So, I've heard about the Delaware Water Gap a couple years ago, but didn't really think much of it. I realized I still needed to break in my new hiking boots before my Nepal trip in two weeks, so I decided I needed to get my hike on. I decided, spur of the moment at 6 pm, to drive 3 hours North to the state park. No serious planning was involved besides finding the location of the Mt. Tammany trail head, and bringing what I needed for an overnight in the back of my Jeep Cherokee. Not the type of planning that my previous job ( cough USMC cough) would approve of, but that's living, right? Plans make everything more complicated and stressful. To reeeally enjoy a new experience or adventure, I think you just need to let go and let the moment take hold. Anyway, I made the drive and stopped in a town called Colombus, NJ for a bite to eat. Some mussels marinara and a few Yuenglings to help unwind from a white knuckle drive through the Jersey race tracks. I mean highways, yeah. There were a few locals in there talking about bears hanging out in the driveways that morning. Of course, I tried not to think of bears up until this point, but now they are strong on my mind. So I leave the bar and drive another ten minutes and make it to the trail head. It's nestled into the corner of a dark parking lot in the side of a mountain, just off of I-80. Perfect place for a low key, back of a vehicle camp site. I set up everything I needed to crash, and to sleep I went. Well, I was hoping. I couldn't help but anticipate a bear slamming into the side of my Jeep, hoping to get my packaged salmon and tortillas I had savex for lunch the next morning. Luckily, that bear never came and I was able to get some sleep after awhile. I woke up to sunlight peering out behind Mt. Tammany. Every part of me said to stay in my warm sleeping bag instead of going outside into the 50 degree morning temps. I decided to get up anyway in hoping to catch the sunrise. I brushed my chompers, ate a cliff bar, threw my pack on my back and took off up the trail. A damn tough trail at that. I had hiked steep trails before, but never with these kind of rocks. It was pretty ridiculous. I literally had to climb using both of my hands to get over some of the rocks. After sweating my ass off and working to get to the top. The views of the Delaware river were all worth it. I stopped and took some photos, took a few breaths of the fresh air, and headed anxiously up the trail. I seem to get overly excited about new places and trails. So much that I sometimes skip the simple pleasures of one area, in hopes of something better up ahead. I'm working on this and doing pretty well. I think. So as I leave this first lookout point, I realize how different this trail is from any other. Meadows of red to my left, jagged rock and cliffs to my right. I climb up another section of gnarly rock trail and come out to another vista. What I see and captured with my camera will be posted for you to check out. Only the shots that came out to look professional, of course. One thing that did kind of piss me off about this particular vista is, graffiti. Why, oh why do people feel the need to write their girlfriends name with a heart around it on a beautiful piece of nature? I feel that's it's pretty selfish. Not to mention the trash lying around. Something tells me I should have expected this kind of negligence on a New Jersey trail. I picked up what trash I could and followed the trail, which turned from a red dot marking on trees to a blue blaze. Once these trails combined, things changed dramatically. Instead of insane rock ascents, it was slightly rocky, but still smooth trail. It got to a point where there was so much color from the fall changes that I couldnt walk more than 5 steps without pulling my camera out for another picture. I stayed in that spot for about 20 minutes. Watching the leaves fall, feeling the breeze blow, and feeling complete joy and solitude. This, to me, is living. I dont need to go out partying all weekend anymore to say I've had a day well spent. A night of drinking may bring a few fun memories, if I remember them, but it will always bring me a hang over. No matter what, partying can never touch your soul like nature can. For those who have been to these places and let their mind go free, you know what I'm talking about. If you're not one of those people, you don't know what your missing, and I beg you to find out. I finally continued on down the trail, and finished the last few miles waaayyyy slower than I ever would have thought. I had to stop every few minutes just to take in what was going on around me. The beautiful reds, viberant yellows, and deep greens were enough to take your breath away. So I finished the trail, drove around exploring a bit more, and then headed home feeling joyous, free, and inspired. The nervousnous about my post-militart life has passed, and now I know how to spend the rest of my life. Thanks for reading my first journal entry on here. I dont really know what I'm doing, so I'm winging it. Hopefully you enjoyed it and continue to follow my journey of finding the great things that life has to offer.
