Mile 1,375.2
Elevation 1,089 feet
Miles Hiked 12.3
Today started relatively easy in the morning. I crossed the New Jersey/New York border and was moving at a good pace. That was until I reached the ladder made of rebar, which went up a vertical, rock wall. Afterwards, everything moved in slow motion. The AT Guide warns hikers about this section with these words, “Despite the unimposing profile, rocks and abrupt ups and downs make this section challenging.” Most of the rest of the day was spent climbing up and down rocks and balancing on top of pointy boulders. My pace slowed to 1.2 mile per hour, which is way too slow. It was somewhat disheartening to see the 20 somethings pass me as they skipped along the rocks as if they were on a flat sidewalk.
-
- New York/New Jersey border
-
- That’s a rebar ladder I just climbed up
Although I put some fast miles in early, I was slowed considerably by the steep rock climbs. Around 3:30, I came out onto a road where another hot dog stand stood and indulged in a couple of hot dogs before I got back on the trail for the last couple of miles. I started the day at 7:00 AM and finished at 5:00 PM. Griz and Furnace were way ahead of me and moved on to the next shelter, so that’s the last I’ll see of either of them probably
