It’s July 30th and I’ve hiked 1467.1 miles. I’m finding it hard to believe how far I’ve come; but my feet are not- they are feeling it! Haha! Since you last hear from me I’ve hiked through three states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.
Pennsylvania was beautiful. It was so great to get some nice views again. PA has a reputation for being rocky and on the trail everyone refers to the state as “Rocksylvania.”
It did live up to its reputation, but not until the last couple days of hiking through did it get really rocky. Near the end of PA, we were surprised with a huge, steep climb up rocks and boulders. It was by far the most dangerous climb yet. My legs were shaking at the top!
New Jersey blew me away! I couldn’t believe how gorgeous the state was! It offered view after view and so much variety. The hiking in New Jersey was just incredible.
New York also took me by surprise. The “flat” terrain that I’d gotten used to since Maryland was no more. As we ascended higher and higher the views only got better and better.
New York also has the lowest elevation point on the AT. It’s located in the Zoo that the trail runs through and is right in front of the black bears. The huge crowds of people in the park were a bit overwhelming for me. It’s been a while since I’ve been exposed to that much commotion. But the change of scenery was fun for a couple hours. Also, I finally saw my first (wild) bear! I spotted it just after I crossed into New York as he was running in the opposite direction! Haha! It was pretty cool!
The North is stealing my heart! Everyone keeps telling me that it only continues to get better (and harder), so I am excited to see what Connecticut has to offer. Only five states left!
Thanks for the continued support!
Happy Trails,
Nicole
