Dave Byrnes

Appalachian Trail - 1986

Overview Map Diary Pictures

Day:	065
Date:	Sunday, 6 July 1986
Start:
Finish:
Daily AT Miles:	24.6
Daily Other Miles	0.2 (shelter)
Total AT Miles:	1282.7
Total All Miles	1321.3
Weather:	Hot, humid, hazy.
Accommodation:
Nutrition:	Breakfast: Eggs, toast. Lunch: Biscuits and peanut butter. Dinner: Macaroni cheese, chocolate pudding.
Aches:	Pain next to right big toe.
Animals Seen:	Deer, chipmunks, squirrels.
People Seen:	1 AT Thru-hiker, 8 overnight hikers, 8 day hikers, many others.
Pictures:	Here
GPS Track:
Journal:	Got up at 6:30am and left the Hostel at 7:10am, saying good-bye to Steve (?) and Verna. I first went to a phone box and called Barb who was unexpectedly home, and we had a good chat for about 20 minutes. I then walked up the road a little way to Hilda’s cottage to return the Hostel key and she made good on her promise to cook me breakfast. She was obviously a talented lady – writing and painting – but seemed to be in poor health. We had a good chat while I ate and she showed me the baby skunk she was raising – cute. I left at 8:10am and crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey, optimistic that things were on the up despite the very hot day forecast. I stopped at the Visitor Centre in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area that Barb and I had visited in the rain last October on our way to New York and finished off a bottle of Pepsi I was carrying. I then set out up the Trail which was well-travelled and easy walking for the four miles to the attractive glacial lake, Sunfish Pond. From there, the Trail degenerated into the same old Pennsylvania rocky Trail. The going was slow and hot. After another few hours, I reached Rattlesnake Spring and met Jerry from Ohio who was an AT Thru-hiker and having trouble getting going again after a four-day lay-off with his parents and girlfriend. I was like a godsend to him and he attached himself to me. A likeable guy, but I hope he doesn’t plan to walk with me the whole way to Maine. The remainder of the day was spent trekking along a low rocky ridge in high heat and humidity with occasional views marred by the haze. Near the end of the day, the former blister between the big and second toes on my right foot began to hurt a lot. I limped in the last few miles to Brinks Road Shelter and arrived at 7:15pm. It was very hot with mozzies around so we both erected our same tents (you can sleep with no clothes on in the tent!). After a hurried dinner, I got to bed at 9:00pm and spent time on my diary and re-reading letters before lights out at 9:30pm.