Days 44-46: New York and New Jersey

Mileage for day 44 was about 20 i think.  Day 45 was 26 miles and day 46 was 18 miles.  I am writing this at the end of day 46 (9/7/2014).  I have been at God's mercy for water there just hasn't been a drop on the trail everything is dry.  There are a couple businesses or houses within half a mile of the trail that let hikers fill up on water that i pass each day which is the only way us thru hikers have been able to survive.  They are listed in the guidebook which is how i know where they are.  But to make it between them i have to carry 3-4 liters which is insanely heavy but thats what i gotta do to not get dehydrated.  The hiking in NY really drained me due to the heat and water situation.  Doing 15 miles felt like i was doing 30 thats how bad it was but thats over now.  It wasn't just me feeling this way either i have met some more SOBO's that said the same thing.  On day 44 the trail goes through Bear Mtn. Bridge zoo which they let thru hikers in for free.  The cool things I saw there were 2 bears and a porcupine which was a first for me.  I crossed into New Jersey on the evening of day 45 and a cold front moved through last night so the temperature finally dropped.  Highs are now in upper 70's rather than around 90 which made today's hiking so much more bearable.  I have to backtrack half a mile in the morning and walk another half mile over the border back into NY which is where i have a mail drop waiting for me in Unionville, NY.  The post office isn't open on Sundays which is why i couldn't get it today. In it is my already broke in pair of Columbia shoes that i like a lot.  The replacement Merrells that i got back in Cheshire, Massachusetts have held up phenomenally well except i keep getting new blisters in the same spot on the side of the heel on both feet which is really painful.  I foresaw this issue a while back which is why i had my mom send the Columbia's to me.  I wont let the Merrell's go to waste though i will send them to my parents house and wear them when i am done with the trail.  I have been hiking with another SOBO i met named A-Bomb.  Today was our second day ending in the same spot together.  He started almost a full month before me so i wont be surprised if i get ahead of him here soon.  There are actually 7 of us SOBO's here at the shelter tonight which is the most i have seen in one spot ever i think.  Being able to talk to people again has been a big mental boost which is much needed after going through NY.  I should be in Pennsylvania in 2-3 more days of hiking.  Ohh yeah, i want to give a big thank you to the Larkin's for the mail drop i got on day 44.  I read all the comments on the papers and really enjoyed reading them.  The comments and quotes really were a big mental boost for that day which i cannot stress how important that is.  This trail is impossible for me to fully describe how tough it is mentally... it is just beatdown after beatdown every day but I am hanging in there and having a big support group really is nice.  I will get pics uploaded.  There aren't many from NY.  That state was so brown from how dry it was and the views weren't all that spectacular so not a ton of pics there but NJ has been nicer so lots of pics from here.