jbwood5
05-24-2004, 13:21
I started this section on 4/20 and completed on 5/19/04. Trail mileage is about 375 and I probably walked another 15 miles during side trips to town or just exploring. The weather was very good this year in comparison to last year, where it rained 18 of the 21 days out. There were considerably fewer hikers in this section then I when I hiked further south in previous years. I usually stay in the shelters, just because it is easier. 60% of the time, I had the entire shelter to myself which is very unusual anywhere on the AT.
Here is where I stayed and a few things I remembered:
4/20 - Left Doyle Hotel in Duncannon in late morning and hiked to Clarks Ferry Shelter. Wanted to go further but needed to prevent bad muscle soreness. Nice views of Duncannon and river going up to ridge.
4/21 - Easy hike to Peters Mtn Shelter. Still going easy to break in body. Long decent/ascent to get water, but interesting steps built into trail. Started to go to sleep at dusk and 2 thru hikers came in from Darlington. They were a young couple called the SoleMates who started 2/1/04. Shelter was over run with mice and they woke me up several times.
4/22 - Hiked to Rausch Gap shelter. Time to get serious with a 17.5 mile hike. I was tiring often after lunch and took frequent short breaks, but this was not too technical a section. Rausch Gap has the water right in front of the shelter flowing in a stainless steel trough. The SoleMates came in later that evening. They had slept until 10:00 AM at Peter's Mtn. We talked in the evening and they were great company. There was a threat of rain that night and the next day, but it never happened. Shelter was mouse free.
4/23 - Hiked to 501 Shelter. Another long day, but the body is adjusting well. This 17.4 mile stretch was also easy and I did not tire out in the afternoon. Shelter is beautiful and I shared it with the Solemates and a couple of late arrivers who were just doing a short hike. I had a cell phone, so we used it to order Pizza and Pepsi. Food can be delivered out to the highway which is only a short walk. I could not finish all of my pizza and offered it, but there were no takers until the next morning when Jacob SoleMate ate it for breakfast.:)
4/24 - Hiked about 16.5 miles and tented off trail about 1.2 miles beyond Eagles Nest shelter. This was Saturday and a bunch of weekenders were heading to the shelter. I prefer not to be around late evening partying on the AT. I hike the trail to disassociate myself from the regular town social routine. I am not a recluse and I do enjoy talking to distance hikers, but that night I wanted to be by myself in the woods. I hung my food properly to avoid bear problems. The hike was mostly easy (a few climbs and some rocks) and I met and hiked for a while with Beesknees and Relentless who are hiking from Harpers Ferry to Katahdin. They camped a few tenths of a mile beyond me.
4/25 - Had an easy hike into Port Clinton but it started raining about a mile before I got there. I checked into the Port Clinton Hotel, showered, and had a great burger and a mountain of fries at their restaurant. After that, I walked down to the outfitters just to check it out and kill time. The SoleMates and Beesknees and Relentless were there too. I did my wash back at the Hotel and got some awesome fudge at the Peanut Shop. After finishing the wash I went back in the restaurant to join the group for an ice cream. Much to my surprise, Beesknees picked up the tab for my treat. I was very elated that she did that :) . After everyone left, I got bored and walked about 1 1/2 miles down the highway to Burger King and ate a salad there. I got caught in the rain walking back. There is a new Microtel motel down by the Interstate which would be nicer then the Port Clinton Hotel which has very saggy beds and a very minimal room with shared bathroom facilities.
4/26 - Picked up my food drop at 7:30 AM at the P.O. and headed 15.2 miles to the Eckville shelter. It rained constantly the entire day, so I just walked pretty much non-stop, munching on some leftover fudge and trail mix. I got to the shelter at 2:15 PM and put on dry warm clothes. The rain was cold. The hike was pretty easy with one climb out of town and a few ups and downs. The rocks were appearing often but causing me no trouble. The shelter is a converted garage in the caretakers back yard and can accomodate a limited number of hikers comfortably. By 5:00 PM I was pretty much dried out and warmed up. The caretaker came by and offered me a Pepsi. He did not have the snacks stocked up in the refridge yet, but the bathroom was open. No one else showed up that night.
4/27 - Hiked 17.4 miles to Bake Oven. Weather was nice and I had good views from Dan's Pulpit, balanced rocks, and Bake Oven knob. There was a chill in the air, but awesome hiking. A rain shower started late in the day and just as I was ready to put the pack cover on, I saw the sign for the shelter and ran on in. No one else showed up that evening. The shelter is old and very basic but I had no problems with mice. Water was nearby. I slept like a rock anticipating tomorrows big hike.
4/28 - Hiked 23.5 miles to Leroy Smith Shelter. I got up early and it was brutally cold with the wind blowing. No water bottles were frozen, but the chill factor had to be in the low 20s. Hiking across the Blue Mountain Ridge, I had a ski face mask on and gloves on my hands. I also had a nylon wind breaker over my long sleeve hiking shirt. The views were outstanding along the ridge. I stopped at Outerbridge shelter and made breakfast. Then I continued down to the road and up to the Lehigh ridge. This was a major, exciting climb, especially with the gusty winds blowing. Hiking on the ridge was easy and I made good time. I arrived at Leroy Smith about 6:00 PM and was pretty beat but not feeling that bad. The rocks were a little tough, but I expected worst.
I had just filtered some water from a stream earlier so I did not have to use anymore energy to search it out that evening. The shelter is a bit off the trail and down an old service road. There was no getting bored that night because by the time I made supper and cleaned up it was dark and I fell asleep within minutes. No one else showed up. The register was missing from this shelter.
4/29 - I had to search out the water source and as it ended up, I had to go further down the road to the 2nd of 3 possible sources. I really didn't feel bad after yesterdays long hike and pushed on strong through the day. The rocks DID seem to be a significant factor and there werea few ridiculous climbs over boulder fields and mounds. Nevertheless, I arrived at my proposed destination of Kirkman shelter at 3:30 in the afternoon. After snacking a bit and taking in the views, I decided to push on to the Water Gap and try to get one of those $42 rooms at the Ramada. That is what I did and it was a good choice because I met 6 guys with tons of gear who were heading up to the shelter for an overnight stay. These were not experienced hikers and even though they were very nice, I expected that they would be talking way past my bedtime.:o The hike through town was a drag and my feet were definitely hurting, but I got a room and got cleaned up real well. I had a good meal at the diner and slept like a rock. I ended up hiking about 21 miles.
4/30 - It was time to take it easy. I ate and ate off the breakfast bar, rinsed out my clothes and let them dry. Checkout time was noon and I took advantage of that. I walked over to the pack shop for some bug repellent and talked to Larry there. We worked out a possible shuttle arrangement from Massachusetts since he was going to be up there on the day I was finishing. I walked over to the bus station to inquire about schedules from DWG to Harrisburg. As I headed back to the trail, I ate a big lunch and headed to the P.O. for my box of food. While they were closed for lunch, I walked through a big antique/museum store looking at all the neat stuff. Finally, I got out of town and headed for the backpackers campsite. I got there about 3:30 and found about the only flat, rock free area in the entire site. I set up the tent and chilled out for a while but got bored. I found a water source and filled all my bottles. Finally one other pair of hikers showed up, but for a Friday, I was surprised that we were the only folks there. Later that evening, I walked up around Sunfish Pond and got back to my tent right at dark.
5/1 - Planning another easy day, I slept in enough to give the tent plenty of time to dry out. I walked up around Sunfish Pond and up on the Kittatiny Mountain Ridge. Today was the Boy Scout Central District manditory hike day and there were hundreds of scouts going south bound. I spend a lot of time talking to a few scouts and their leaders. One leader had done extensive hiking on the AT and had a little information for me as I went north. It was a good thing I was not in a hurry. I have never seen so many people on the trail at one time. When I got to the road crossing for the Mohawk Outdoor Center, I decided to check it out so I walked up there. As it ended up, they had a bunk available, so I took it, although later I did not feel good about the price they charged me which was $21 plus tax. That aside, you get use of a bunk room with a kitchen (sink and refridge). The walk to the cabin is about 1/2 mile and from there, another .1 to the shower and bathrooms. I hand washed and dried my hiking clothes. The cabin does have mice in it, so all my food stayed in the refridge. They had a pretty good band playing in the evening back at the check-in lodge. Trail mileage was less then 6 miles today, but I did get to relax and enjoy the nice weather. Had I avoided the stopover in DWG, this would have been a great place to stay and cleanup, inspite of the price. I should mention that the ticks are very bad in this area and up to High Point. I'm sure the situation gets worst as the weather warms. I took all the recommended precautions and never had one embedded, but removed numerous that were crawling on me.
5/2 - Originally planning on staying at Brink Road shelter, I made a change in plans and decided to hook up with my cousin and his family who lives in Stockholm, NJ. I talked to him the night before and he agreed to pick me up at Culvers Gap around 4:00 PM. I made it with no problems (the hike was easy) and we hit a diner for a late afternoon meal. It was great to be with family and they treated me like royalty.
5/3 - This ended up being an unplanned zero day. Heavy rain, wind and temperatures in the 30s looked pretty uninviting from inside a warm house, and when they suggested that I might spend another night, I looked at my maps and schedule, figuring I could make up the mileage, and said "yes". I chilled out and watched a couple of movies on their DVD player.
5/4 - I got dropped off at the trail, a little after 9:00 AM and started toward High Point. The temperature was cold to start but began warming to the upper 40s and mid 50s quickly. This is ideal hiking weather. I ate lunch on Sunrise Mtn and snacked again at Mashipacong shelter. I did not find the hiking to be that difficult. I chatted briefly with a couple of Southbounders, something Bear (female hiker) and Anchor. I got to the State Park Office, but it had already closed. I walked up the trail to the observation platform at High Point and rested a bit while taking in the views. I continued on to the shelter and was pleased to find it very convenient to water and a bear box. The site was clean too. The total trail mileage was about 14-15.
5/5 - This morning I decided to do a little exploring to try and find the old AT that originally went up the mountain and right next to the monument. I backtracked about a mile and took the blue blaze trail up to the monument. I got the feeling that this part of the blue blaze was the original AT. Up at the monument, I found that there was major construction going on and the area was all fenced in. I went out the back parking lot and thought I found the old AT, but I really never found any evidence of it going down the mountain northbound. I bushwacked along the mountainside and went as far as a swampy area, but them worked my way around it and back down the mountainside until I met the new trail. Then I went back to the shelter, got my pack, and headed out. I eventually worked my way toward Unionville and when I got to Lott St, I went into town for a great burger at the bar and then to the store for some supplies. I met Jim Murray (secret shelter owner) at the store and we chatted for a few minutes. It was a nice break. Then it was on to the Walkill wildlife preserve. I took my time through this easy section, sitting on the benches and watching the birds. Eventually I started up the mountain and got water at the house before the shelter and decided to call it a day at Pochunk Mtn. shelter. No one else showed up that night. I hiked about 12.4 trail miles but another 3 or 4 just exploring and hiking into town.
5/6 - Hiked from Pochunk Mtn to Wawayanda shelter. One of the interesting things today was hiking across a large wetland with one a very long wooden boardwalk. I am guessing it was near a mile long. For the most part, the hike was easy this day. I stopped at Heaven Hills Farm and bought a few goodies, used their picnic table to eat lunch, and then had an ice cream. From there, it was a climb up to PinWheel Vista with some pretty sites of the valley. I got to Wawayanda shelter late in the day and was able to get water at the park office. The ranger even let me in the maintenance building to buy a Coke from the employee break room. Later that evening, I got bored and decided to walk down to the lake. It was a long walk and I probably did another 4 miles just exploring. Back at the shelter, I went to sleep but was awaken a little after 10, when 2 guys came in. They were Ward and Will and had been dropped off to do a section hike to Bear Mountain over a long weekend. They went to bed about midnight and it started raining shortly after that. Total trail miles was only 13.7.
5/7 - Hiked from Wawayanda shelter to Wildcat shelter. The rain had stopped and it slowly cleared as I hiked toward State LIne and the Ridges over Greenwood Lake. I stopped for lunch on the rock ridges and enjoyed the cool breezes. It had started to warm up which meant I had to watch for the water sources more frequently. This time of the year it is really not much of a problem, but on a warm day, you can consume water very rapidly. I had another big treat today. When I crossed highway 17A, I went to the new Bellvale Creamery for an ice cream sundae and a cold soda. This place is only .2 miles to the left (north) on 17A, but is hidden by a curve. Some day- hikers let me know about it. I got to Wildcat about 3:45 PM. Ward and Will showed up a little later and the Solemates came in a little later that evening. I was surprised to see them but they had just come back from a couple days in New York City. After everyone was asleep that night, we were abruptly awaken by the howls and screams of a nearby pack of coyoties. Apparently, they had caught a deer or other pray and were announcing to the pack. Total trail mileage was 12 miles.
5/8 - This was a mail drop day, but also the biggest screwup of my hike. I had made a reservation at the the American Budget Inn in Harriman, NY and had also mailed a food box to the motel. I chose this place, because the closer motel, Tuxedo Motel, had no rooms available when I called in early April. Well the screwup was that I did not pay attention to my maps and when I got to the Orange Turnpike, I thought I was at Hwy 17 and I started walking/hitching up the road. I went for about 2 miles before some young guys picked me up. I told them I needed to go to Harriman to a motel up there. They looked at me kind of funny but took me further up the road. I guess we drove for 6 to 7 miles and I started to get panicky and knew something was wrong. After talking to them for a while I suddenly realized I was not on Hwy 17 and these kids really did not know where I was going. Finally, they dropped me off at a strip mall in Monroe, NY and took off. I talked to some people and got some vague directions. After walking south for about a mile, I found someone who had actually heard of the motel and gave me some better directions. It was 2:00 PM and I had not eaten anything since breakfast and was getting a little light headed. I went by a small bar/restaurant called Legends and saw that they had a burger, fries, and Bud special for $4.99. Down went the pack and into the bar I went. I talked to a few patrons and the waitress even let me use their phone so I could call the motel. The motel people had no idea where I was at and suggested I call a cab, but after talking to enough people, I came to the conclusion that I was about 1 1/2 miles away from the motel. I finally was able to walk the rest of the way in and got there by 3:30. What a relief to get my food box and get in an OK room. It is not a good feeling to be lost, especially when no one can seem to help out. I do not recommend this motel for a potential stay because it is too far off the trail (even taking the proper way),expensive, cheaply built and run, no breakfast bar, and not easy to hitch to. The only good thing is that there is a super Walmart within a mile and that was convienent for re-stocking. After shopping, more eating cleaning up, etc. I tried to figure out how I would handle tomorrow. I did not want to miss 2 miles of the AT but knew I could never get back to the crossing at the Orange Turnpike. I finally decided that I would go down Hwy17, go over Arden Mtn twice (Orange Tpk and back). Worst case is that I would fall behind a bit, but just have to make it up later. Total trail miles for the day was only about 8 miles but side trip miles on foot was probably 5 to 6.:o
5/9 - I was up early and immediately got on Hwy 17 in the muggy light rain. No one picked me up and I walked the 3 miles to the trail crossing and headed south. I think I picked the worst 2 miles of the trail in NY to do twice. It was a steep ascent up the mountain with many slippery climbs. I averaged about 1 MPH. As I approached Orange Tpk and heard the cars, I dropped my pack and ran down to the road crossing. Then I turned around, picked up my pack (about .1 mile up the mtn.) and worked my way back to Hwy 17. I started at the entrance to Harriman (Hwy 17) at about 11:00 AM and went up through the lemon squeezer. I fit through OK but had to take the pack off and push it up on the ledge. The trail climbs up some pretty rough areas, almost to the point of being ridiculous. For the last 2 days, it appears that the trail builders wanted to make your hike a climbing challenge rather then a trail that gets you from point A to point B in the most efficient way.:cool: In any case, I ate my lunch near the top, signed the register at Fingerboard shelter, and walked on down to Tiorati Circle picnic grounds which was not officially open but did have water, restrooms, and a soda machine. There was a bike race going on and bunches of people there. After some refreshment, I hiked on to Brien Shelter and called it a day one shelter short of my planned stop (West Mountain). So I guess my official Northbound progress mileage was about 12 but I did the extra 2 plus about 4 miles off the trail. No one showed up at Brien shelter that night.
5/10 - Hiked from Brien Shelter to Graymoor Friary. I was up fairly early because I had heard that this day of hiking might be pretty tough. Sure enough, right out of the shelter, you get routed up a big boulder hill. The going was a bit slow and a bit rugged. I ate lunch on West Mountain and enjoyed the views and the breeze. It was warming up quickly. From there it was up Bear Mountain with a break at Perkins Tower. The water was turned off, but they had a Coke machine. Also, the trail has been re-routed up a part of Perkins Drive, so the climb up Bear Mtn is a piece of cake in comparison to the old agony grind section (although, at first, I missed the re-route and began to start up the old trail with faded blazes before realizing that this section has not been maintained in years). I had a big lunch at the Bear Mtn. Park Inn and it was nice to sit in an air conditioned restaurant, even though I felt bad about walking in there all stinky and sweaty. They did not seem to mind though :) . After lunch, I explored around the grounds a bit. As a kid, I used to come up here with my parents and watch the sking and ski jumping. Judging by the tree growth on the old slope, I would say that they closed that down a good 20 or more years ago.:-? In any case, I moved on through the zoo and trail museum after eating an ice cream from the machine. The walk across the bridge was not too fun because they were painting it and had construction equipment blocking the trail (sidewalk). The climb up from the Hudson river was a PITA because it was getting very hot. I walked on to Graymoor and decided to sleep on the concrete under the canopy in the ballfield.. That ended up being a good move because it stormed through the night. Total trail miles were about 16.
5/11 - Hiked from the Graymoor Monastery to RPH shelter. The day started out very damp and humid but gradually the weather improved a bit. The mesquitos were really showing up in the wet sections. I was able to get water from the pumphouse at Dennytown Rd and that was convenient. There were a few ridge climbs, but nothing too serious. I stopped and used the water pump at Shenandoah camping site (nice site), but the water is full of iron and rust and once your thirst is satisfied, you notice the awlful aftertaste of the iron. It warmed up way beyond the comfort zone in the afternoon so when I got to RPH, I hung my sweaty wet clothes on the clothes line that was behind the shelter. RPH is a nice shelter with finished inside walls (plaster), windows, and bunks. There are 3 picnic tables, a new privy, and a water pump. Unfortunately, the water is also full of rust and iron but the caretaker has provided a watering can that you can pump water into and filter out for drinking purposes. Later that evening, Boy Wonder, a through hiker, arrived. He had just hiked in from Fort Montgomery for about a 26 mile day. Total trail miles for me was 18.9 miles.
5/12 - Hiked from RPH to Morgan Stewart Shelter. This was a pretty short day but the nice thing was that I hiked down to the Mountain Top Market on Hwy 52 for some supplies and had an excellent foot long roast beef sandwich on a very fresh and tasty roll that they call a wedge. I needed the break because it was getting hot out (mid 80s). Just before leaving, I had an ice cream. I got to the shelter about 1:30 and had plenty of time to kill. Boy Wonder showed up. He took a long break at the pizza place near the deli and was definitely suffering some effects from the heat. I decided to go down to the pump and wash myself and my clothes (keeping a distance from the actual well, of course). The cold water felt good and when I got back up to the shelter, Boy Wonder was just waking up from a nap. He decided to take off about 4:00 PM and planned on hiking into the late evening. No one else showed up that night. Trail miles were about 9.
5/13 - Hiked from Morgan Stewart to Wiley Webatuck shelter. The first part of the day was pretty easy going. I had hoped to be able to get a hot dog at the stand on Rt. 55, but when I got there at 10:00 AM there was no stand. I asked a local if there was supposed to be a hot dog place here and he said that they usually pull in about 11:00. Then I realized it was a mobile operation (hot dog stand on wheels). I decided to move on rather then wait another hour and when I got to Nuclear Lake, I decided to cool down a bit by soaking my feet and splashing myself with water. By then, it was in the low 80s so the water felt good. I took a lunch break at the Telephone Pioneers shelter and talked briefly to a Southbounder who warned me to expect some charging bulls at an upcoming pasture crossing. A number of people were chased in this particular location and had noted this unpleasent experience in the register. I crossed the railroad at the AT Railroad Station, and much to my delight, there was an open hot dog stand a little further on Rt. 22. After a break, I crossed the field but did not get charged by any bulls. There was lightning flashing about 1/2 mile away and the clouds were building fast. I hate being in open exposed areas when this is happening, so I moved through at a very fast pace. I made it Wiley shelter late in the day and amazingly, the storm stayed just to my west. In fact I actually got a good breeze from the storm. No one else showed up that night. The water is available from a pump, further down the trail, but it must be filtered. Total trail miles were 16.6.
5/14 - Hiked from Wiley to Mt Algo Lean-to. I crossed over in to Connecticut early in the morning. The hiking was pretty easy with one minor climb over 10 mile Hill. Down at Bulls Bridge Rd, I went to the right, over the covered bridge, and stopped at the little general store in town to grab a snack. They really didn't have too much there but I got a couple of bagels, ice cream, and a juice. Back on the trail there was a little road section and an easy but long climb up to the ridge. I got to Mt Algo shelter later in the day, left my pack there and walked into Kent. There were a lot of packs left at the shelter area, so I knew to expect a crowd there later, especially since it was Friday evening. In Kent, I went to the P.O. to get a stamp and some cash. I was running low on money and decided to just get a Deli sandwich from the IGA rather then splurge on a restaurant. Kent is pretty nice with some green spaces and benches to sit on. I went to the outfitters to kill time and had an ice cream before heading back to the shelter. Since the weather was nice, everyone but me tented. Most of the noise from the youth group ended by 10:30 PM so I really did get some good sleep. Total trail miles were 12.4 with another 4+ of walking off the trail. I met section hikers Scoop and Bucket at the shelter.
5/15 - TO BE CONTINUED
Here is where I stayed and a few things I remembered:
4/20 - Left Doyle Hotel in Duncannon in late morning and hiked to Clarks Ferry Shelter. Wanted to go further but needed to prevent bad muscle soreness. Nice views of Duncannon and river going up to ridge.
4/21 - Easy hike to Peters Mtn Shelter. Still going easy to break in body. Long decent/ascent to get water, but interesting steps built into trail. Started to go to sleep at dusk and 2 thru hikers came in from Darlington. They were a young couple called the SoleMates who started 2/1/04. Shelter was over run with mice and they woke me up several times.
4/22 - Hiked to Rausch Gap shelter. Time to get serious with a 17.5 mile hike. I was tiring often after lunch and took frequent short breaks, but this was not too technical a section. Rausch Gap has the water right in front of the shelter flowing in a stainless steel trough. The SoleMates came in later that evening. They had slept until 10:00 AM at Peter's Mtn. We talked in the evening and they were great company. There was a threat of rain that night and the next day, but it never happened. Shelter was mouse free.
4/23 - Hiked to 501 Shelter. Another long day, but the body is adjusting well. This 17.4 mile stretch was also easy and I did not tire out in the afternoon. Shelter is beautiful and I shared it with the Solemates and a couple of late arrivers who were just doing a short hike. I had a cell phone, so we used it to order Pizza and Pepsi. Food can be delivered out to the highway which is only a short walk. I could not finish all of my pizza and offered it, but there were no takers until the next morning when Jacob SoleMate ate it for breakfast.:)
4/24 - Hiked about 16.5 miles and tented off trail about 1.2 miles beyond Eagles Nest shelter. This was Saturday and a bunch of weekenders were heading to the shelter. I prefer not to be around late evening partying on the AT. I hike the trail to disassociate myself from the regular town social routine. I am not a recluse and I do enjoy talking to distance hikers, but that night I wanted to be by myself in the woods. I hung my food properly to avoid bear problems. The hike was mostly easy (a few climbs and some rocks) and I met and hiked for a while with Beesknees and Relentless who are hiking from Harpers Ferry to Katahdin. They camped a few tenths of a mile beyond me.
4/25 - Had an easy hike into Port Clinton but it started raining about a mile before I got there. I checked into the Port Clinton Hotel, showered, and had a great burger and a mountain of fries at their restaurant. After that, I walked down to the outfitters just to check it out and kill time. The SoleMates and Beesknees and Relentless were there too. I did my wash back at the Hotel and got some awesome fudge at the Peanut Shop. After finishing the wash I went back in the restaurant to join the group for an ice cream. Much to my surprise, Beesknees picked up the tab for my treat. I was very elated that she did that :) . After everyone left, I got bored and walked about 1 1/2 miles down the highway to Burger King and ate a salad there. I got caught in the rain walking back. There is a new Microtel motel down by the Interstate which would be nicer then the Port Clinton Hotel which has very saggy beds and a very minimal room with shared bathroom facilities.
4/26 - Picked up my food drop at 7:30 AM at the P.O. and headed 15.2 miles to the Eckville shelter. It rained constantly the entire day, so I just walked pretty much non-stop, munching on some leftover fudge and trail mix. I got to the shelter at 2:15 PM and put on dry warm clothes. The rain was cold. The hike was pretty easy with one climb out of town and a few ups and downs. The rocks were appearing often but causing me no trouble. The shelter is a converted garage in the caretakers back yard and can accomodate a limited number of hikers comfortably. By 5:00 PM I was pretty much dried out and warmed up. The caretaker came by and offered me a Pepsi. He did not have the snacks stocked up in the refridge yet, but the bathroom was open. No one else showed up that night.
4/27 - Hiked 17.4 miles to Bake Oven. Weather was nice and I had good views from Dan's Pulpit, balanced rocks, and Bake Oven knob. There was a chill in the air, but awesome hiking. A rain shower started late in the day and just as I was ready to put the pack cover on, I saw the sign for the shelter and ran on in. No one else showed up that evening. The shelter is old and very basic but I had no problems with mice. Water was nearby. I slept like a rock anticipating tomorrows big hike.
4/28 - Hiked 23.5 miles to Leroy Smith Shelter. I got up early and it was brutally cold with the wind blowing. No water bottles were frozen, but the chill factor had to be in the low 20s. Hiking across the Blue Mountain Ridge, I had a ski face mask on and gloves on my hands. I also had a nylon wind breaker over my long sleeve hiking shirt. The views were outstanding along the ridge. I stopped at Outerbridge shelter and made breakfast. Then I continued down to the road and up to the Lehigh ridge. This was a major, exciting climb, especially with the gusty winds blowing. Hiking on the ridge was easy and I made good time. I arrived at Leroy Smith about 6:00 PM and was pretty beat but not feeling that bad. The rocks were a little tough, but I expected worst.
I had just filtered some water from a stream earlier so I did not have to use anymore energy to search it out that evening. The shelter is a bit off the trail and down an old service road. There was no getting bored that night because by the time I made supper and cleaned up it was dark and I fell asleep within minutes. No one else showed up. The register was missing from this shelter.
4/29 - I had to search out the water source and as it ended up, I had to go further down the road to the 2nd of 3 possible sources. I really didn't feel bad after yesterdays long hike and pushed on strong through the day. The rocks DID seem to be a significant factor and there werea few ridiculous climbs over boulder fields and mounds. Nevertheless, I arrived at my proposed destination of Kirkman shelter at 3:30 in the afternoon. After snacking a bit and taking in the views, I decided to push on to the Water Gap and try to get one of those $42 rooms at the Ramada. That is what I did and it was a good choice because I met 6 guys with tons of gear who were heading up to the shelter for an overnight stay. These were not experienced hikers and even though they were very nice, I expected that they would be talking way past my bedtime.:o The hike through town was a drag and my feet were definitely hurting, but I got a room and got cleaned up real well. I had a good meal at the diner and slept like a rock. I ended up hiking about 21 miles.
4/30 - It was time to take it easy. I ate and ate off the breakfast bar, rinsed out my clothes and let them dry. Checkout time was noon and I took advantage of that. I walked over to the pack shop for some bug repellent and talked to Larry there. We worked out a possible shuttle arrangement from Massachusetts since he was going to be up there on the day I was finishing. I walked over to the bus station to inquire about schedules from DWG to Harrisburg. As I headed back to the trail, I ate a big lunch and headed to the P.O. for my box of food. While they were closed for lunch, I walked through a big antique/museum store looking at all the neat stuff. Finally, I got out of town and headed for the backpackers campsite. I got there about 3:30 and found about the only flat, rock free area in the entire site. I set up the tent and chilled out for a while but got bored. I found a water source and filled all my bottles. Finally one other pair of hikers showed up, but for a Friday, I was surprised that we were the only folks there. Later that evening, I walked up around Sunfish Pond and got back to my tent right at dark.
5/1 - Planning another easy day, I slept in enough to give the tent plenty of time to dry out. I walked up around Sunfish Pond and up on the Kittatiny Mountain Ridge. Today was the Boy Scout Central District manditory hike day and there were hundreds of scouts going south bound. I spend a lot of time talking to a few scouts and their leaders. One leader had done extensive hiking on the AT and had a little information for me as I went north. It was a good thing I was not in a hurry. I have never seen so many people on the trail at one time. When I got to the road crossing for the Mohawk Outdoor Center, I decided to check it out so I walked up there. As it ended up, they had a bunk available, so I took it, although later I did not feel good about the price they charged me which was $21 plus tax. That aside, you get use of a bunk room with a kitchen (sink and refridge). The walk to the cabin is about 1/2 mile and from there, another .1 to the shower and bathrooms. I hand washed and dried my hiking clothes. The cabin does have mice in it, so all my food stayed in the refridge. They had a pretty good band playing in the evening back at the check-in lodge. Trail mileage was less then 6 miles today, but I did get to relax and enjoy the nice weather. Had I avoided the stopover in DWG, this would have been a great place to stay and cleanup, inspite of the price. I should mention that the ticks are very bad in this area and up to High Point. I'm sure the situation gets worst as the weather warms. I took all the recommended precautions and never had one embedded, but removed numerous that were crawling on me.
5/2 - Originally planning on staying at Brink Road shelter, I made a change in plans and decided to hook up with my cousin and his family who lives in Stockholm, NJ. I talked to him the night before and he agreed to pick me up at Culvers Gap around 4:00 PM. I made it with no problems (the hike was easy) and we hit a diner for a late afternoon meal. It was great to be with family and they treated me like royalty.
5/3 - This ended up being an unplanned zero day. Heavy rain, wind and temperatures in the 30s looked pretty uninviting from inside a warm house, and when they suggested that I might spend another night, I looked at my maps and schedule, figuring I could make up the mileage, and said "yes". I chilled out and watched a couple of movies on their DVD player.
5/4 - I got dropped off at the trail, a little after 9:00 AM and started toward High Point. The temperature was cold to start but began warming to the upper 40s and mid 50s quickly. This is ideal hiking weather. I ate lunch on Sunrise Mtn and snacked again at Mashipacong shelter. I did not find the hiking to be that difficult. I chatted briefly with a couple of Southbounders, something Bear (female hiker) and Anchor. I got to the State Park Office, but it had already closed. I walked up the trail to the observation platform at High Point and rested a bit while taking in the views. I continued on to the shelter and was pleased to find it very convenient to water and a bear box. The site was clean too. The total trail mileage was about 14-15.
5/5 - This morning I decided to do a little exploring to try and find the old AT that originally went up the mountain and right next to the monument. I backtracked about a mile and took the blue blaze trail up to the monument. I got the feeling that this part of the blue blaze was the original AT. Up at the monument, I found that there was major construction going on and the area was all fenced in. I went out the back parking lot and thought I found the old AT, but I really never found any evidence of it going down the mountain northbound. I bushwacked along the mountainside and went as far as a swampy area, but them worked my way around it and back down the mountainside until I met the new trail. Then I went back to the shelter, got my pack, and headed out. I eventually worked my way toward Unionville and when I got to Lott St, I went into town for a great burger at the bar and then to the store for some supplies. I met Jim Murray (secret shelter owner) at the store and we chatted for a few minutes. It was a nice break. Then it was on to the Walkill wildlife preserve. I took my time through this easy section, sitting on the benches and watching the birds. Eventually I started up the mountain and got water at the house before the shelter and decided to call it a day at Pochunk Mtn. shelter. No one else showed up that night. I hiked about 12.4 trail miles but another 3 or 4 just exploring and hiking into town.
5/6 - Hiked from Pochunk Mtn to Wawayanda shelter. One of the interesting things today was hiking across a large wetland with one a very long wooden boardwalk. I am guessing it was near a mile long. For the most part, the hike was easy this day. I stopped at Heaven Hills Farm and bought a few goodies, used their picnic table to eat lunch, and then had an ice cream. From there, it was a climb up to PinWheel Vista with some pretty sites of the valley. I got to Wawayanda shelter late in the day and was able to get water at the park office. The ranger even let me in the maintenance building to buy a Coke from the employee break room. Later that evening, I got bored and decided to walk down to the lake. It was a long walk and I probably did another 4 miles just exploring. Back at the shelter, I went to sleep but was awaken a little after 10, when 2 guys came in. They were Ward and Will and had been dropped off to do a section hike to Bear Mountain over a long weekend. They went to bed about midnight and it started raining shortly after that. Total trail miles was only 13.7.
5/7 - Hiked from Wawayanda shelter to Wildcat shelter. The rain had stopped and it slowly cleared as I hiked toward State LIne and the Ridges over Greenwood Lake. I stopped for lunch on the rock ridges and enjoyed the cool breezes. It had started to warm up which meant I had to watch for the water sources more frequently. This time of the year it is really not much of a problem, but on a warm day, you can consume water very rapidly. I had another big treat today. When I crossed highway 17A, I went to the new Bellvale Creamery for an ice cream sundae and a cold soda. This place is only .2 miles to the left (north) on 17A, but is hidden by a curve. Some day- hikers let me know about it. I got to Wildcat about 3:45 PM. Ward and Will showed up a little later and the Solemates came in a little later that evening. I was surprised to see them but they had just come back from a couple days in New York City. After everyone was asleep that night, we were abruptly awaken by the howls and screams of a nearby pack of coyoties. Apparently, they had caught a deer or other pray and were announcing to the pack. Total trail mileage was 12 miles.
5/8 - This was a mail drop day, but also the biggest screwup of my hike. I had made a reservation at the the American Budget Inn in Harriman, NY and had also mailed a food box to the motel. I chose this place, because the closer motel, Tuxedo Motel, had no rooms available when I called in early April. Well the screwup was that I did not pay attention to my maps and when I got to the Orange Turnpike, I thought I was at Hwy 17 and I started walking/hitching up the road. I went for about 2 miles before some young guys picked me up. I told them I needed to go to Harriman to a motel up there. They looked at me kind of funny but took me further up the road. I guess we drove for 6 to 7 miles and I started to get panicky and knew something was wrong. After talking to them for a while I suddenly realized I was not on Hwy 17 and these kids really did not know where I was going. Finally, they dropped me off at a strip mall in Monroe, NY and took off. I talked to some people and got some vague directions. After walking south for about a mile, I found someone who had actually heard of the motel and gave me some better directions. It was 2:00 PM and I had not eaten anything since breakfast and was getting a little light headed. I went by a small bar/restaurant called Legends and saw that they had a burger, fries, and Bud special for $4.99. Down went the pack and into the bar I went. I talked to a few patrons and the waitress even let me use their phone so I could call the motel. The motel people had no idea where I was at and suggested I call a cab, but after talking to enough people, I came to the conclusion that I was about 1 1/2 miles away from the motel. I finally was able to walk the rest of the way in and got there by 3:30. What a relief to get my food box and get in an OK room. It is not a good feeling to be lost, especially when no one can seem to help out. I do not recommend this motel for a potential stay because it is too far off the trail (even taking the proper way),expensive, cheaply built and run, no breakfast bar, and not easy to hitch to. The only good thing is that there is a super Walmart within a mile and that was convienent for re-stocking. After shopping, more eating cleaning up, etc. I tried to figure out how I would handle tomorrow. I did not want to miss 2 miles of the AT but knew I could never get back to the crossing at the Orange Turnpike. I finally decided that I would go down Hwy17, go over Arden Mtn twice (Orange Tpk and back). Worst case is that I would fall behind a bit, but just have to make it up later. Total trail miles for the day was only about 8 miles but side trip miles on foot was probably 5 to 6.:o
5/9 - I was up early and immediately got on Hwy 17 in the muggy light rain. No one picked me up and I walked the 3 miles to the trail crossing and headed south. I think I picked the worst 2 miles of the trail in NY to do twice. It was a steep ascent up the mountain with many slippery climbs. I averaged about 1 MPH. As I approached Orange Tpk and heard the cars, I dropped my pack and ran down to the road crossing. Then I turned around, picked up my pack (about .1 mile up the mtn.) and worked my way back to Hwy 17. I started at the entrance to Harriman (Hwy 17) at about 11:00 AM and went up through the lemon squeezer. I fit through OK but had to take the pack off and push it up on the ledge. The trail climbs up some pretty rough areas, almost to the point of being ridiculous. For the last 2 days, it appears that the trail builders wanted to make your hike a climbing challenge rather then a trail that gets you from point A to point B in the most efficient way.:cool: In any case, I ate my lunch near the top, signed the register at Fingerboard shelter, and walked on down to Tiorati Circle picnic grounds which was not officially open but did have water, restrooms, and a soda machine. There was a bike race going on and bunches of people there. After some refreshment, I hiked on to Brien Shelter and called it a day one shelter short of my planned stop (West Mountain). So I guess my official Northbound progress mileage was about 12 but I did the extra 2 plus about 4 miles off the trail. No one showed up at Brien shelter that night.
5/10 - Hiked from Brien Shelter to Graymoor Friary. I was up fairly early because I had heard that this day of hiking might be pretty tough. Sure enough, right out of the shelter, you get routed up a big boulder hill. The going was a bit slow and a bit rugged. I ate lunch on West Mountain and enjoyed the views and the breeze. It was warming up quickly. From there it was up Bear Mountain with a break at Perkins Tower. The water was turned off, but they had a Coke machine. Also, the trail has been re-routed up a part of Perkins Drive, so the climb up Bear Mtn is a piece of cake in comparison to the old agony grind section (although, at first, I missed the re-route and began to start up the old trail with faded blazes before realizing that this section has not been maintained in years). I had a big lunch at the Bear Mtn. Park Inn and it was nice to sit in an air conditioned restaurant, even though I felt bad about walking in there all stinky and sweaty. They did not seem to mind though :) . After lunch, I explored around the grounds a bit. As a kid, I used to come up here with my parents and watch the sking and ski jumping. Judging by the tree growth on the old slope, I would say that they closed that down a good 20 or more years ago.:-? In any case, I moved on through the zoo and trail museum after eating an ice cream from the machine. The walk across the bridge was not too fun because they were painting it and had construction equipment blocking the trail (sidewalk). The climb up from the Hudson river was a PITA because it was getting very hot. I walked on to Graymoor and decided to sleep on the concrete under the canopy in the ballfield.. That ended up being a good move because it stormed through the night. Total trail miles were about 16.
5/11 - Hiked from the Graymoor Monastery to RPH shelter. The day started out very damp and humid but gradually the weather improved a bit. The mesquitos were really showing up in the wet sections. I was able to get water from the pumphouse at Dennytown Rd and that was convenient. There were a few ridge climbs, but nothing too serious. I stopped and used the water pump at Shenandoah camping site (nice site), but the water is full of iron and rust and once your thirst is satisfied, you notice the awlful aftertaste of the iron. It warmed up way beyond the comfort zone in the afternoon so when I got to RPH, I hung my sweaty wet clothes on the clothes line that was behind the shelter. RPH is a nice shelter with finished inside walls (plaster), windows, and bunks. There are 3 picnic tables, a new privy, and a water pump. Unfortunately, the water is also full of rust and iron but the caretaker has provided a watering can that you can pump water into and filter out for drinking purposes. Later that evening, Boy Wonder, a through hiker, arrived. He had just hiked in from Fort Montgomery for about a 26 mile day. Total trail miles for me was 18.9 miles.
5/12 - Hiked from RPH to Morgan Stewart Shelter. This was a pretty short day but the nice thing was that I hiked down to the Mountain Top Market on Hwy 52 for some supplies and had an excellent foot long roast beef sandwich on a very fresh and tasty roll that they call a wedge. I needed the break because it was getting hot out (mid 80s). Just before leaving, I had an ice cream. I got to the shelter about 1:30 and had plenty of time to kill. Boy Wonder showed up. He took a long break at the pizza place near the deli and was definitely suffering some effects from the heat. I decided to go down to the pump and wash myself and my clothes (keeping a distance from the actual well, of course). The cold water felt good and when I got back up to the shelter, Boy Wonder was just waking up from a nap. He decided to take off about 4:00 PM and planned on hiking into the late evening. No one else showed up that night. Trail miles were about 9.
5/13 - Hiked from Morgan Stewart to Wiley Webatuck shelter. The first part of the day was pretty easy going. I had hoped to be able to get a hot dog at the stand on Rt. 55, but when I got there at 10:00 AM there was no stand. I asked a local if there was supposed to be a hot dog place here and he said that they usually pull in about 11:00. Then I realized it was a mobile operation (hot dog stand on wheels). I decided to move on rather then wait another hour and when I got to Nuclear Lake, I decided to cool down a bit by soaking my feet and splashing myself with water. By then, it was in the low 80s so the water felt good. I took a lunch break at the Telephone Pioneers shelter and talked briefly to a Southbounder who warned me to expect some charging bulls at an upcoming pasture crossing. A number of people were chased in this particular location and had noted this unpleasent experience in the register. I crossed the railroad at the AT Railroad Station, and much to my delight, there was an open hot dog stand a little further on Rt. 22. After a break, I crossed the field but did not get charged by any bulls. There was lightning flashing about 1/2 mile away and the clouds were building fast. I hate being in open exposed areas when this is happening, so I moved through at a very fast pace. I made it Wiley shelter late in the day and amazingly, the storm stayed just to my west. In fact I actually got a good breeze from the storm. No one else showed up that night. The water is available from a pump, further down the trail, but it must be filtered. Total trail miles were 16.6.
5/14 - Hiked from Wiley to Mt Algo Lean-to. I crossed over in to Connecticut early in the morning. The hiking was pretty easy with one minor climb over 10 mile Hill. Down at Bulls Bridge Rd, I went to the right, over the covered bridge, and stopped at the little general store in town to grab a snack. They really didn't have too much there but I got a couple of bagels, ice cream, and a juice. Back on the trail there was a little road section and an easy but long climb up to the ridge. I got to Mt Algo shelter later in the day, left my pack there and walked into Kent. There were a lot of packs left at the shelter area, so I knew to expect a crowd there later, especially since it was Friday evening. In Kent, I went to the P.O. to get a stamp and some cash. I was running low on money and decided to just get a Deli sandwich from the IGA rather then splurge on a restaurant. Kent is pretty nice with some green spaces and benches to sit on. I went to the outfitters to kill time and had an ice cream before heading back to the shelter. Since the weather was nice, everyone but me tented. Most of the noise from the youth group ended by 10:30 PM so I really did get some good sleep. Total trail miles were 12.4 with another 4+ of walking off the trail. I met section hikers Scoop and Bucket at the shelter.
5/15 - TO BE CONTINUED