Saturday, March 12, 2016

Sussex, NJ (USA)

[It was another great day for hiking - and I logged nearly 20 miles on the AT, mastering the highest terrain in New Jersey (1679 feet). I began my day with a hearty breakfast at Jumboland Diner (0730) and proceeded to the trailhead on NJ-284 (making several wrong turns along the way). Started SOBO at 0815 AM and enjoyed the brisk weather before the sun rose high enough overhead that I had to peel off layers. Highlight in the morning was when a small herd of white-tailed deer paralleled my path for about half a mile. Birds (jays, chickadees, cardinals, orioles) were everywhere, singing merrily at me. I crossed wide open farmland, muddy railroad track beds and planked walkways across swampland. The trail, which meandered back and forth from NY to NJ, was not marked well and I missed a few turns. The best part of the day, though, was that I got amazing views of my destination (High Point Monument), starting when I was still 8 miles away. Again, I didn't see any people at all until I'd reached the highest ridge line about 9 miles into my hike. As I passed the first pair of hikers I'd seen this week (a lady and young boy), I realized that the AT did not actually pass through the grounds of the monument (rather disappointing, actually). It prevented large crowds from joining me, but it made the last mile rather frustrating: I was walking away - and significantly downhill - from where I wanted to be. By the time I reached NJ-23, where I turned around last year on my trip to the same location, I was so done with the treacherous rocks and decided to walk through the State Park. My plan was to get water and I also explored the lakefront. Unfortunately, the Veterans Monument on the hill, so prominent, was closed until Memorial Day. Still, there were lots of people enjoying their day in the outdoors and I actually ran into the same two hikers from before: Colleen ("Grandma") and JJ. We talked for a bit and they told me the best way to get back to the AT. When it looked like water wasn't going to be available (everything closed), JJ gave me two of his juice boxes ("because we don't need them - we are leaving"). I drank them gratefully and quickly - they were so good after regular water all day! But right after that, I found a water fountain - you can never hydrate enough, though... The way back was not too bad - mostly a series of small roller coasters. Saw wild turkeys and a huge groundhog. Also encountered a trio of lady hikers but nobody else. At one point, I'd considered doing even more hiking - but I decided to call it quits when I reached the car at 1645. After dinner at Friendly's (finished at 1850), I checked into the Rolling Hills Hotel (Sussex) at 1930. Sore and tired... Still feeling good overall, though, and excited about another day on the trail tomorrow! AT Today = 9.90 miles / G.T. AT = 642.40 miles]