Mosquitos & Rattlesnakes & Ticks on my!!

As we finally left Pennsylvania we found ourselves in Delaware Water Gap. We had gotten through the state faster than we had imagined and decided to take a few days off in a quaint motel named Pocono Inn. We even got lucky enough for Paddy Cakes family to come and spoil the hell out of us with the best Trail Magic ever.

Paddy Cakes and me posing with the hiker sign

Paddy Cakes family spoiling us with a wonderful dinner.

(PaddyCakes here) My cousin only lives an hour from DWG so he offered to take us out and treat us like kings.  How could we say no? Little did I know that the whole time he had planned to bring my Aunt Liz and Uncle Bob.  It was so wonderful to see all of them.  We went out to dinner and chatted about the trail, but it was not long enough.  We were sad to see them go.  It was really nice to have family around again and be able to share our stories with them.  It has been since Virginia that my dad came to visit and I can really tell that I am missing my family, so this was a wonderful shot in the arm to get me through the next couple of states.

(Puddin' again)
As we hiked the usual hike up and out of Delaware Water Gap we made our way up to Sun Fish Lake where we came across this wonderful caren rock gardern. It was the most magical thing to see hidden out in the woods.

Rock Garden of Caren's

Some real cool rock formations

Sun Fish Lake was calling our name so we jumped in and cooled down. The lake was deep and had a lot of fish in it. One of them even tried to eat some of my flip flop and my pinky finger.

Sun Fish Lake outside Delaware Water Gap

Sun Fish Lake with a beautiful reflection

We finally found a decent view since we haven't had much but a green tunnel for the past week or so. It was a great view of the Delaware River.

Our first good view in New Jersey

New Jersey is know for a few things and those things are rattlesnakes, bears and ticks. At least that is what New Jersey has meant to us.  Paddy Cakes and I have met a new tick high. In one day we collectively had 11 ticks on us. We have had to start doing multiple tick checks throughout the day to catch them early.

A rattle snake right in the middle of the trail

One of the many swampy ponds we have come across

A beautiful spider web in the sunlight

A football shaped spider web. The spider was in the center waiting.

Just in case we got lost someone wanted to make sure we were going in the right direction

View from the fire tower

Paddy Cakes was trying to make them feel tall

Some wicked mushrooms

The highest point in New Jersey

Paddy Cakes enjoying the view

After hiking in the heat running from mosquitoes and covered in deet we decided we had earned a break and decided to go swimming in the "beach". The beach is actually a lake but it was wonderful because we basically ran into the lake fully clothed and had a wonderful swim and even did laundry.

People Watching

Our Beach Lake where we truly felt like hiker trash doing laundry in the lake.

Relaxing after the swim

Sleeping Beauty getting ready to go back out in the rain in his new rain skirt.

Relaxing on our porch

The grounds of shelter

A wilderness Reserve that we hiked around.

We caught a bunny in mid hop

Thank you New Jersey for putting in boardwalks through your swampy state.

Even though we had boardwalks our feet were soaked.

Paddy Cakes running from the mosquitoes

Tonight we are staying at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church hostel in Vernon, NJ. They have been so friendly and even allowed us to shower & do laundry. We only have 9.1 miles left till we are in New York. The states are flying by as fast as we can write about them. 

-Puddin'