My Trails

7/29/12 – 1468 miles
Today was a nero. It was only a mile onto Kent where we would do laundry, resupply, eat at a restaurant, and stop into the outfitters. Laundry was first on the list – we still had on our wet clothes from the rainstorm the night before – and we walked onto the Laundromat and set our packs on the floor. I went to get change from the lady manager and got chided for bringing our packs into the building. She snotty said, “Didn’t you see the sign?” There was no sign. Kleenex came out of the restroom and got yelled at for walking in bare feet. Needless to say, Kent is not high on our list of trail stops.

We figured the woman has had bad experiences with hikers before and now dislikes all of them. Rather than argue with her, we let it go, figuring future hikers would be treated better if we did. Before we left we swept and mopped the floor where we were.

Kleenex wanted to attend church and I said I would go with her. We found a Congregational Church up the road and walked there just before services started. All the people were interested in our hike and asked us many questions.

After church, we had a late breakfast and stopped at the outfitters where I bought a new rain jacket. We wanted ice cream but the prices were sky high. Kent is a tourist yuppie burg, not a good stop for hikers.

I walked by myself for the rest of the day, stopping only six miles out at Stewart Hollow Brook Shelter for the night. Tomorrow, we may go to a hostel we’ve heard about.

7/28/12 – 1461 miles
Last night was not very restful. I was camped between Rt.22 and the train into NYC. The traffic all night was bad enough, but when the train went by, it sounded and felt like it was coming right through my tent. We were camped only 20 yards from the tracks and the ground literally shook when train shot by at high speed. To make matters even worse, his headlight lit up my tent like daylight and he hit the horn at least three times while thundering by. Needless to say, I woke many times throughout the night.

We encountered many downed trees today. The storm two days ago must have softened the ground, allowing the trees roots to loose their grip, toppling many in the strong winds and blocking several sections of the trail. In most places we could detour around the branches or climb over the fallen trunk, but one huge oak left us no choice but to scramble through it’s branches like a kid on the monkey bars – not an easy feat with a backpack on.

I was leading Kleenex and a couple of section hikers up a long hill, when off in the distance we heard the sound of thunder. I stopped for a minute to take a drink of water and Kleenex shot by me saying something about getting over the mountain before the storm hit. We raced higher and higher up the mountain as the lightning grew in intensity, flashing all around us and making us jump when it would hit close. Finally we crested the mountain and started lower over the back side,only to be stopped by an open section of treeless boulders. Out in the open is not where we wanted to be so we decided to hunker down in the trees and wait for the storm to pass. Several other hikers had the same idea as I could see maybe ten people sitting on there packs waiting for the lightning to let up.

After about ten minutes of very uncomfortable cold rain we decided to venture on down the mountain. The lightning was moving away but now the trail was virtually a river. By the time we reached the Mt Algo Shelter our shoes and clothes were completely sopping wet.

As often happens in stormy weather, the shelter was full of day hikers, forcing us to put up our tents in the rain. I’m hoping we are not destined for rainy weather through New England.

We moved out of New York and across the border into Connecticut today. It is our tenth state. Only four more to go.

7/27/12 – 1442 miles
I walked alone today. There are still a lot of hikers trekking north but we are getting spread out. Now and then you will meet a Southbounder and exchange information on the trail ahead. But most of the time the woods are quiet and secluded. I find myself singing songs to pass the time.

The air was so humid today that it seemed even the rocks were sweating. I was careful to watch my step on the slippery surface of dirt and roots. My clothes were drenched with sweat, sometimes getting in my eyes and burning, and always attracting every insect to come and feast on my blood. Deet is useless to deter them. The aroma of a hiker is too powerful.

Tonight I am camped between Highway 19 and the MTA train station at a landscape garden center, friendly to hikers, offering a place to take showers and use of there bathroom. I arrived at 4:45 and Kleenex made it a few minutes later. We were just in time to take quick showers because they would be closing at five. Unfortunately, there was no hot water, but I managed to rinse the sweat with an icy dance for two minutes.

A nice lady who is employed at the garden center offered Kleenex and I a ride to a deli a half mile up the road so we jumped in her car and made the trip for food. The deli made a good sandwich and afterward we both had ice cream.

The trip back to camp was a short walk. It is illegal to hitchhike in NY – the State Police will ticket you – so we thought it best to walk. .5 is small compared to 20.

7/26/12 – 1423 miles
I awoke very early and decided to pack my tent before the rain came. It was a good decision. Just as I swung my pack to my shoulders, it started to rain, creating a mess for all the late sleepers.

The terrain today was easy. Except for a rainy, slippery start, most of the trail treated us with kindness. It’s about time NY gave us a break and let us walk on the level for a change. We had plans for a twenty mile day, putting us into RPH Shelter for the night. There seems to be thunderstorms coming through every evening for the next few days and the safety and comfort of a shelter is important in our plans.

My foot was a little sore for the first few miles and several hikers, including Kleenex, passed me by. I figured it was time to take a mega-dose of Vitamin I, not only to kill some pain but reduce swelling. Ibuprofen is awesome. I hiked the rest of the day with very little discomfort. Kleenex says I should take a day off to rest but I think I can keep going.

Shortly after reaching the shelter and fixing dinner, the storm moved in. The lightning was vicious and the rain fell in buckets, making us glad we weren’t still on the trail. A couple of young guys came in out of the storm and told of a harrowing dash across an exposed ridgeline.

Tomorrow we plan on making a stop either at Telephone Pioneers Shelter or the AT Railroad Station. There is a landscape center at the RR Station that lets you camp. It would be fun to take the train into NYC from there.

7/25/12 – 1404 miles
It was a nice easy day. Kleenex has a cold, I have a sprained ankle, we were kind of beat up from the last few days, so we decided to meet at Graymoor Spiritual Life Center only 6 miles up the trail.

The motel owner gave us a ride back to the trail at 9am, earlier than we wanted to leave but good that we didn’t have to walk. The trail enters the Trailside Museum and Zoo where the bear cage is the lowest point on the AT at 124 feet ASL. Visitors have to pay but thruhikers are allowed in free.

Then it was a long walk across the Hudson on the Bear Mountain Bridge and, other than a couple of climbs, fairly easy walking to the monastery. The friars let hikers stay at a shelter at their ball field. They used to give thruhikers a meal but stopped that practice a while ago.

We arrived about 2pm and sat around for a while resting. I wanted to explore the building on the hill after pulling up a map on my phone and discovering there was a gift shop listed. So I talked Kleenex into walking up with me and checking it out. We spent a while browsing the gift shop and looking at photos displayed down a hallway depicting the history of the monastery. What got my attention was the soda machine at the end of the hall.

Several hikers are here tonight and a few of them are southbounders. It’s neat to start meeting SOBO’s now and trading information on the trail ahead. They tell us we are coming to the most beautiful and challenging parts. Nobody said it was easy.