15 May.

15 May.
No water at Jim Murray's cabin and no word from the owner, but we are very grateful for the shelter and power.

All of us got up at dawn, trying to beat forecast heat, humidity and thunderstorms. It was already foggy (pictured).

Given limited options for water, I decided to hike with Old'n'Slow on the road bypassing the muddy section we hiked the day before, hike on the #AppalachianTrail from Unionville Road to Lott Road, then hike into Unionville again to refill water and empty trash at the city park. That worked out quite well, as I passed the Unionville cemetery (pictured) and found the Unionville borough office had a working water spigot across from a covered picnic table with trash can so I could reorganize my pack and rinse out my trash and food bags. I also ate the remaining baby carrots that I bought a week ago in Palmerton (I was getting suspicious they might not last much longer).

Old'n'Slow trailed me into town but I did not see him until I was walking back to the trail on Lott Road. He had stopped at Horler's General Store for Gatorade and donuts, which of course made me want donuts, but too late!

The hike out was level and easy (pictured) with the exception of a couple of tree blowdowns that we stepped over or stooped under.

Old'n'Slow planned a short day of six miles to the Polchuk Mountain shelter, which is partway up a steep climb (400 ft in a half mile). I decided to stop at the same shelter, then evaluate whether to continue another twelve miles and more climbs/descents to the Wawayanda shelter.

On the way, we ran into a thruhiker Doc Holliday who started out in Danbury CT and was following the modified "Cool Breeze" flip-flop approach to maximize chances of nice weather. He told us about the trail ahead and his experience as Scoutmaster hiking with his sons.

Across a few fields and road crossings (pictures), we followed the AT blazes on roads to the Waykill Nature Reserve (pictures). A pretty area, but the trail followed the perimeter with full sun exposure so it was a bit toasty. A section reminded me of southern swamp and plantation road. Saw a pair of Mallards, some geese and even a swan, which seemed a bit out of place.

The trail left the perimeter and cut into a swampy area with extensive board walks. I noted that the Mayapples were beginning to bloom.

The trail left the swamp and crossed a road. Old'n'Slow was looking for a vacant house that the guides said had a working water spigot. Word was that the water would not be turned on until today. We found the side trail to the house, with a recent sign that water was available on 8 May. We found the house and the spigot (pictures), which we were happy to find working. After Old'n'Slow refilled his water, I splashed some over me to cool off.

We only had 0.4 miles to the shelter, but steeply uphill. I made the climb, and found a woman Zilla breaking down her campsite. She said she also doesn't like hiking in the heat, and usually prefers night hiking.

I got to the shelter, which was unoccupied, and Old'n'Slow showed up before I had gotten settled. We were then visited by the shelter's caretaker, who was working on the privy nearby, and we had a nice conversation, thanking him and the other volunteers for the work they do. The caretaker said that Jim Murray visits his property almost every day, so the well water issue would be fixed soon.

I was able to get a 3G data connection on my phone and post updates, as well as exchange a few text messages.

After we settled in, staking our spots in the shelter, others began to show up, including Cinnamon Girl with Wilderness Hawk, Kamikaze (from Glasgow Scotland) and Slow Lane (from Alaska). We were crammed into the shelter watching when the "Dangerous" classified thunderstorms rolled in (pictured), thrashing the trees. Bits of tree debris came in and a little rain spray, but it was nice to be inside. The shelter seemed fine, but the privy skylight was damaged by debris.

The temperature dropped from the 80s to the 60s during the storm, so I was glad I setup my quilt for the night. I sacked out before sunset.