Day 103, miles today - 16.6, total - 1,450.2

June 28, 2013

Morgan Stewart Shelter to Wiley Shelter.

B-Rocket, Moxie and I were on trail this morning at 7:30.

After about three miles at NY 55, Moxie went into Poughquag, NY. It was three miles off trail. She wanted to get a few things at the store. B-Rocket and I continued on.

After a few more miles we took a long break at the edge of Nuclear Lake. In the 60's  and 70's there was an experimental nuclear reactor here. The lake is man made and was part of that project. I found a tick on my head as I was hiking. It was the second one that I found attached. The other one was a few weeks ago. I have found a few on my socks or shorts in the past.

After another five miles we came to West Dover Road. Next to the road was the Dover Oak. It's the largest oak tree on the A.T. It's girth is 20 feet. It is estimated to be over 300 years old.

B-Rocket and I decided to go into Pawling, NY. It is 3.1 miles east of where the tree is located. We both needed to charge our phones. It was 12:15, so we could eat lunch in town and charge our phones. Two guys came out of the trail, they had done a short dayhike. I asked if they were going to town. When they said yes, I asked if we could have a ride. They were hesitant at first, but finally said okay. 

B-Rocket and I both had a burger and fries. We let our phones charge for about 90 minutes or more. We were able to hitch a  ride back to the trail within five minutes.

We were back on trail at 2:30. We passed the Appalachian Trail Railroad Station. There is just a bench where the train will stop if you want to go into New York City.

The trail today passed through some very pretty areas. Especially the last seven miles. It was a beautiful forest. There were many rock walls again today. The mosquitoes continue to be a nuisance. B-Rocket wore her bug head-net most of the day.

We got to the shelter at about 5:30. Moxie got here around 7:00. Other thru hikers that arrived are Garbage Man, Little Foot, Hooker, and Garfunkel. They all got here after 8:30. B Rocket and I were the only ones that slept in the shelter, so we both put up our tents to protect us from the insects. It was the second night in a row that we were the only ones in the shelter and that we put our tents up inside.

After 1.2 miles tomorrow I will enter Connecticut. New York has been a nice state to hike in. There were some challenging sections, but overall beautiful.

Day 102, miles today - 19.7, total - 1,433.6

June 27, 2013

Dennytown Road Campsite to Morgan Stewart Shelter.

I woke up this morning at 6:00. It stormed overnight. It rained really hard. My tent is very minimal, but overall it did okay. Moxie, B-Rocket and I were on trail at about 7:30.

The trail this morning was pretty good. We had several nice views.

After about eleven miles we stopped for a lunch break at the RPH Shelter. As I was entering the shelter area someone at the shelter said "is that Blazer". As I got closer I saw  Calamity Jane standing at the door of the shelter. Bane was there also. This shelter is a cabin and is very close to a road. 

There was a sign that said that a pizza place would deliver to the shelter. The three of us decided we would order pizza and soft drinks. We discussed for fifteen minutes what we should order. B-Rocket called to place our order. After telling the person what we wanted and where to deliver it, the person said they didn't deliver until after 4:00 pm. So much for pizza.

I had two peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches, two cinnamon rolls,and a package of cheese crackers. Calamity Jane and Bane had been feeling sick and were talking about going to see a doctor in the next town.

At 4:30 we got to the road crossing at NY 52. There was a deli 0.4 miles to the east. We had less than four miles to the shelter. We decided to stop at the deli for dinner. We left our packs behind some brush and walked to the deli. They had a sandwich called Appalachian Trail Blazer. I had to get it. It was good! We were able to fill our water bottles at the side of the store.

The last 3.9 miles was pretty easy. While we were on a very short road walk a guy in a pickup stopped to talk to us. He offered us bottled water. At that time we didn't really need the water, and once we drank them we would have to carry the empty bottles. But, he offered, so we excepted and thanked him.  Just as we re-entered the woods there was a case of water and a garbage container. We each drank some water and put the empties in the garbage.

                                                  Moxie                                                    B-Rocket

I took a picture of a rock wall that was deep in the woods. It's been  common to see rock walls, about three feet tall, built for unknown reasons. Some of them are pretty long and are in hilly terrain. I feel for whoever had to move all of those rocks.

We got to the shelter at 7:45. We are the only ones here. B-Rocket and I sat our tents up in the shelter to protect us from the insects and any rain.

Day 101, miles today - 15.4, total - 1,413.9

June 26, 2013

Bear Mountain Bridge Motel, Fort Montgomery to Campsite at Dennytown Road.

I got up at 6:30 this morning. I ate breakfast at the bagel deli across the street from the Bear Mountain Bridge Motel. It wasn't a great breakfast, but it was convenient. 

At 9:00 the owner of the motel gave me a ride back to the trail. The A.T. goes through the Trailside Zoo. I got to the entrance at 9:30, but they didn't open until 10:00, so I had to wait. It was only a quarter mile from one end of the zoo to the other, so it didn't take long to go through. I stopped to look at most of the animals.

I got a text from Phys Ed. He said he has gotten off trail. He has an irregular heart bear at times and the last few days it has bothered him a lot. He thought the heat was making it harder on him. I had hiked with him on and off for a few weeks. I was sorry to hear it.

After the zoo I crossed the Bear Mountain Bridge which crossed over the Hudson River. Right after that the trail had a steep up. A little after that I saw B-Rocket and Moxie. I hiked with them the rest of the day. Moxie hiked a little slower than B-Rocket and I so every half hour or so we stopped to let her catch us. 

We stopped at the Appalachian Market. It sets right on the trail. I needed to resupply for a few days and it was lunchtime. They had great food! They didn't have a lot to choose for resupply, but it had to do. We ate outside at one of their picnic tables.

It was hot and humid again today. We decided to hike a couple more miles to a place that had picnic tables and benches in a shady area. Once there we took an extended break. We each fell asleep for a period of time. It was a nice break from the heat. The plan was to hike later into the evening to makeup for the long break.

We camped in a field near a water source. We had hoped to do three more miles, but rain was moving our direction, there wasn't much daylight left and we had water here. So, we all liked the idea of setting up our tents before it started to rain. It held off for awhile, but by 10:00 pm we got a heavy rain.

Day 100, miles today - 13.4, total - 1,398.5

June 25, 2013

Arden Valley Road to Bear Mountain Bridge Motel, Fort Montgomery

This morning we all had breakfast at John and Susan's house. After eating I walked around the outside of the house. John was tending to chickens in a fenced area. He also has a raised garden area. Their house is in a great setting. It's amazing how much they do for complete strangers.

B-Rocket and Captain Awesome

John dropped Triple and I off at the lake where he picked us up. He dropped Finder, Fatty, B Rocket and Moxie off in Fort Montgomery. They are going to slack pack south, back to John and Susan's house.

The trail today still had a lot of short ups, but not as many as the last couple days. There were several great views. After five miles, at the top of Black Mountain, there was a view of NY City skyline. The sky was hazy, so  we could just slightly make it out.

When I got to Bear Mountain there were well maintained trails that led to the Perkins Memorial Tower.  It was built in 1934. The workmanship was impressive. While I was there I saw a TV station doing some sort of news story. They were with channel 12  from Hudson Valley, NY. When they finished filming I asked the reporter what the story was about. She said they were doing a story about the tower. She asked if they could tape interviewing me. I said sure. So they asked me what I thought about the tower, the park and a little about my hike. It was fun.

Channel 12 News

I went to the top of the tower to take in the view. On a clear day you can see the NY City skyline from the tower. It was a very pretty park. A lady near the tower asked where I was hiking. I told her I was a thru-hiker. She asked all of the questions we normally hear. As I walked away she wished me luck and gave me a thumbs up. I always enjoy meeting people along the way.

When I came down the other side of the Bear Mountain, I saw Hessian Lake. There were two ladies and five children at a picnic and playground area next to the lake. The trail went right past them. I stopped to ask a couple questions about the lake. I ended up sitting down at the table with them. Telling them all about my hike. They offered me Cheetos and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Their kids asked a lot of questions too. It was a nice break. They gave me a baggie full of Cheetos to take with me.

I planned to get a room somewhere in Fort Montgomery.  I went to the Bear Mountain Inn next to the lake. Their prices were too high. I talked to the lady at the desk about other places to stay in town. There was a Bear Mountain Bridge Motel less than two miles away.

As we were talking about how to get there, a young lady, who was getting off work, walked up and started describing where the motel was at. I asked her if she was going that way. She said yes and offered to give me a ride. Her name is Nicole.

When I got to the motel and checked in, the manager said there were other backpackers staying there. He said All the Way and Goose were there. Both are from Ohio. I hadn't seen Goose since Partnership Shelter in VA. I last saw All the Way a few weeks ago. The three of us ate dinner together.

Day 99, miles today - 20.4, total - 1,385.1

June 24, 2013

Campsite at Cascade Brook to Arden Valley Road

I started hiking at 7:20 this morning. Sundance and Garfunkel left a little before me. Finder left after me.

The water at the stream near our campsite was very dark. It looked like tea. The Wildcat Shelter was in five miles where I could get water again. Hopefully it would be better. Garfunkel and I both stopped there. There was a good spring with clear water. We both took a break at the shelter.

As I was leaving I saw B-Rocket at the spring. She was with Moxie. I had first met B-Rocket at Uncle Johnny's in Erwin TN, a long time ago. I had said hi to her a few times on trail, but besides that, I had never really talked to her. It was my first time meeting Moxie. I ended up hiking with them for the rest of the day.

                                                  Moxie                                                   B-Rocket

The trail today consisted of ridge walking on large slabs of rock in the morning, but most of the day we had a lot of short but steep ups and downs. It was very tiring. Especially in ninety degree weather. By the end of the day I was worn out, and my feet, knees and legs were sore.  I plan to back off on the miles if the temperatures stay this high. When we got close to one road crossing there were 20 or more one-gallon jugs of water. Trail angels had left them. In this heat, and with the lack of good water in this area, it was a welcomed sight.

Finder, Moxie, Captain Awesome and B-Rocket

We went through a tight section in an area with many large boulders called the Lemon Squeezer. I saw ET as we approached the boulder area. We had to take our backpacks off to get through it. There was also a little boulder climbing. Challenging, but fun.

                                                   ET

When we got to the East Mombasha road crossing we saw Finder sitting next to a cooler. There were several gallon jugs of water in it. With the  lack of water available we were glad to get it. There were business cards with a couples name and phone number. The card said if you need anything to call.

Moxie called to see what they were offering. The guy told her that him and his wife enjoy helping backpackers. Their names are John and Susan. He offered to pick us up, give us a place to sleep, dinner, breakfast, laundry and a shower. Free of charge. 

We hiked one mile past the shelter, that we had planned to stay at, to a road crossing where John picked us up. The plan was for just the four of us, but we ended up having Fatty and Triple (Captain Awesome) with us too. The guy said we were all welcome. He had other hikers already at his house. The five of us were the only thru-hikers. They have a very nice house. We had snacks, dinner, ice cream, showers, and laundry. After a twenty mile day, it was very nice!

John, B-Rocket, Captain Awesome, and Finder

                                                  John                                                         Susan

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