, thru-hiking is not so glamorous when you’re terrified to exit your tent to even pee before bed.

Day 67: Mile 1397.7 - 1423.6

Trail Daily Miles: 25.9
Elevation Gain: 5418 ft
Elevation Loss: 5649 ft
Weather: Sun, Hot
Overall Day Sentiment: Loving the stops along the way!

We left the shelter area early to get ahead of the heat, but considering it never actually cooled down overnight, we remained just as sweaty. We were going up and over Bear Mountain, which offered views of the New York City skyline. Rather, it would in theory offer of view of the New York City skyline, if the wildfire smoke had not been there at the time.

We came down and crossed the Hudson River which felt special to me as two friends who sail had previously sailed through this area and under this bridge all the way from Lake Michigan! It felt like a full circle moment as I was walking on top of it coming from Georgia. If you were interested at all in sailing or cruising for long-term periods of time check them out.

Throughout New Jersey and New York there are delis and restaurants close to the Appalachian Trail. A big stop was at the Appalachian Station, which was a combination of a market, small restaurant, and gas station, but it had everything a hiker could need. There were great picnic tables outside and good cell phone service so I had a work meeting and FaceTime with my dear friend Darline. There weren’t too many more miles in the day so I was not particularly motivated to get going, but I eventually left and had to plan to meet George later on.

I arrived at our agreed upon spot to camp and I found George camped on the side of the road rather than the designated campsites. There was a large group that was that were taking up all of the tent sites and they engaged in what seemed like camper activities (singing, songs, drum circle, trumpets, etc.) which confirmed the decision to camp far away from them. There was also a water tap in this area on the side of a utility building that hikers are allowed to use. After a quick rinse of my bug spray, body, and sweat, I felt like a new woman. A small thunderstorm rolled in that night and broke up some of the heat and humidity thankfully.

Day 68: Mile 1423.6 - 1454.3

Trail Daily Miles: 30.7
Elevation Gain: 5230 ft
Elevation Loss: 5655 ft
Weather: Rain, Rain, Rain
Overall Day Sentiment: Trail Angels are actual angels.

The day was slated to rain… the entire day. And I am not talking about a drizzle here and there. I am talking about a sincere dumping of water the entire day but when there’s miles to make unfortunately you just have to hike on. George and I decided to hike together this entire day break up some of the rain melancholy.

There was another deli along the way today which I counted down the miles for too. The rain persisted, and by the time we arrived at the deli, there were several other hikers there seeking shelter and sustenance. We spent perhaps a little too long at the deli, but it is hard to be motivated to go out in dumping rain.

During a small break where it turned into a drizzle, we finally left a comfort and shelter of the deli. Many miles later, we stumble upon a beautiful street along the lake and remarked at the gorgeous houses. One home in particular that was all stone caught our eye and a woman nearly caught us with her car coming out of the driveway.

This ended up being the best Trail Angel experience I have ever encountered in my time as a hiker. Through a series of funny events; we got a tour of this beautiful home, (which was under construction inside, but had a an amazing and goal), got a boat ride and saw some beautiful scenery (in addition to a bald eagle family), got showered and laundered, had dinner while in a terry cloth robe watching TV, and slept on a pullout couch to escape the rain.

For such a dreary, beginning in middle of the day, the trail truly provided respite in the form of these wonderful trail angels.

Day 69: 1454.3 - 1479.9

Trail Daily Miles Covered: 25.6
Trail Daily Miles Hiked: 2.3
Elevation Gain: 223 ft
Elevation Loss: 102 ft
Weather: Sunny
Overall Day Sentiment: Worth skipping the miles to assist trail angels

As mentioned, the day prior offered Trail Angel’s in the form of Betty and Joe.. This trail turned into me completely opening myself up to whatever was offered to me rather than being a purist about seeing every single white blaze. So when George suggested we help with some of the construction or cleaning that needed to be done for these kind people – it was truly a no-brainer. Betty had offered to drive us to where we were going to get by the end of our hiking day anyway – Kent, Connecticut. So much like they helped us on a day that we needed them, it felt like a gift to be able to serve them in some sort of way. We had a wonderful day cleaning up and assisting however we could but mostly just enjoying their company.

Betty and Joe – you all are Saints.

Betty drove us to Kent Connecticut, where we both had shoes waiting for us, which was of course exciting. It was also exciting to have arrived in Connecticut, even if it was in a non-traditional, a pure way.