We had always talked about hiking part of the Appalachian Trail that was near us. We drove through the Delaware Water Gap on the way to New York City, and spot hikers a couple times. We figured out we'd need to leave Friday after work and get to the first campsite off the trail, then hike the next 2-3 days to a stopping point. And we'd accomplish this by parking one car at the end and one car at the beginning. Since we'd need the extra day, we picked Labor Day weekend to hit the trail...but what also made it interesting was that the remains of a Hurricane were coming to the east coast that weekend, it was just a matter of how far north it would go.
So Friday we left straight from work and drove to the end of our hike, to the north part of trail at Culvers Gap. We dropped off Nadine's car, saw some signs that you couldn't park at night so we called and left a message on the line, and then drove the hour south to Fox Gap (
map). We parked Dave's car, then mobilized to get to the campsite before sun down. We hiked about 3 miles that night, then came upon our camping shelter. We had it to ourselves, and also had enough time to make a campfire and watch the moon over the east.
We awoke early on Saturday, packed up stuff, enjoyed some breakfast on our picnic table. We had great spirits as we started off. It was our longest planned day, both in miles and in elevation. But it was very scenic as we hiked along the spine of the range, and then came upon the Delaware River. We had to hike down into the gap first, and we hit it with perfect timing, as stores had just opened and we made a quick for some ice cream! Two scoops!
We then continued across the fun part of the hike, we crossed the Delaware River along I-80 on foot, waving and snapping some photos. We then crossed under the highway and into the National Park. It was a Saturday, so there lots of people, but it was nice to finally be around people instead always in quiet. We hiked to the peak of the park to see the great view, had some lunch, then hiked back to the main trail to keep on the move.
As we hiked further into the park, the crowds got less, and the terrain more brutal. Large rocks and boulders were scattered around the trail. And our ankles, knees, and feet were getting beat up with every step. As we got near 5p, a few sprinkles started to come down. We changed into ponchos and marched on to our campsite. We got in just before the rains came and got all set up. We tried to find a tree and land that wasn't super rocky. We ended up eating dinner inside our little tent, but the sound of the rain sent us into one of the deepest sleeps we'd had in a while.
On Sunday, we awoke to rain in our tent! As we expected of course, but still surprising nonetheless. We tried to pack our stuff and keep it dry best we could, but everything still got wet. That morning was pretty brutal. The same rocks on the trail, but now they were wet. We found some walking sticks to help with our balance. We knew there was a park headquarters, Mihocan Outdoor Center, where we could get shelter, warm up, etc. We strolled in and it was a lifesaver. We pulled out all of our gear, let it dry, and also ordered an amazing pancake breakfast. We waited for the rain to die down, and then got back on the trail. Eventually the rain stopped, but the trail did not let up. It was relentless with the rocks. But we'd eventually hit a road with pavement, and that was amazing to walk on!
As Saturday wore on, we wore out. One of our water stops didn't have water. Our bodies started to ache and the trail mix wasn't cutting it anymore. We marched on, and then noticed we weren't going to make it our car on Saturday night. We rocks and rain had a slowed us enough that we needed to find a campsite before sun down. We eventually came upon one, but it was down in the valley and wet. We both agreed that we wish we done Saturday night, but we had to endure one more night. So we set up camp, ate some cold food, and headed to bed.
We awoke to a sunny Monday morning, and it lifted our spirits. We got on the trail quickly, and then ate breakfast at a scenic overlook. We then continued on the final 2-3 hours of the trip. We had to hike down to Culvers Gap, and we happily marched on. We finally made it back to our, and it was amazing!! Our car was there, and we were ready to call it. We then drove back to Dave's car, and it only took an hour..not 3 days, ha!
We had made it, Fox Gap to Culvers Gap, about 40 miles total. We were looking forward to the warmth and softness of our apartment in Scranton.
Thursday Night - Look how fresh we are at Fox Gap
Friday - Out overnight accommodations
Coming down to the Delaware Water Gap
Town of Delaware Water Gap
Nadine stopped for a scoop...maybe two ;)
Crossing the Delaware River, right near the highway
Lunch at the top of the Gap
Wildlife! Orange Salamander
The actual trail was brutal
The rain from the hurricane was starting
Saturday - Rain in our tent in the morning
Sunday - Our campsite
Look how tight the pack was!
