NY to CT - Mile 1,450

We left family behind at Bear Mtn bridge and were back on our own on the trail. We hit a day of heavy rain after leaving Cornwall. NY started to get hilly; we are out of the flat states and back in the mountains.
We entered our 10th state of Connecticut on July 11th.

 Pavilion at Graymoor spiritual center, NY. This friary lets hikers stay at their pavilion and use the restrooms.

 Trail crew feeds hikers at RPH shelter. Good food, good people!

 AT overview past RPH shelter

 Boardwalk in NY

The train stop for hikers heading to New York City

Worst campsite ever. We stayed at the end of the garden center lot, with a highway on one side and the train tracks on the other. It was a bad night's sleep.

New York - Mile 1,357 July 5 - 10th

We made it into my home state of NY on July 5th. The highlight in NY was meeting family members in Cornwall and walking across Bear Mtn Bridge. Lots of good meals and support in this section!

The sign marking the NJ - NY border

The Lemon Squeezer - a very narrow crevice that hikers have to crawl through. I had to take my pack off to fit through.

Harriman state park

Looking over at the tower on Bear Mtn

We meet up with mom, dad, Chris and Thomas on the top of Bear Mtn

The tower on Bear Mtn

 Dad and Thomas hike the AT down from Bear Mtn

 Overlooking the Hudson River

The trail down Bear Mtn

 Thai food with Scott and Carole in Cornwall, NY

Good luck Bravo - the trail will always be there.

 A large group meanders through the trailside museum - Carole, Nana, Chris, Thomas, mom&dad walk this section of the AT with us.

The bears den at the trailside museum - the lowest point on the AT. (Note - dad has now been at the highest and lowest point on the AT!)

Setting out across Bear Mtn bridge

The Hudson River and Bear Mtn bridge

On the other side of the Bear Mtn bridge

High Point Tower, NJ Mile 1,329

There is actually farmland in western NJ. We went from High Point Tower, the highest point in NJ, to lowland swamps that were full of mosquitos.

 Mom drives us to a motel in Branchville, NJ

 The tower at High Point, NJ

A farm in western NJ

 Crossing a boardwalk across swampland

 The boardwalk ran for over a mile and was very nice to walk on

View from Wawayanda mt. You could still see High Point Tower,  miles to the south.

Delaware Water Gap - Into New Jersey mile 1,285

We were very excited to cross the Delaware River into New Jersey, our 8th state. The terrain improved, we felt good hiking, and mom met us again for several days on the trail.

The Delaware River

Church hostel in the Delaware Water Gap. They fed the thru-hikers a great meal June 30th.

Our trail crossed the river and then passed under this highway into NJ

 A turkey vulture welcomes us to New Jersey

 Sunfish Pond - beautiful, but we couldn't swim in it

Trail along the Kittatinny Ridge, NJ

Thru hikers Do What, Who Knows, and Y-Knot. Any questions?

View from Kittatinny Ridge

Lehigh Gap, PA - mile 1,245

PA is going down as the worst state to hike through - rocks, snakes and then lyme disease. We took almost a week off to recover, then got back on trail doing less mileage.

 Rest and recuperation in Sidney Center, NY

 More rocks in 'rockslyvania'

Climbing out of Lehigh Valley, PA

Coal mining operation in Palmersville

 Great blackcaps along the ridge from Lehigh Gap

We picked enough berries to send some home with mom

Mom came down to PA to support us for several days - always great!