Day: 081
Date: Friday, 14 July 2023
Start: Wolf Rocks (AT Mile 1287.7)
Finish: Delaware Water Gap (AT Mile 1296.9)
Daily Kilometres: 16.0 (Ascent 735', Descent 1916')
GPX Track: Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos
Total Kilometres: 2180.2
Weather: Very warm and humid, partly sunny with thunderstorms in the morning and evening.
Accommodation: Motel
Nutrition:
Breakfast: Pop tarts
Lunch: Hot dogs, apple pies
Dinner: BBQ mess/mix, apple crumble & ice cream.
Aches: Dave - sore shoulder; Julie - nothing to report.
Highlight: Finishing Pennsylvania! When we arrived in Delaware Water Gap, the last town in Pennsylvania, and adjourned to its renowned bakery for a celebratory lunch we were soon sharing the joy with a bunch of very happy fellow thru-hikers. The worst of the rocky trails are behind us, hopefully.
Lowlight: None really.
Pictures: Click here
Map and Position: Click here for Google Map
Journal:
The forecast pre-dawn thunderstorms did not eventuate and we packed up camp under leaden skies and were on our way before 6:30am. The trail was soon to cross Wolf Rocks, which were supposed to be difficult, especially when wet, and infested with rattlesnakes. However, there was a bypass route and Dave decided he would take that and leave Julie to contend with the slippery rocks and snakes, with the plan to meet her when the two trails rejoined a mile later.
About five minutes after we went our separate ways it began raining and soon became torrential. We were so glad we hadn't left packing up camp any later, as others camped near us had done. Julie survived the challenges of Wolf Rocks and we met up as planned. We then continued on along the still often rocky trail under such thick cloud it was quite dark in the dank forest.
We now only had about eight miles to go to reach Delaware Water Gap which marked the end of Pennsylvania and where we had a motel booked for two nights. The time seemed to pass slowly as we followed the ridge towards town, though we did get some good views here and there. The often technical and slippery descent from the ridge, with occasional great views of the Delaware River carving its way through the narrow Gap, was also marked by loud traffic noise from the freeway far below.
Eventually we reached the very pretty 200+ year old small town and made our way to the bakery we had heard about for an early lunch which we ate on the tables outside with a bunch of other happy thru-hikers. We stayed there for a couple of hours since we had been told we couldn't get early check-in to our motel then did wander up to the motel soon after 2:00.and got our room without trouble.
After showers, laundry and some trip planning, we went to a nearby BBQ Smokehouse for dinner which was good. As were getting ready to leave, a massive thunderstorm arrived with torrential rain and soon the parking lot was flooded and water was coming under the door into the restaurant. We stayed on higher ground until the rain stopped and water receded a little before returning to our motel, looking forward to a day off tomorrow.
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