Jun 25 - New Jersey

DAY #99
START LOCATION: Camp Mohican Road/Mohican Outdoor Center
FINISH LOCATION: Gren Anderson Shelter
TODAY'S MILEAGE: 20.9
TRIP MILEAGE: 1,315.8
MILES TO GO: 863.3

I was planning on getting up really early at Camp Mohican. I didn't. I
slept heavily and got up around 7:30. I generally don't get too hung
up on that though. I burn 3 times the energy a normal person burns in
1 day... But I still get the same amount of sleep. So, I let my body
get the sleep if it can.

I left Camp Mohican around 10AM. My head was not in it today. I took
lots of breaks, my pace was so slow, the heat was getting to me. There
were no other thru-hikers around me... And of course I'm "Smoke" free.
I had only done 4 miles by noon. I needed to rally in a big way if I
was going to pull off the minimum 21 miles I was hoping for.

My dad taught me that when I go 4x4 offroading, always head down the
nasty road in 2 wheel drive. That way you have the option to go to 4
wheel drive should you get stuck. If you go down a road in 4 wheel and
get stuck, you're hosed. On this hike, my morale is like my truck. The
enjoyment of hiking and listening to nature is like my two-wheel
drive. But, I've always thought, if I get stuck in a funk and need a
morale boost, I'd resort to my music and headphones... 4 wheel drive
for my morale. I turned on my am/fm radio and cranked tunes all
afternoon. I cranked miles too. I banged out the next 14 miles in 5
1/2 hours including breaks. I definitely got a boost from the tunes.

The terrain was still quite a bit rocky, though no boulder fields. I
had some nice vistas today and had two nice fire tower climbs to take
pictures from. There was a scummy pond, but it was pretty cool
nonetheless.

I ate dinner at Kevins Steakhouse on the shores of Kittatinny Lake at
Culvers Gap... A couple brewskies, a chicken finger basket and a
burger plate. All yummy. I mixed it up with a couple of the nice
locals there and then headed the last 3 miles to the Gren.

I pulled in around 9:15PM under headlamp and the shelter had one
occupant. He told me 4 bears had been by in the afternoon/evening.
Yep... Glad they have bear lockers here. I'm pitching my tent in the
shelter as the mosquitos are out of control. It's a nice night though.

More big miles tomorrow... Hopefully won't need the tunes to do it. If
I hear Alejandro or Bulletproof again, I'll let a bear eat me.

-natedog