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Appalachian Trail – Pennsylvania / New Jersey

Pennsylvania / New Jersey
Delaware Water Gap

“I just don’t trust anything that bleeds for 5 days and doesn’t die.”

- Mr. Garrison in South Park

Journal Entry 6.7.00
“8:30pm at High Oven Knob Shelter. 17 miles today. Lots of rocks. Feet were ok except the open crack I have on my big toe. Lots and lots of rocks. 44 miles left in PA.”

Lehigh Gap, PA

Journal Entry 6.8.00
“4:30pm on the trail, cooking dinner and resting up so that I may continue hiking. 18 miles so far but a difficult day for me with lots of ROCKS! My feet are sore. Ideally I’d do another 6 miles but I think I’ll be happy with 3. The climb out of Lehigh Gap was really cool – 1,000 feet in less than a mile. Great views! No Fuel saw another bear today – I can’t believe I missed it!”

Journal Entry 6.9.00
“6pm at the Skillet Restaurant in the Delaware Water Gap. 20.5 miles today. A hot and humid day – 90˜F. But the last of PA and the evil rocks! And my feet made it. They say that PA is where boots come to die…I was worried that my sandals wouldn’t hold up but they did GREAT! I’m staying at the Church of the Mountain Hostel (for free!). Mom and Dad and are scheduled to come for a visit tomorrow at 10am. Last night when I got to the shelter (which by the way I did do the 24 miles), I was surprised to see Salty from Texas. Apparently he’s going southbound now and will be flip-flopping later. It was good catching up and finding out who’s ahead and who’s behind.”

Gimpy and Mom at the Delaware Water Gap, PA

Journal Entry 6.11.00
“Sunday evening, 8pm. In my tent just some 3.5 miles north of the Mohican Outdoor Center (MOC). I’ve just sat through a terrifying lightning storm – heavy rain, lightning cracking down and thunder rolling loudly all around. VERY scary. It has calmed down for the last few minutes but now I fear Round 2 is making its way through. Oh how I wish I had stayed another night at MOC. What was I thinking? Yesterday was a packed day – mom and dad drove up to see him – it was so good to see them! They brought me lots of goodies and took me out to lunch before seeing me off. I hiked 10 miles in the hot, hot heat before reaching MOC at 5pm. I found my friends – John, Janko, Erik, and Stacy who all drove up from Philly to spend a night with me on the trail. I had a blast hanging out with them for the night!! Red Forest and Forest Otter joined in for the festivities too. This morning we went to a diner for breakfast and then we all went swimming and kayaked all day. It was so hot today so it felt great to be in the water. Monica showed up today and hung out too. It was sad to see everyone leave. I don’t know why I didn’t stay at MOC but I was thinking it wouldn’t rain until later and I though it would be pleasant hiking in the evening. But here I am in the eye of the storm. A nice gentle rain all night would be no problem. Just not the loud cracking and rumbling PLEASE!”

Hanging out with friends at the Mohican Outdoor Center, NJ

Journal Index

Georgia – Overview And the poop on the Trail Divorce

0 (miles from Georgia) – Springer Mountain, Georgia Whose idea was this again??
87.7 – Georgia / North Carolina Aint no all-inclusive package vacation story…
161.7 – Fontana Dam, North Carolina No Rain, No Pain, No Maine
204.6 – Great Smoky Mountains National Park I My deodorant gets the heave-ho!
268.7 – Great Smoky Mountains National Park II The Food Appreciation Trail
336.5 – North Carolina / Tennessee & Trail Names How the Gimp got her name
390.7 – North Carolina / Tennessee The famous Roan Mountain hitch
452.9 – Crossing into Damascus, Virginia 3 states down, 11 to go!
516.7 – Grayson Highlands State Park Roughin it at Partnership Shelter
573.3 – Bland, Virginia My wonderful trail angels!
665.3 – Pearisburg, Virginia The switch from boots to sandals
767.4 – Catawba / Troutville, Virginia Heat wave in Virginia
839.4 – Montebello / Rockfish Gap, Virginia ‘Hiking with Gimpy Sr.
920.0 – Shenandoah National Park Rattlesnakes, Jack Daniels, and bears – oh my!
988.3 – Front Royal, Virginia Invasion of the Boy Scouts
1001.1 – Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia The mental half-way point
1061.4 – Maryland / Pennsyltucky Y’all done drank enough beer!
1123.8 – Duncannon, Pennsylvania The Half-Gallon Challenge
1208.9 – Port Clinton, Pennsylvania $1 Yuengling drafts and the rocks of PA
1283.9 – Pennsylvania / New Jersey Friends and family visit WonderGimp
1334.2 – High Point, New Jersey Rain, rain, rain, trail magic, and more rain
1440.7 – Bear Mountain, New York Hike Naked Day!
1486.1 – Kent, Connecticut Gimpy Sr. and Barkeater hike with W.Gimp
1543.8 – Great Barrington, MassachusettsWelcome to Mosquito Hell
1618.0 – Massachusetts / VermontPhoton and strobe lights for the 4th of July
1687.3 – Killington, Vermont The Inn at the Long Trail
1738.1 – New Hampshire Live Free or Die!
1794.4 – North Woodstock, New Hampshire Gettin’ above treeline
1814.4 – AMC-land, New Hampshire Entering the White Mountains!
1854.0 – Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire Mooning the tourists on Mt. Washington
1869.2 – Gorham, New Hampshire My first Moose sighting!
1920.7 – Andover, Maine The way Life should be…
1979.3 – Rangeley, Maine Closing in on the end
2015.6 – Kennebec River, Maine Eye of the Tiger!
2095.7 – Monson, Maine 100-mile Wilderness
2152.0 – Abol Bridge, Maine Katahdin is in sight!
2167.1 – Baxter Peak, Mount Katahdin, Maine Goodbye Capilene – Hello Cotton!!

Other Pages:
Map – Yep, 14 states
Gear – What to Bring
FAQs – See for yourself
Glossary (learn the AT lingo)
Links to Additional Info
Trail Injuries Everything from blisters to swampfoot
Trail Privies Bring your own TP
Class of 2000 Katahdin Thru-Hiker Pictures