Day 448 · July 5, 2013 · near Unionville, New Jersey · AT mile 1353 · 317 ft · 15.1 mi walked over 3 days

Camping in the park

It was just Shrek and myself left at camp when I crawled out of my sleeping bag liner. I ate a big breakfast to prepare for the 14 miles that would bring me to Unionville, NY. I said farewell to Shrek, and hoped for happy trails. I was let down. It was a very long and challenging hike, which I wasn't anticipating. The elevation map made it look like smooth sailing, but the day was a constant transition between steep ascents and descents. This mixed with the bugs and rocks would make for a tough day alone, but most of the trail was also a boggy swamp. I did my best to avoid diving ankle deep into thick, boot-sucking mud, but when there's miles of it you can only be so cautious. On the upside, the days hike had some spectacular views from beginning to end. I crossed over High Point, with a breathtaking 360 degree view, and could have stopped at a beach to take a dip if I had more time. When I finally found the road into town, I walked right to the general store, said hey to BMW, and grabbed a variety of 3 drinks from their glorious fridge. I cooled my heels for about an hour before moving on to the town park where I could set up my tent.It was a crowded area, full of summertime kids with nothing to do, and families with their children. I wasted a lot of my evening in the pizza place across the street until it got dark, and then I ambled back to my tent. The only other excitement for the night came around 2am, when a group of 5 drunk teens came to the park to run around and fall over a lot. Thankfully my headphones worked just fine for drowning out their fun.