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July
25, 1983 Monday (873.3 mtg) From
Gonzo!s Appalachian Trail journal
Catfish
Fire Tower practically loomed over the shelter, but I did not realize
it until I arrived there this morning to watch the sunrise. If I
had known that it was a mere half mile from the shelter I might
have even went there to watch the sun set last night. If I had checked
the guide, I might have even camped out in the tower. The morning
was heralded by the sounds of reveille that could be heard coming
from the valley below as the campers were awakened for the morning's
activities. Today's hike was not extremely memorable, as I have
no notes from the area between Catfish Fire Tower and Culver's Gap
at US 206. However, at Culver's Gap there is a nice bakery that
most hikers stop for baked goods. Worthington's supplied me with
a turkey sandwich and miscellaneous danish and donuts. After a short
break at the bakery, I proceeded along the trail along the road
that leads to the summit of Sunrise Mountain. A half mile past the
bakery the trail turns off of the road and enters the woods to begin
the climb up to Kittatinny Ridge, where the trail followed the crest
for about six miles to the summit of Sunrise Mountain and the pavilion
located there. Although the area is restricted to camping, I and
a couple of other hikers sat around waiting for the sun to set before
settling in for the night. The sunset from Sunrise Mountain was
one of the best that I had ever seen. The clouds that were to
the west were just right to provide interesting forms, and add a
sense of life to the scene. I saw Apollo as he raced across the
sky in his chariot. As the sky darkened, we waited for all the other
public who had driven up to the pavilion to leave, and then we got
out our sleeping gear. The night air was cool and there was only
a slight problem with mosquitoes in the early evening. I had to
carry all of my water up the mountain for the evening meal, breakfast
the next morning, and the beginning of the next section, but the
view at sunset was well worth the effort. We drifted off to sleep
sheltered under the pavilion.
Gonzo!
Appalachian Trail Journals ©1983
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