View Full Version : Askus3's 2008 AT Hiker sightings
Today, May 17 on a hike in Harriman Park, I met my first thru hikers of the year. Coming into Harriman Park were Water Bear & Stormin Norm. They were in good spirits after a zero day yesterday due to heavy rains. They are from Tennessee and heading for Katahdin. Water Bear has a trailjournal and the link to it is: http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=230537. Also came upon Pace & Chase. They are a father, daughter pair and they started at the Delaware Water Gap and were out for a week already but their goal is Gorham, NH. I met them between Island Pond & the Lemon Squeezer in Harriman Park. This pair were from Maine and they tease that they are walking home!
modiyooch
05-26-2008, 13:51
Met Pace & Chase in Salisbury, CT on 5/24. Travis is probably in Vermont or NH, now. He's really booking it. Left Sticks, Double Cheese, Just Hikin' in Great Barrington, MA on 5/24. Off Season is 1-2 days ahead of them. Big Bob and Poz in upper CT 5/23.
The only sobo I met was Tony the Vietnam Vet in upper NY pm 5/16. He's from Northern ME and started in Baxter Park before it was open.
Enjoyed hiking with Askus3 and Sam on 5/13 in Harriman Park.
Sounds like an interesting confrontation with two wild animals? Yesterday was my first in a series of trail angel hikes to Wildcat Shelter (this is the first shelter northbound in New York). I visit this shelter with beverages to share with the hikers that are around in the evening. Dirty Harry from Chicago was there with Darrel from Williamsburg, VA. Dirty Harry is a thru-hiker having a great time and enjoying the outdoors while Darrel was out for a short 30 mile section from 17A to Bear Mountain for the weekend. He picked the first scorching +90 degree weather of the summer to go out, UGGGHHH. Footloose from North Conway, NH joined our company a few minutes after my arrival. he looked refreshed and ready for a relaxing evening. Dirty Harry set up his tent while "Sam" the pug looked on as he was the only one with me. On my way out near the Wildcat Rocks, I bumped into Nova from Cuba & New York. Also a thru-hiker, all three thru-hikers were in good spirits and putting in good mileage proceeding very nicely northbound from Georgia since March. I wished them all luck and told them I hoped to see them in New Hampshire in July when I do my section hike southbound from Zealand Hut to Glencliff. The last to come across was a medium sized black bear just before I cameout of the woods onto 17A. I spotted him before Sam and got ahold of his collar just when the bear slowly ambled across the trail when Sam also spottted him. He barked furiously at hiim but I had tight reign of him so that he could not get a closer view. We must have been about 50 feet of him at the closest. Overall, a nice hike and a pleasant encounter with several thru-hikers.
My 2nd in a series of Trail Angel Hikes to the Wildcat Shelter had me meet the following lucky recipients of some beverages. Steady ON from Austin, TX has been thru-hiking since Feb 25. She met up with Lady & The Tramp a couple of weeks later in NC. They have been hiking together since with compatible paces. Lady & The Tramp started Feb. 23 and are from Prescott, AZ and seem to be doing OK in our humid Northeast. Also at the shelter were Maddy who is doing a research paper for her course at LA State and she is section hiking from Harpers Ferry to Vermont. Also at the shelter was Baggins of Hobbit fame who is slowly section hiking north from southern PA to VT. Then on my way out, I bumped into Snake Bit who took a good spil and was bypassing Wildcat Rocks on a blue bypass trail. Up on the rocks was his partner Tennessee Tuxedo and they were hiking from where they left off in southwest Virginia and are hoping to make it up to Katahdin (long term) and the Wildcat Shelter that evening. So I met a bunch of nice folks out on the trail Sunday evening.
Also met Danger & Site on NY 17A coming from the Bellvale Creamery. They were boogeying and planned to go beyond the Wildcat Shelter that evening. Never saw them again as they took off fast north along the trail.
On Thursday, July 10, I made another (#3 in the series) of my Wildcat Shelter Trail Angel hikes. Joining me were Ken, Barbara & Malcolm. Also joining us were Kirby & Max (two Golden Retrievers) and Ken's dog (I think a lab). This was the first time our contingent outnumbered the thru-hikers at the shelter. Joining us for our hike in from 17A in the evening was Sunbeam. She resides in Bangor, ME and started back on March 11. She was looking forward to her first night to stay in a shelter all by herself. Nobody was there by 7 PM when we departed. But it was not meant to be as near 17A on our return we bumped into Southpaw who is on home turf. He resides in Accord, NY and was all excited about seeing his wife for the first time in 3 months! I told him up ahead at the Eastern Pinnacles it is so clear he will be able to see his beloved Catskills. This was an incredibly low humidity July evening which is the exception around this time.
Chaco Taco
07-18-2008, 22:32
Nice we are in Vernon and will be passing through your area soon.