The Appalachian Trail on the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water
Gap is rugged and beautiful. And Mid-April is a great time to enjoy it!!! The Troop
took all their gear and hiked about 4 miles over rocks, boulders and streams UPHILL BOTH
WAYS from what we can tell - well, OK - maybe not BOTH ways - but the downhill was
so steep it MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN! The average pack probably weighed 35-45 pounds
and contained at least 20 pounds of twinkies and junk food and the occasional apple.
(Just kidding, mom) Actually Dinty Moore was the favorite chef for
the evening meal and Aunt Jemima made for tasty breakfast fare. For those that
kept asking "Are we almost there ...? hike leaders Mr. Egger and Mr.
MacIlvain repeated - for about 5 hours- "..it's right around the bend".
Smokey & Friend
The temperatures at night were less than hospitable but that didn't stop the bears from stopping in to look for leftovers. Or at least rumor has it that SOMEONE heard bears. Claw marks all over the food lockers that are provided by the park provided good fodder for tired imaginations. The nighttime view from the top of the mountain was awesome - sandwiched between the lights from the town of Shawnee on the Delaware River below and the stars above, it was a little corner of "heaven on earth".
Sunfish Pond is a large and totally gorgeous lake - deer sipping at the banks, sun shining on the water. The next day, on the way back, despite near freezing temperatures, one brave scout (C.T.) led the charge and a flurry of boxer clad macho-men dove right in. " Hey - I thought YOU brought the heated towels....!!!" Frozen scouts dried off as well as they could and finished the hike down the steep hill - the race was on now to see who could get the most blisters - winner : T. C. - about 16!
