Gym, Tan, & Laundry, I was unfortunately only able to accomplish one of these tasks while I was in the state, and no it wasn't laundry. Upon entering the state I was expecting the trail to be running rampant with guidos and the like, fist pumping and fighting back the beat as we passed on our way to Maine. New Jersey really surprised me though, and the only people that I saw fist pump where my fellow hikers and myself. When you typically think of Jersey, you usually think of the shore, the Pine Barrens, or somewhere around the city. I can tell you that the section that the Appalachian Trail passes through is nothing like any of these.
You cross into New Jersey over the Delaware River. From there you climb a pretty gradual mountain and then are basically on a ridge for the most part with New York just over the next mountain on your left. The forest is constantly changing, which is fresh and keeps things interesting every day. Honestly, New Jersey has some of the most beautiful forests that I have seen on trail yet, definitely unexpected. Also, fire towers are back! These rickety metal monoliths have incredible views of the surrounding area, and we ended up camping at the base of one. My only complaint is that the water sources for the most part looked like someone used a bit too much tanning oil. We managed, but it wasn't very pleasant to filter. |
Another shocking New Jersey factoid is that Jersey has the highest density of bears on the entire Appalachian Trail. They have no fear of humans and these crafty bears will swipe your food bag right from your tent vestibule. We ended up hanging our food, which I haven't done since Virginia and was quite comical as we tried to hang 4 heavy food bags from one bear line. Nobody's food ended up getting swiped that night. I ended up seeing only one bear in New Jersey. He was so big that we thought it was just a big boulder sitting in the trail before he turned around and looked at us. When he realized we were there he just kind of got up and meandered off the trail and into the woods, not a care in the world.
New Jersey has been an unexpected highlight to the trip so far! As I write this I am currently layed up in sweet sisters apartment in Manhattan. It is a pretty ridiculous feeling knowing that I walked all the way here, and that I have probably seen more people in the past 24 hours than I have in the past 4.5 months. I head back to trail tomorrow morning and will be entering my 10th state. Stay tuned for an update on the absolutely beautiful state of New York!