Day 55: Wind Gap, PA. 912.2 miles from Katahdin, 1273.7 miles from Springer

We made it into state number 8 of 14! Like George Washington, we crossed the Delaware River to get here. Unlike GW, we did it on the bridge of I-80.

Walking over 900 miles in 55 days seems like a lot, but in September, Heather Anderson set the record for thru-hiking the AT self-supported (she carried all her own gear and did her own resupplies, as we are doing). She hiked from Maine to Georgia (2180 miles) in 54 days, 7 hours, and 31 minutes. If I had gone with her, I would be done by now.

As we have walked into the more populated parts of the country, water became scarcer on the trail-- probably because most of it is being dammed and routed to cities.  In New York, kind people leave jugs of water at trail/road crossings for hikers.

The generosity we have received is unending. One guy even lets hikers stay and shower at his cabin on the trail.

We got a visit in New York from my cousin Charlie, who delivered supplies to us from Manhattan via Zipcar, which was a travel form not nearly as convenient as the name sounds.

In New York and New Jersey, many places the trail crosses the road near a deli, where hawking sandwiches to hungry hikers is an easy sell.

Bears are squashed into the little bit of wilderness left in these places. We saw two black bears on the trail, but didn't have any trouble with bears in camp.

The trail is flatter, but starting in New Jersey, it got extremely rocky-- there is no way to place your foot without the edge or corner of a rock stabbing your sole. 

The first people we saw in Pennsylvania was an Amish couple out for a weekend hike-- I could want nothing more from this state besides perhaps a Philly Cheese Steak.