Amazing Critter Day

We had the most amazing day of cool critters. First, our campsite was filled with birds and owls that were so active and loud all night. We got to laughing pretty hard at one bird that woke us up early with a screeching song that sound more like a house alarm than birdsong. The owls were going crazy all night either hunting or mating but they sounded like a pack of monkeys. As soon as we left camp, we found a big pile of fresh bear scat about 20 yards from our tents. So glad he stayed away but we know those guys are out there at night!

Our 28 mile hike today was a little longer than usual but we had another delicious deli break at Noon. It was so nice to kick back on the porch and eat a big sandwich and some ice cream. After lunch, I hiked over to a nearby town to pick up a package for Astronaut. They were a few hours behind and couldn’t get there before the post office closed. Luckily, I made it just in time and there was another deli next to the post office that had ice cream with fudge sauce.

The last part of the day was really cool. This part is a three mile elevated boardwalk through a wetlands marsh. The birds loved this area and I got a good shot of this beautiful black bird with bright orange and yellow wings. I had seen smaller versions of these in Virginia but their New Jersey cousins are much bigger.

New Jersey continues to amaze. We are camping behind a garden center and farm tonight right off of the Trail. The owners allow thru hikers to set up tents and use their water and electricity. I am headed out really early tomorrow to get to Glenwood Lake NY before the post office closes. I mailed a box of food to myself so I wouldn’t have to carry so much and I hope this all works out as planned. The postal service has been really slow lately so no guarantees. I’ll leave you with one more video of a the boardwalk portion of the Trail. Enjoy.