Deli Blazing
From New Jersey to Connecticut you can stop to get a meal almost every day. This has been coined Deli Blazing. Of course I didn’t learn that until after I bought food. So my pack was heavier than it probably had to be.
My first stop was at Horler’s deli in Unionville, NJ where I got a nice chicken salad sandwich. The next day I stopped for an ice cream at Heaven Hill Farm as I worked my way toward the Drive-in in Warwick. This drive-in has a long standing tradition of allowing thru hikers to camp for free and catch a movie. Before the movie, I had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant where I had a huge Stromboli. I then watched Jurassic World from outside my tent. A neat experience worth the detour off trail.
The next day would bring me past the trail famous Bellvale Farms Creamery, home to the best ice cream on the trail. I stopped at the hot dog stand across the street before having a double butter pecan on a waffle cone. The ice cream came with a wonderful view of the valley below. As for it being the best ice cream on the trail, I’d have to say, “So far”.
After a short day and a stay at Bear Mountain Inn, my next hiking day brought me by the Appalachian deli. I got here mid morning so I had a breakfast sandwich on a bagel. This deli is located right on the trail as it crosses a major street, making it an easy decision to stop and get something to eat.
My next stop wasn’t really a deli the more of a convenience store located in Bulls Bridge. I was able to pick up a few resupply items and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s to sit and cool off with. The owners are very hiker friendly and stock as many things as they can to help out hikers.
To keep the good eating going, I decided to stay in Falls Village, tenting behind the Toymakers café. The café is no longer in business but they still let hikers stay in the backyard. I had a scrumptious (and expensive) dinner at the Falls Village Inn and hung around in the morning long enough to eat breakfast at the Falls Village Café.
As you can see, for the most part, I’ve been eating pretty well since the middle of New Jersey and through Connecticut. I’ve been able to continue the trend through Massachusetts and have kept the meals of peanut butter on tortillas to a minimum.
The Going Gets Tough
Pretty much since Harpers ferry, the trail has had very little in the way of steep climbs. That seemed to come to an abrupt end as soon as I entered New York State. The first 20 or 30 miles of the state had several rock cliffs that needed to be navigated. It probably didn’t help that we were in a heat wave with high humidity. This section really took its toll on me and other hikers said it did the same to them. This was the first time a planned destination had to be given up and a closer destination selected for the day.
High heat and humidity and hiking don’t get along. The Fourth of July was another example of humidity gettingh to me. I came across three separate instances of TrailMagic and I’m not sure how I would’ve fared had that not happened. As it was when I got to Massachusetts 23 I started calling around for a shuttle to take me into the town of Lee. I was eventually successful and arranged for two nights accommodations in Lee. I also arranged for the shuttle driver to pick me up the next morning so I could slack pack between Massachusetts 23 and US 20, I total of 20.9 miles. Two good nights sleep and the ability to hike with a lighter load kept me on track and put me in a better place.
In the meantime my air mattress has developed a leak. I was able to locate the leak while at the hotel and attempted to fix it. Subsequent nights trying to sleep on it has indicated that I have failed to fix the leak. I think I need to replace it and stop trying to fix it.
Other Highlights
I saw my first, and so far, only bear during this section of this hike. As I walked along the swamp river boardwalk in New Jersey, a bear came out of the swamp and climbed onto the boardwalk not 20 yards in front of me. It took one look in my direction, turned the other way and ran down the boardwalk. It stayed on the boardwalk for a couple hundred yards before stopping and plopping back into the swamp and disappearing into the woods. Unfortunately I had just put my camera away and did not get a picture.
I continue to see plenty of deer, including young ones still with spots. I did get a short video of one such fawn that did not appear to be too concerned with my presence.
Day 114 – Mosey’s Place to Pochuck Mtn Shelter: mile 1339.8 to mile 1353.9
Day 115 – Pochuck Mtn Shelter to Warwick Turnpike: mile 1353.9 to mile 1365.9
Day 116 – Warwick Turnpike to Stealth Site: mile 1365.9 to mile 1385.5
Day 117 – stealth site to West Mountain Shelter: mile 1385.5 to mile 1400.8
Day 118 – West Mountain Shelter to Bear Mountain Inn: mile 1400.8 to mile 1406.6
Day 119 – Bear Mountain Inn to Canopus Lake Beach Shelter: mile 1406.6 to mile 1428.7
Day 120 – Canopus Lake Beach Shelter to Telephone Pioneers Shelter: mile 1428.7 to mile 1449.5
Day 121 – Telephone Pioneers Shelter to Schaghticoke Mtn Campsite: mile 1449.5 to mile 1468.2
Day 122 – Schaghticoke Mtn Campsite to Stony Brook Tentsite: mile 1468.2 to mile 1478.8
Day 123 – Stony Brook Tentsite to Falls Village, CT: mile 1478.8 to mile 1497.7
Day 124 – Falls Village, CT to Race Brook Falls Campground: mile 1497.7 to mile 1515.0
Day 125 – Race Brook Falls Campground to MA Route 23: mile 1515.0 to mile 1533.5
Daily Data
| Day | Miles | Total Asc | Total Desc | Steps |
| 114 | 14.1 | 1853 | 2467 | 39847 |
| 115 | 12.0 | 2601 | 2309 | 37621 |
| 116 | 19.6 | 3579 | 3825 | 56167 |
| 117 | 15.3 | 4245 | 3956 | 45341 |
| 118 | 5.8 | 1069 | 2093 | 30427 |
| 119 | 22.1 | 4940 | 4179 | 65883 |
| 120 | 20.8 | 4386 | 4399 | 60459 |
| 121 | 18.7 | 3697 | 3629 | 51650 |
| 122 | 10.6 | 2467 | 2975 | 39289 |
| 123 | 18.9 | 4422 | 4225 | 51087 |
| 124 | 17.3 | 4645 | 3530 | 49849 |
| 125 | 18.5 | 3477 | 4208 | 52225 |
Eating your way across New England. Why not!?! 🙂 Although I still can not fathom eating a whole pint of ice cream at one sitting (let alone a half gallon). You are making excellent progress towards Katahdin!
Great job, Dan! Much respect. Love reading these.
It’s interesting how different segments of the trail seem to have their own “personalities “. Fitting that New Jersey and New York sections are known for their deli stops as once you even get into more populated areas seems you can’t throw a rock without hitting one lol. That Stromboli looked absolutely delicious as did your ice cream cones . Very happy that Mr. Bear decided to turn and walk away from you, though it must’ve been exhilarating to see that. You’re doing so great and hiking smart (taking breaks when needed). Keep up the good work!