5/23/2017

by | Mar 10, 2021 | Appalachian Trail

After a windy night, I woke up early to see the sunrise, it turned out, Sunrise Mountain did not have the best views, but I did see some amazing colors.

After watching the sunset, it was time for breakfast.  The night before, I had tied a cord to my food bag and thrown it up on the roof of the pavilion to keep it away from bears. When I tried to pull it down, it got stuck on a roofing nail!

I tried for nearly two hours to get it down, poking with sticks and trying to find a way to climb up.

Finally I saw another hiker walk up. It was Devo with his dog Zorro.

I was thinking he could help boost me up to the roof, but he took one look at it and said he could climb up. He hopped on a log that I had propped against a pillar and quickly pulled himself up and threw down the food bag!

Later in the day, I stopped at the High Point state park visitors center.  I heard they offered a free soda to thru hikers if you sign their log book.

I also made a new friend!

A short while down the trail, High Point came into view along, with its 220ft monument.  It is the highest point in New Jersey.

To get to the actual monument, you have to take a short side trail. It was a little steep though, so I stashed my pack at the bottom for the quick trip up.

Later in the day, I met up with Liz,  a two time thru hiker that had reached out online and offered to resupply me. She had driven over two hours and brought all kinds of food!

After stocking up, I headed into Unionville for the night. Its a small town that lets hikers stay in a little park behind the town hall.

I set up camp and, after hearing about recent bear activity, hung my food bag from the back of the basketball hoop.

I left the park for a little over an hour to sign in at the general store and get something to eat. When I returned,  my food bag was gone!

There was no evidence of an animal taking it, so I assumed it had to be someone that took it, probably local kids. I felt really bad that Liz had driven all that way just to have it stolen. The bag also had extra cookies I was going to share with other hikers for breakfast in the morning

I noticed a security camera in the park, and planned to go to the town hall I  the morning to check in it.  With little else I could do, I called it a night and went to sleep.

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