Delaware Water Gap

The latest adventure on my journey to be a more experienced hiker was at Delaware Water Gap. This park is located on the New Jersey/Pennsylvania state line, and we hiked the "Blue Trail." This trail was about 2.5 miles to the top, and we hiked to the top and back down in about 3.5 hours. Lessons were definitely learned during this trip......

1. Hiking in the rain is not so bad for the first hour or so, then once your clothing becomes saturated, it can actually be quite miserable.
2. Never wear down-filled outerwear unless there is a water-proof layer over it.
3. When you are just starting a hike and you only see other hikers leaving, that's usually a sign to turn back!
4. Jeans are not good for hiking....waterproof and/or lined bottoms are a necessity.
5. Just because I do research on a topic, such as proper gear for hiking, doesn't mean I actually will follow it. I am one of those people who learn things the hard way, and then I see why the experts give the advice they give.

These lessons were learned the hard way. We left our apartment with cloudy skies, but not really expecting it to rain. Hence, we did not pack the "just-in-case" rain parkas and we didn't dress for rain at all. I wore a fleece hat and gloves, a down parka vest, a fleece long-sleeved top with a long-sleeved dry-fit top under that. I also had my beloved boots and my "outdoor" jeans on. These jeans have been with me for years, have patches from being worn so much, and are my go-to pants for any and all outdoor activities. Charlie had jeans, boots, a t-shirt and a fleece zip-up over that with a baseball cap. We had one backpack that we shared, packed with peanut butter sandwiches, apples, and two bottles of water.

We were thirty minutes away from our destination when it started to lightly sprinkle. After driving for over an hour, we didn't want to give up, so we decided to press on and just do it. We arrived, parked, and immediately were taken in by the beauty of this place. The trees seemed old, grand, and all-encompassing. We couldn't not go, so we braved the light precipitation and began our walk. Almost immediately we passed about five people who were leaving the trail, all wearing rain gear and all looking at us strangely, as if to say, "Who are these people and where is their rain gear?" We should have known then to turn around, but we were determined, stubborn, even. We kept going, and the sights before us were so amazing that the rain was forgotten. Pictures were taken and our breaths were taken away.

Then the hard part came - at least for me. The ascent is always a struggle, and I have to fight off the negative feelings that I can't go on, I can't breathe, my legs are too weak, etc. I deal with this every time I try to climb a mountain, and I wonder if some day I'll be able to get through this part and love it. Along the way I had to stop and pee, which was hard to do since there are no leaves on the trees to provide covering. I found a large log to crouch behind, and with business taken care of, we continued. We saw beautiful waterfalls and gorgeous green moss all along the way.

At some point early on, the trail became icy. We had to be careful not to slip, and the rain started to pick up somewhere around the same time. We reached the top and were almost blown off the mountain by arctic blasts and pelting rain. The view, which would normally have been astounding, was obscure at best - thick clouds and fog were blocking the view of the river. So, we began to feel miserable and we quickly turned back to descend the mountain.

This was when I realized that I should actually listen to the advice I've been reading, instead of brushing it off. My down parka was now soaked with rain, and it was now a soggy blanket on my back, providing no warmth. Did I mention the temperature was a balmy 33 degrees? My fleece gloves were soaked, making my hands chunks of ice. The fleece hat I was wearing had rain dripping off of the front of it. A small hole in my jeans had been systematically ripping and was now a good three to four inches in length. As I had no lining underneath, my bare skin was red, cold, and wet where the rip was. And my hair was like ice.

We made it down the mountain, thankful for the warmth of the car heater, and began the thawing process. It took me literally an hour before I could easily bend my fingers. With all of the mishaps on this hike, you would think I hated it. Quite the contraty, I loved it! Even in my misery, I was able to smile and laugh at how dumb we had been. We were definitely the only idiots dumb enough to take off on a five-mile hike without appropriate gear. But that's why I'm doing this - to learn and to grow. I learned a lot from the Delaware Water Gap, and I can't wait to take this knowledge and apply it on my next adventure!