**Facebook Post 102317 at 10:15AM**
If you are as old as dirt, like I am, you will remember the good old days of record stores and flyers. I had picked up a flyer at Peaches Music which stated the band Kinetic Ritual needed a singer. I answered and ended up joining the group. As with most band situations, you spend an enormous amount of time jamming and hanging out with members of your group. I quickly became close friends with Scott Mitchell Putesky. Later we both left the band and started India Lovesou. (India Loves You) It was pretty much a duo act, and we gigged here and there, but didn’t remain active for long. Together we decided to join the Pukin’ Drunks, but Scott wasn’t all that into it. So, he left the group and we went our separate ways. The Pukin’ Drunks ended up changing the name to The Livid Kittens and Scott eventually started working with Brian Warner and started Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids. We continued to be friends for many years, and I watched Scott move into fame. He was a great man, talented, with a quiet demeanor when we were young, a true friend and talented musician. I’m still in shock, but he died after a long battle with cancer just the other day. No words can express how disappointing this is. Although, later in life we were not close like when we were kids, we did keep in touch from time to time. I knew he was struggling, but had no idea it had gotten to this point. It seems like the good always die young.
**Facebook Post 102317 at 11:52AM**
We entered Pennsylvania yesterday by crossing the Delaware River from New Jersey into the Delaware Water Gap. It’s a town. Who knew? It was evening, and Erin, one of the hikers I’m hiking with, wasn’t feeling so hot. We decided to take a chance and inquire about shelter at the Church of the Mountain Hikers Center. It was practically on trail. Taylor mentioned she was unsure whether or not they would take dogs, but the walk was shorter than we could even hope for, so we went to their location.
When we got there, it was dark and looked pretty much closed. Not surprising since we are way out of season to be part of the hiker bubble. Many of the hostels stop taking hikers as the season closes. There was a sign on the door asking hikers to first check in the back for the church secretary if the entrance to the hostel was locked. If she wasn’t there, there were numbers to call.
I was elected to go check it out. I walked to the back of the building and parking lot where a light was on, and a car parked. I checked the door and it was open. I shouted out a hello and a guy came out of a side room. I asked about the hiker hostel and he said he didn’t know anything about it, but there was a sign on the front door of the hostel, where the girls were waiting for me, with instructions. I thanked him and went back around front.
We called Dave, one of the numbers listed. Luckily the dog wasn’t an issue and they were willing to host us for the evening. Dave told me that he would be there in ten minutes and to wait where we were. So, we did. Not but maybe five minutes in, the guy who had given me help came past us in his vehicle. He seemed friendly enough at first. Then he started preaching the good word and things became very weird very fast. First, Taylor and Erin are a couple, and I’m Buddhist. Not that any of us are against the good word, but converting us would probably not be happening this evening.
We didn’t want to be rude though and figured we’d let him tell us what he had to, but like I said, things got weird fast. What seemed like innocent conversation started getting more and more argumentative and aggressive. Being that we were only agreeing with him by nodding and being generally nice to him, there was zero reason to start getting crazy. But seriously we didn’t know what to do.
He approached us initially while driving out of the parking lot. So he was in his car, with the window down when he began to speak to us. Within minutes he repositioned his car, moving it so he could be closer and corner us in. He never left his car, but that was coming I’m sure. We were saved when Dave showed up. Dave basically told he guy he wasn’t supposed to be there and to leave in no uncertain terms.
Turns out the guy wasn’t supposed to be on the property. They had had trouble with him creeping about on several occasions recently and had had to call the cops. They had basics stolen out of the hostel, like towels and blankets, etc., and figured it was this guy. As we learned, he didn’t work there, so he definitely wasn’t supposed to be in the building where I found him. I guess there was an AA meeting that was to begin in another hour so that’s why the building was open and he was helping himself to whatever he found when I stumbled on him. I didn’t know. I thought he worked there.
Luckily, the ordeal was over before it got ugly and Dave let us into the hostel with instructions to lock the door after he leaves. He also let the leader of the AA group know what had happened and to keep and eye out if the guy returned.
After showing us the ropes of the hostel, Dave left. Next up, Erin got a little down time, while Taylor and I went up the street to find food. We found a restaurant nearby that sold pizza. We ordered take out and went back to the hostel. On our way to pizza, we both thought, maybe paranoid like, we saw the guys car again parked just outside of the church parking. On our way back we phoned Erin to let us in quick, because again we though we saw the guy’s car, but now parked on the street instead. We got in fine though and there were no more incidences.
After a hearty meal, the girls settled into some mobile Netflix, and I took a shower and washed some laundry. This morning we resupplied, but had to at a gas station since the nearest grocer was clear on the other side of town. Expensive, but it will get us through another couple days hopefully.
In the morning Dave and the pastor, Sherry, came to check on us. They were super friendly and a lot of fun to chat with. The girls got a picture of us all together and they soon left us to continue packing. Turns out they were going to spend their morning checking out several locations around town where they thought they might find the unwelcome gentleman from last night. They were attempting to get his license plate number and perhaps have a word with him. Unfortunately, Dave dropped by one more time before we got back on trail and told us they were unsuccessful in locating him, but they are going to make a few changes to how they lock up at night and who has access. Hopefully, the guy has already gotten the message to stay away and won’t be back.
Turns out, lucky us, there is more rain predicted, in fact thunder storms. The dog doesn’t like hiking in storms and I have been warned he may refuse to walk in it. He gets freaked out by thunder. I most likely will have to part ways with my new Friends if that is the case, as I have few miles left until Boiling Springs, and am not fond of cold weather, which is encroaching on and off again quite often these days. In other words, I’m making a mad dash for Boiling Springs.
As I close in on my target, (Boiling Springs) I’m feeling pretty nostalgic. This year’s hike is almost over. Another year down. I’m so sad I didn’t get my goal, again, of world record, but I guess this is more of a process than just a quick thing one does. So, even though I didn’t get that or the 1800 miles, at least I’m close to being able to say I’ve walked the whole thing. I guess it’s sort of huge. (2,189 miles)
I’ve been on trail for just over 60 days now. Too long. Thank you New Hampshire and Maine! But also thank you MA, CT, NY, and NJ for being so short and much much easier to walk. Too bad PA is going to make up for it in rocks.
(Pictures below are what the rocks in NJ will do to your feet if you decide to night hike on rocks wearing no sock liners and have no foot glide on… Whoops. Unprepared… Situation fixed, a little too late, but at least it won’t get worse.)
4:45PM Start Day 65 (102317)
•4:45PM PA Rte 191 (Mile 903.2)
•6:10PM Camping (Mile 906.0)
•1:15PM Hahn’s Lookout (Mile 912.6)
•3:00PM Powerlines (Mile 916.0)
•4:45PM (Estimate) Stempa Spring
(Mile 920.5)
4:45PM End Of Day 65
APPROX 17.3 Miles
