July 11, 2004

I took the day off today to allow my body and mind to recover from hiking over the tough Pennsylvania rocks for the last 229 miles.  I will be so happy to cross into New Jersey on Monday!  I ate a hearty breakfast with Bear at The Delaware Gap Diner.  I had a huge Belgian waffle, a Greek omelet, fried potatoes, two pieces of rye toast, and two large glasses of orange juice.

As Bear and I were walking back to the hotel, we spotted two bear cubs in a tree!  I was thrilled but wondered where mama bear was lurking, knowing the danger of being in between cubs and mama bear.  I literally ran back to the hotel, grabbed my camera, and prayed that the cubs would still be in the tree when I returned.  They were still poised in the tree and I shot 10 amazing pictures with my zoom lens before walking back to my hotel room. 

I did my laundry in the bathtub and strung a clothesline for them to dry.  Bear and I hung out at the gas station for lunch and watched the goings-on.  We were both keenly aware of what seemed like all kinds of activity.  In the woods, the only activity is between myself and the natural world.  I returned to my room and soaked my feet in Epsom salt before taking an afternoon nap.  Monday promises to be a great hiking day as I hike into NJ.