New Jersey

19 July 2007 - 1330 miles - Some times on the trail, i don't have privy to information about a section coming up. New Jersey was one of those sections. So i just hiked my hike and put in the miles. It was a pleasant surprise to find NJ packed full of bears (they have more per square mile than any other trail state), black berries and blueberries. the entire trail today was covered in blueberries on the side of the trail all day. what a treat on a hot day. around 12 oclock, myself and Lunar from Arizona were taking a break and contemplating when it would start raining, being that the sky had grown dark and the air had grown cooler. Sure enough, as i hiked, it soon began to rain. and the rain got harder and harder the entire afternoon. the lightning would crash in the distance, the rain soaked everything i had, the trail was flooded, so soon i was walking in a rain gutter. as i am in the midst of all this inclimate weather and soggy conditions, i can't help but smile. there is no place else i would rather be. The day prior to, i had seen a black snake attack, and coil around, and crush the life out of a chipmonk. it then began to do what God had designed it to do. it ate. an awesome site to witness. Those powerful images of nature at its finest, uncensored, in raw form, culminated with the rain consuming me at the moment gave me a real good feeling of being a part of this great design. and i was. i had my part to play as we all do. we rule over the animals and in that have a responsibility to the land. A duty to protect, preserve and utilize the resources we have. America has done this better than any other country in the world. Communist and socialist countries have left an incredible blot of pollution in their lands. Because of our wealth as a nation, we have implemented better restrictions and monitoring for our comsumable resources, on our own without the need of an international overseer. America has truly stepped up to the plate of responsibility in this aspect. Wealthier means healthier and cleaner. This applies to us as a individuals also. It takes money and time to be responsible, but with power comes responsibility. We all must learn to consume wisely and act accordingly.
That night, i dried out in a little known shelter with Lunar and Sleeping Beauty. The sun reappeared and made a beautiful sunset. Another great day to be on the trail.