Appalachian Trail - Day 080 - Blue Mountain Resort to Wolf Rocks

Day: 080

Date: Thursday, 13 July 2023

Start:  Blue Mountain Resort (AT Mile 1267.0)

Finish:  Wolf Rocks (AT Mile 1287.7)

Daily Kilometres:  34.2 (Ascent 2096', Descent 1864')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  2164.2

Weather:  Hot, humid and partly cloudy.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts, beans & vege sausage

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - a few niggles and sore feet; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  It's Julie's birthday today and when I mentioned it to some fellow thru-hikers we had come to know and one of their supporters, Merlin, when we met them at a road crossing where we planned to take our breakfast break, the latter disappeared into his van and reappeared with a small packet of Oreos as a birthday cake.  Merlin had already cooked us some beans and sausage to augment our pop tarts.  It was at least a good start to Julie's birthday.

Lowlight:  Sadly, for Julie's birthday, this was, perhaps, the most tiresome day's hiking we have had.  It was almost 20 miles of non-stop Pennsylvanian jagged rocks underfoot, making every step hard work in very warm conditions, with very little in the way of views or other points of interest.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

Our night passed peacefully with no security patrols disturbing us on a campsite by the beginners ski slope at the Blue Mountain Resort.  Nevertheless, we packed up quietly and were on our way back to the trail by 6:30am with a beautiful sunrise to our backs.

Once on the trail we were again following the ridge of Blue Mountain to the north-east, with jagged edge rocks underfoot, hoping for the occasional break of some smooth trail.  Our pace was OK and we decided to take our first break at a road crossing after six miles.  You never know what you might find at a road crossing (trail magic?) but, in this case, we were at least hoping for a water dump so we could replenish our supplies post-breakfast.  As it turned out, there was a water dump, but also a group of thru-hikers, including some we knew reasonably well.  It was a very social breakfast and we got some extra food (see above).

All the hikers just want to get the Pennsylvanian rocks finished and even the cheeriest person on the trail, Julie, was occasionally complaining today.  The trail continued much the same for the next nine miles before we descended sharply to Wind Gap and a major road.  We decided to detour a quarter mile to a run-down motel reputed to be very friendly to hikers to get some water and cold drinks and found many of the same hikers we had met at breakfast there as well.  More socialising.

The last six miles of the day involved a sweaty climb back up onto Blue Mountain and then interminable rocks until we camped.  Julie went on ahead with a mile to go to get water from a spring and with just a quarter mile to go, Dave saw a large bear about 50 yards off the trail which immediately turned tail and ran off.  Maybe our bear barrels will earn their keep tonight!

Our birthday dinner (same dinner as usual) was spoiled by hordes of mosquitoes so after a wash we ate quickly and retired to the tent.