I packed up and hit the trail at 6:00. First task was to find some water. A lot of the springs in Pennsylvania are already dry. Ended up having to hike a 1/2 mile each way on a blue trail but I got enough water to last the day.
It was cold and windy today. I hiked in tights and long sleeves most of the day. Around 11:00, I stopped at an overlook and cooked an early lunch and also made a cup of coffee. That warmed me up. It was nice to finally meet Slingshot and JimmieJohn mid afternoon.
Then I picked up the pace and made it into Delaware Water Gap in time for dinner. Problem was that the place I planned to eat was no longer there. So I decided to go a few more miles into New Jersey. Ends up you can’t camp the forest few miles of NJ so I ended up night hiking a couple miles. I saw my first bear right as the night hike began.
Thanks to my wonderful sister Laura for talking to me on the phone while I walked the first mile and distanced myself from the bear.
31 mile day if the water mile is included. Longest day yet.