DAY 4 6/19/18

WOW!! VERY TOUGH DAY! NOT JUST FOR ME BUT FOR EVERYONE I TALKED TO. THE GENERAL FEELING IS THAT THE TRAILS IN NEW JERSEY AND NEW YORK ARE MUCH MORE DEMANDING THAN ANYONE EXPECTED. THERE ARE SO MANY PUDS (POINTLESS UPS AND DOWNS) AND ALL INVOLVED A SCRAMBLE OF ROCKS OR LEDGES. I MADE IT THROUGH THE "LEMON SQUEEZER" A WELL KNOWN TRAIL FEATURE. THIS INVOLVES WALKING BETWEEN TWO LARGE ROCKS WHERE THE PATH GETS NARROWER AND NARROWER AS YOU PROCEED. BY THE HALFWAY POINT YOU AND YOUR PACK CAN'T GO THROUGH TOGETHER. I MADE IT BY LIFTING MYSELF UP ON THE TOP OF THE ROCKS AND USING MY HANDS AND ARMS TO "WALK" THE REST OF THE WAY. ONCE THROUGH THAT I THOUGHT I WAS HOME FREE ONLY TO BE LEAD TO A SHEER ROCK CLIFF AND THE WHITE BLAZES WENT STRAIGHT UP. ANOTHER HIKER WAS THERE AND POINTED OUT A SIDE TRAIL WHERE YOU COULD AVOID THE CLIMB BUT WHILE TEMPTING I POINTED OUT THAT WASN'T THE TRAIL AND I'D GO STRAIGHT UP. SHE FOLLOWED. HAND OVER HAND FROM CREVICE TO CREVICE ALL THE TIME CARRYING A 35 POUND PACK (BY NOW IT FELT LIKE 100 POUNDS) AND BALANCING YOUR TREKKING POLES. STILL MORE PUDS BUT FEW PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES. DURING THE DAY SEVERAL OF US HAVE DEBATED OUR PLAN TO STAY AT THE FINGERBOARD SHELTER WHICH IS OUR PLAN AT ABOUT 12 MILES. THE REASON IS THAT IT HAS AN UNRELIABLE WATER SUPPLY AND IT IS THE HOME OF A "PROBLEM BEAR". THE PAST TWO YEARS SHE AND HER CUBS HAVE BEEN HARASSING THE HIKERS AND CAN'T BE DRIVEN AWAY. MOST OF US DECIDE THAT THERE IS SAFETY IN NUMBERS AND SHE DIDN'T WANT TO EAT US BUT OUR FOOD SO IF WE DID A GOOD JOB HANGING OUR FOOD BAGS WE'D BE OKAY. ONCE IN THE SHELTER WE SETTLED IN AND ATE ANOTHER DINNER. MET FLAT LANDER TODAY HE'S ANOTHER HIKER ABOUT MY AGE WHO STARTED IN GEORGIA BUT HE WASN'T DOING WELL. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT HE'D BEEN STRUGGLING FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AND NO ONE WAS SURE HE HAD THE STAMINA TO FINISH. THE DAY KICKED OUT BUTTS AND SLEEP CAME EASILY. NOW A LITTLE ABOUT THE WATER. AS I MENTIONED ON MY LAST POST I DECIDED TO CARRY AN EXTRA 2 LITERS OF WATER. WATER WEIGHS ONE KILOGRAM PER LITER OR IN MY CASE AND EXTRA 4.4 POUNDS. IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE MCH BUT THINK OF IT THIS WAY; IT TOOK MY 35 POUND LOAD AND MADE IT A 40 POUND LOAD. NOW CARRY THAT FOR 10 HOURS OR 12 MILES. BY THE END IT WAS TORTURE. LESSON LEARNED AND THAT IS PLAN YOUR WATER AND ONLY FILL UP COMPLETELY AT THE WATER SOURCE CLOSEST TO WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND THE NIGHTS.