We had a little visitor last night. I stayed in my tent near the shelter. One of the biggest problems with shelters are that hikers hang their food bags. Just like Yosemite Bears that know what an ice chest provides, AT Bears are also keen on the fact that hanging bags have treats in them! Pop Tarts, Candy Bars, Tuna Packets and much more, are fair game. So once everyone was tucked into their tents or snuggled in the shelter, Mr. Bear made his rounds. He was loud and he was big! Luckily, no food bags were taken, this time but he gave it a good try.

After all the ruckus, I finally fell to sleep. Oh and what a good sleep I had. I can’t remember the last time I had a dream, but they were pretty darn vivid last night. I was up with the birds. Drank my coffee, packed up and nodded ado to my camping mates.

Today was a big day. The first bit of business was visiting a well known star of the trail.. The Dover Oak, the largest oak tree on the AT, is on the east side of the West Dover Road. The tree is estimated at over 300 years old, and has a diameter of approximately six feet. As I was admiring this majestic beauty, Bear came by and took my picture. I pale in comparison to this giant!

Up ahead was glorious pastures that gave great views of the surrounding hillsides. I re-entered the forest briefly and within a mile, it opened up to a swamp land. Fortunately there was an amazing boardwalk constructed that elevated me and everyone else above the wetlands. It went on for more than a mile. Easy flat walking. What a concept!

As I exited, the infamous train station was ahead. Well not really a station per de, but a bench and train tracks. Norman sat for awhile, waiting for the train. I wasn’t sure if he was hoping to go to NYC or Wassaic? No train arrived so we carried on.

Next exciting thing that happened was….drum roll please, I left NY and entered Connecticut. I had a climb up and over a few fences first, much like the illegals coming in America, but I made it. No one detained me, no immigration agents waiting, not even a stamp on my AT Passport. Just me crossing the billboard that said “Welcome to Connecticut- Gateway to New England”.

I have decided that I love Connecticut. There was a sharp difference once I walked through their pearly gates. The trail is tended, the rocks are removed, and the ferns are somehow greener here. I’m not sure but I’m thinking the next 51.7 miles of trail will be like walking on air. Okay, maybe not, but I am as excited as I can be once I saw the trail improvements. Have you ever driven on California Roads, Freeways and when you cross over to another state like Nevada, all the potholes are gone. That’s what it’s like. It’s a stark difference from NY to Connecticut. I think I’ll just stay here.

There was a nice climb out of the fen grotto but it would go up, and then level out. Just enough time for me to catch my breath. Then up again. These volunteers really know how to make this hiker happy. I made it to the top of Ten Mile Hill when I heard a bunch of boys singing and celebrating as they made it to the top also. They were coming from the north, headed southbound and we intersected each other.

There was eight or more of them from a Jewish Synagogue out for an overnighter. This was impressive. These boys didn’t have the ultralight packs, but rather had school backpacks with sleeping bags tied around their waists or propped under their arms. And you know what? It didn’t matter. They were going out for an adventure and having a grand time. We talked for a bit, told them where the water sources were and they carried on. What a fun night they will have.

The trail led down to Ten Mile River and into Kent. A very very small community with a local store and restaurant. I stopped in and devoured a bag of tortilla chips, guacamole, two apples, a block of cheese that I’ll save for later and a pint of Pistachio Ice Cream. Yep, that’s how I roll. Oh, and a Sparkling Water. I feasted for an hour or so and talked to several hikers. We all gorged ourselves on junk food and we’re happy as clams. Finally around 6pm, I waddled back to the trail.

Another day on the trail. Today was like no other day. Highs all day long, and much to see. What was perfectly culminated was my phone call to Dad wishing him a wonderful Father’s Day. I am so blessed to have him in my life. My Dad has been the guidance that I needed when I was unsure what to do next. He has been the one and only man Mom truly loved, and he loved her immeasurably. I have learned so much from this man and am so grateful and thankful for his kindness. Dad, you are the greatest father a daughter could ever ask for. I love you more and more everyday. Promise to stay healthy and walk the dog. Buddy needs it and so do you. I love you always. Happy Fathers Day!

I had the opportunity to sleep in this morning. Eddie, C2T’s hubby is delivering some items to me at 10am. He has a mattress inflator which saves me from blowing my mattress up manually. It’s the little things that make me giddy! George sent me a care package with Jelly Belly’s, Poison Oak Drops, and a lovely card. It was so nice to get special gifts from home.

I packed up my stuff at 8:30am, way late for me, but I still wasn’t the last one left on the lawn. I headed to the Deli and had my most favorite egg sandwich to date. It was loaded with fresh vegetables and hash browns. I ate every last bite. Even the guys that worked there, complimented my sandwich! Eddie arrived precisely at 10am. He had my boxes of goodies and drove me back to the trail.

My feet hit the ground around 10:30am so I was a bit behind. The trail was stupendous today. Nothing too technical, no crazy climbs just mellow ups and downs. My goal was to make it to Walter Shelter for lunch. I had leftover pizza from last night. I love leftovers from town. I arrived and within a few minutes, Bear showed up. He’s a thru-hiker who met C2T eons ago. I’ve never met him but he’s hiking from Shelter to Shelter. I’ll probably be seeing him again. We talked about our strategy for the day. There is water another couple miles north, then waterless for twelve miles.

We both decided to go for the Telephone Shelter being there’s rain coming. I think we have a change in the weather, finally, and there should be more rain on the horizon. I left the Shelter and just like yesterday, it started raining within a few minutes. There was some rolling thunder and one lightening strike that I saw. But within thirty minutes, it was gone.

I had a couple of slips on the wet leaves. The rocks are manageable but them leaves are hazardous. If only George could go ahead of me, and with his blower, blow them leaves off the trail. Is that asking too much? With the recent rain, there’s a few mushrooms popping up and salamanders coming out. It’s good to see the plants and critters enjoying this recent rainfall. God knows they need it back here.

I meandered along the trail, in no big hurry. There was a lake I walked along called Nuclear Lake. They had signs warning people to not drink from it. Really??? With a name like that, I’m not taking any chances. It was quite pretty with geese swimming and doing their goose butt dive. They were like synchronized swimmers, all diving down at once.

I made it to the Shelter and saw another woman. It seems all the gals have gone home. She was a weekend overnighter with her husband and friends. They all had chairs, had gathered wood and started a fire. Here on the East Coast, you can have campfires everyday. It was so nice being I was a bit chilled from the rain, and sweating too.

I had brought my new inflator over and sure enough, the gal had the same one I had. It wasn’t working so she got her Goal Pro Charger, and charged it up for me. So nice to have a fully charged battery that you can share with a stranger. She told me she was heading home tomorrow so it wasn’t like she was going to need it. Now my inflator is ready to be used. My lungs are so relieved!

I had my Chicken Pho Soup and more Jelly Belly’s. Such a good dessert and very satisfying. We sat around the fire for a bit and exchanged ideas on gear and shoes. It’s so interesting to see what people have and use.

As I was finished eating, Holly showed up. She has been hiking around me for a bit and also is a Flip-Flopper. She was hiking with a guy from Hungry named Steve, who ended up with a overuse injury. He went home a couple of days ago. That’s the problem with doing long miles, day after day. Your body never gets a chance to repair and heal, and before long, you get something debilitating. Holly’s a Christian and is working with other women to get outside and hike. I admire her can do, get it done, attitude.

I feel like I’m getting into a rhythm now. My body is happy, no real issues and as long as I keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, I feel like this is my time. The weather has been ideal with a light rain or sprinkle, but no major downpours. I’m in my tent right now and it’s a light drizzle outside. I can handle that, and so can my tent.

The north end of New York has been quite nice. I have only a few more miles, and I’ll be entering Connecticut. Hard to believe. Another state almost done. I’m taking my time enjoying the scenery more these past days. It’s been nice to have easier terrain and not having to watch every step. God willing, I will continue this path and before long, I’ll be in state number ten. Georgia, N. Carolina, Tennessee, half of Virginia, W. Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and ready to check off New York. That makes me tired just thinking about where I’ve walked. I think I’m ready for my nightly rest.

I so needed good rest. I think my legs are starting to request time off. The miles were not excessive yesterday, but those stairs were something else. I don’t believe I have anything quite like that today. My neighbors from the Motel were living it up last night. Possibly a bit too much libations. After listening to a couple of podcasts, I finally fell asleep, way past my bedtime.

Me and the Father-Son Duo were driven to the trail bright and early. Grandpa Al took good care of us. Some Owner/Operator’s don’t understand how important it is to start early. The sooner I get on the trail, the sooner I can get my miles in and relax. On the PCT, it was 10X10. Ten miles by 10am. On the AT, I’m happy with 10X12 and that’s a push. Needless to say, I should be moving as early as possible.

The weather has been cooperating today. A nice breeze to keep the mosquitoes away because they have been feasting on me lately. I don’t like using Deet and all the Chemical Laden sprays but I need something. My Mom used to swear by Vitamin B12 so I’ll be getting some at my next town stop. I’ve got lumps and bumps all over my arms and legs from these blood-sucking instruments of Satan. I know there’s some redeeming quality of mosquitoes but I can’t seem to remember what that is?

I made it to the Appalachian Market. It’s quite an Icon on the trail. It’s more of a convenient store with hot food to order. I had my new favorite breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese and some sort of meat. Today was bacon. While I was waiting in line to pay, a day hiker told me to get something else to eat, and he’d buy it. Seriously, do I look that hungry? I probably do so I reached for a slice of pound cake. We sat and ate our breakfast together.

On my way back to the trail, my belly was full and I was ready to climb. The day wasn’t too hot but it was muggy. The mosquitoes were swarming me. I went to battle and tried to out run them, but that didn’t work. I had a few vistas but nothing too spectacular. I’m amongst the trees, which helps to keep the heat down but not great for seeing any views. The green tunnel is back.

Interesting place I walked through today was an Inoculation Station. When a smallpox epidemic threatened General Washington’s Army in the winter of 1776, he ordered that all troops be inoculated. This foundation, served as that station for the Continental Army. I guess things haven’t changed much since then.

I wasn’t seeing many hikers today. I think the bubble of thru-hikers are still behind and the flip-flippers are scattered. I made it to Dennytown Park which is a large parking area with lawn and water. Extending my luxurious green mat, I relaxed and ate my lunch of pepperoni and cheese sticks. Whistles caught up and we chatted about where to stay tonight.

Whistles is a young intellectual guy who reads a lot and has many stories to tell. He hikes solo and is forever scaring out bears, porcupines and snakes. This is a great reason to hike alone, if you like that kind of excitement. He wanted to head to the shelter, another 7-8 miles north. I was thinking maybe 1-2 miles max.

He headed out and I followed shortly behind. I was thinking the beaver Pond might have a good flat spot. It did but way too many mosquitoes for my liking. I continued until I came across a fern grotto that had a possible flat area I could clear out. Yep, this will do for the night.

It was a perfect spot with a nice view of the green ferns and a few trees. The birds were great company, squawking and singing as I was setting up camp. I’d be all by myself tonight as no one would be stopping here. I love tenting when there’s no one else. It seems like the way it should be. Just me and the birds and all that Mother Nature has to throw at me.

So I’ve been on trail now for one month. I’ve hiked solo and I’ve hiked with my friends. The Lord brought me people to minister to, to share the trail with and angels to keep me safe. I feel that this journey has been perfectly planned, and just the way He designed it. My knee has recovered well from the rock incident, and the rest of me is feeling much more capable. Within a couple of weeks, my friend Blue will be joining me. She is a strong hiker and hiked with me last year, so she’ll be a welcome partner.

The sweet Lord has been with me all the way, carrying me over rocks and boulders, getting me prepared for the trail ahead. From what I’ve heard, these exercises of climbing, lifting and pulling are the prelude to things to come. Child’s play as they say. So I’m going to need to master this course, or go home! As long as I have Jesus by my side, then I will have everything I need. Well maybe, I will have the Lord take the lead. That’d be a much better plan.

Oh what a difference, a good night of sleep makes. I didn’t wake up till 5:30am. That hasn’t happened in weeks! The birds were singing, and I slept through their chirping. It could’ve been the combination of Melatonin and Benedryl, but I’ve done that before without any remarkable results. I think my legs told my body that they needed to sleep in. I’m definitely good with that.

I slowly got up and decided to cover up from head to toe. If I don’t have any skin exposed, then the mosquitoes will need to look elsewhere. I wore my sleeping ensemble with long sleeve Patagonia shirt and leggings. I’ve decided that my cotton shirt will be my sleeping top and I still have capeline bottoms. No more bites for me.

I headed down the path and quickly started my climb. Fresh legs make such a difference. My feet have been very happy and my ankles are stronger than ever. I made it up and over my first rock pile, then down to Canopus Lake Outlet. It is a lovely lake lined with Lily Pads. On the south side of the lake was an old dial-up phone. What is this? I was looking for a phone booth to house the antique. Ends up that it was placed on the trail to call friends and family who have passed.

This message was attached: Though I’ve lost you, I can hear your voice in the silent echoes of your absence. You speak to me through rustling leaves, whisiling wind and bowing branches. Though I’ve lost you, I feel you here. in this shrine of trees in nature’s sanctuary. This Telephone of the Wind is for all who grieve. You are welcome to find solace here. Please use it to connect with those you have lost. To feel the comfort of their memory. May you hear their voices in the wind. May you be at peace with your losses. I called Mom, then my friend Pam. And I cried.

As I hiked on, I’ve been noticing that my Trail Runners- Brooks Cascadia’s are not holding up so well. I think a lot has to do with the rocks and boulders, but the souls are falling apart. I have a new pair coming July 1st, however, I still need these to do their job for the upcoming 200 miles. As I came around the corner, I saw Tom sitting on the ground. He had his worldly possessions all strung out.

I stopped to see if all was good. Tom told me his food bag wasn’t fitting in his pack and he was readjusting his load. We talked for awhile and I told him about my shoe dilemma. Tom is a Handyman and he quickly went into work mode. I have something that could help hold that shoe together for you. Before I knew it, he had his magic tape, not duct tape but something much more industrial looking. He is repairing my shoe on the side of the trail. My own personal shoe cobbler!

After he’s done, I thank him and bid farewell. Ends up he’s headed to Lake Canopus to get water. I’m headed north. Once I get to the turn off, I realize I can use a bit more water and take the blue blaze. Typically that indicates water or a different trail. I head to the shore and rest for a bit. Just as I’m getting ready to leave, Tom shows up. I point him to the water supply and end up walking with him.

We run into another hiker I have not met yet. His name is Pamcho. We all talk about trail woes, and as I’m leaving again, Can’t Get Up Will comes out of the bathroom. She’s the gal I met on Day One and her fiancé, Poncho, has joined her. We have a bit of a reunion, but now a half an hour later, I’m really ready to leave. I wanted to get some more miles in before the rain started.

Tom walks back with me and proceeds to make some coffee. One cup of coffee won’t make a difference. We talk a bit longer, drink some Java and I bid him farewell for the final time. Most likely I will not see him again as he hikes no more than six to eight miles a day, but I sure enjoyed his company. And extremely grateful for my shoe repair. Thanks Tom.

I scurried on and pushed through the next five miles before stopping for lunch. There was a shelter and I sat down with another hiker, Forest. He decided to stay put till the impending storm blew by. I figured I still had time and left, hiking into the dark omnibus clouds. Sure enough, Forest was right. Within ten minutes, the sky opened up and the rain started falling.

I donned my umbrella and off I went. This umbrella I have is worth it’s weight in gold. It makes such a difference. Instead of wearing a rain jacket or poncho, I just pop up my umbrella, and all is good in my world. It covers me and most my pack, and I’m not all hot and sweaty from wearing my jacket. It’s a lifesaver. I hiked up and over the mountain, again, and made my way to the Pizza/Deli in Stormville, NY. Seriously, that’s the name of the town. You can’t make this stuff up!

By 5pm, I was ordering a Pizza and drinking a canned margarita. While they were making my pizza, I pitched my tent on their manicured grass in back. This is a proper place to stay the night. I have all that I need. A sheltered area under the trees for my tent, soft grass to drive my stakes into and fresh pizza in my belly. I think that ends my most incredible day. And without any additional mosquito bites. Life is quite outstanding.

Today is a bittersweet day. Everyone was up and moving early this morning. No one had to wake the other. We were all awake and tearing down camp. Braveheart was first to pack up and promptly started making her Swiss Mix. She had never experienced Hot Cocoa like this before. And I do believe, this is her new favorite drink.

Shortly before 7am, we were moving out and hiking up West Mountain Ridge. The trail was steep but made of stepping stones that were well placed and solid. Within an hour or less, we were atop the ledges that overlooked many of the ridge lines that we have recently hiked.

The morning was crisp and a storm was brewing. The weather guessers said that we would have significant rain and thunderstorms by noon. We wanted to make sure we were up and off the top of any mountain. So down we went. The trail was about the nicest dirt and forest we have had the pleasure to walk through.

Our next ascent is Bear Mountain. They say that there are many bears on this mountain. Hence it’s name. Never saw a single bear or remnants of any Bear activity. Probably best that way. There were some amazing views as we climbed, including a couple of beautifully constructed wooden benches. We took advantage of the proper bench and sat to take in the views.

Once atop Bear Mountain, we found the vending machines. Chips and Sodas were exactly what we needed. We ate and drank as we listened to the construction workers replacing the roof atop the Observation Tower. They had the tower cordoned off so no chance that we were going to get to climb the up-teen NJ stairs. This did not break my heart as I had already climbed more stairs than I choose to remember.

We headed down Bear Mountain, and I just had to appreciate the crew of volunteers that constructed this stairwell. I’m gonna guess but I’m thinking close to one thousand steps were chiseled, cut and placed on this trail. When I hike day after day, I really need to be more thoughtful of the hundreds of thousands of hours it has taken to complete this trail! It’s mind boggling. The going down was much faster than the climbing.

Once we reached the Hudson River, we followed Hessian Lake around to the Trailside Zoo. Being an AT Hiker, you get free admission into the Zoo. It’s more of a Rescue Habitat for wayward animals. The Trailside Zoo also holds the distinction of being the lowest elevation on the entire Appalachian Trail, at 160 feet above sea level. There were two black bears that are brother and sister. The brother wasn’t too concerned that everyone was gawking at him. But his sister was pretty agitated. You could tell she was looking for a way out. It was sad to see them locked up and not free to eat berries and ferns.

It took us less than a half hour to hike through the zoo. It was quite small but very lush. At the end, we exited and arrived at the Hudson River Bridge. This is where we parted ways. Couch to Trail is heading north. She needs to get to Mt. Katadrin by early August. She plans to jump ahead this weekend so she can guarantee her successful completion. Being she lives in Delaware, she plans to finish up missing segments on weekends. She’s one focused woman and I’m sure she will get it done!

Braveheart has learned so much during these past nine days. She plans to have a friend pick her up and drive her to Albany. From there, she will hike the Empire State Trail and walk home to NYC. This has been in the back of her mind for the past few days and I wish her the best. Both C2T and Braveheart have been great partners. We have incredible memories together. Anyone who has long-distant hiked before understands that we will see one another again. This is a lifelong friendship. So Delaware and Switzerland, I’ll be visiting in the not-to distant future.

I headed into Fort Montgomery with Braveheart. We both had resupply boxes we needed to pickup at the Post Office. We hurried off as we had less than thirty minutes to get there before their lunch break. We followed a vague trail and made it with ten minutes to spare. After getting our boxes, we had lunch and bid each other farewell.

The skies opened up, and the much needed rain came. I decided to find a place to stay the night, and landed at the Bear Mountain Bridge Motel. When I called, there was one room left but the owner wasn’t sure if he wanted to rent it out. He told me the last hiker left with the oddest smell of Citronella, and he couldn’t rid the stench in the room. I’m thinking Citronella is a lovely smell, and it’ll keep the mosquitoes at bay. I’ll take it!

Tomorrow I’ll be back on my own. I have no worries about hiking solo. There’s always people to meet, and other day-0hikers on the trail. My hiking partner Blue will be here within a couple of weeks, and all will be good in my world. I so appreciate the time I had with my Tramily. We covered over 100 miles together, laughed a lot, shared our thoughts and fears, and became good friends. We will always remember out time together, the growth we had, and the friendship we shared. Thank you girls for hiking with me. Much love always and God bless you both.

Some people are just amazing hosts. It goes without saying that Laurie and Kevin are two of the most gracious people I have met on trail. Last night we had this incredible dinner and this morning, Kevin woke up and made French Toast, Bacon, Hash browns that were out of this world, super strong coffee which I needed, and fresh fruit. He told us that he is the Camp Cook for his hunting trips. It’s no doubt that you are well fed in his circle of friends. When our belly’s were full, Laurie drove us back to the trail.

We were on the small ribbon of dirt by 9am and the ground was moist. It was actually very nice with a fresh dusting of rain. Especially since we were inside a grand home, nice and dry and well taken care of. Today was a great day trail wise. it was relatively flatter than days past and there was only marginal rock climbing.

We headed out of Elk Park and within the first hour, we made it to “Lemon Squeezer.” It earned its name because of the crevasse that you pass through. It’s broken boulders that require most hikers to remove their pack to squeeze through. Somehow, someway, we all made it through with a bit of wiggling and pulling. Once you get through this crack, then you are required to climb a rock face. Braveheart attempted and after a few unsuccessful tries, I decided to take the Blue Blaze around the rock. Good call as we all followed suit.

The rest of the day was nice with knolls of grassy fields and minor ups and downs. We stopped for lunch around noon. It was atop a rock and surrounded by Mountain Laurel. The scrub is in bloom, this time of year, with white and pink flowers.

After lunch, we made our way to the only flowing creek for miles and filled up. I would’ve thought with the rain we had last night, that more water would be flowing. But evidently it wasn’t enough to make up for the lackluster Spring. We filled up and off we went. I ran into a group of Asian Men who were all in their 80’s and 90’s. They were out for their weekly hike and covering some miles. They were so jovial and friendly, and quite impressed with us ladies hiking to Katadrin. I was more amazed by the fact they were 80-90 hiking the Lemon Squeezer!

We had a grand day. The weather was nice, not too hot. The terrain was doable, and the ground had only a few rocks. Well, more than a few, but better than usual.

We stopped at William Brien Memorial Shelter, an old stone shelter built by the CCC. The shelter has bunk space for 8 people, and tenting space for many tents. It is one of the oldest structures I’ve seen on the AT. We filled up on Jelly Belly’s and Good & Plenty, preparing for our staircase of granite steps leading up to Black Mountsin.

From the open ledges, there are fine views to the south, including Owl Swamp, Big Bog Mountain, Flaggy Meadow Mountain, and more. What’s more, this is the best view of the New York City skyline you can get from the AT, along with very clear views of the Hudson River. There was a bit of smoke which obscured the view of NY City but you could definitely make out the skyscrapers. It was quite spectacular.

Once we headed down, we had the decision to make. We could take a three mile detour or attempt to bolt across the freeway. I really am not a fan of running in front of 65 mph commuters but I also didn’t desire walking an additional three miles. We reluctantly chose playing chicken on the freeway.

This is completely out of character for me being an Officer of the Law. But I weighed the options and felt if we had a good break of traffic, we could manage. Sure enough, there was a break, we ran and survived to hike another day. It’s really not that bad, as long as you wait for a good opening. We all crossed and within ten minutes, we made it to camp. There is water flowing, which is a welcome sight. We all filled up and headed to the plateau just past the creek.

Homes were built, mosquitoes were active, and we moved quickly. We all sat outside and had our Pad Thai and Cheesy Chicken with Broccoli. Once content, we headed to our respective tents. This was another good day on the AT. I have turned a corner and started embracing the good with the not as good. Praise to the Lord. He is fine tuning me daily.

So most of you know this, but for one’s that do not, I write my blog when I get to camp. After dinner, bathing with wet wipes, which really isn’t a bath but is as good as it gets, I start writing this blog. I’ve been complaining that I haven’t been sleeping well. Braveheart thought it’s because of the Blue Light from my screen on my phone. So Eddie found a way for me to place my screen on Night Shift which keeps the Blur Light to a minimum. Last night was my first attempt at Night Shift.

I woke up this morning and actually slept pretty darn good. I guess there is something truthful about turning your devices off or at least, the displays. The four of us, Mooch spent the night in camp with us, we’re up at 5:30am and on the trail before 7am.

I seriously was hoping that NY was going to be an easier state. As I’m finding out, each state is training ground for the next. NY is just as tough as NJ, which was tougher than PA, and so on… I need to know what I don’t know. Each state I move closer to Maine and every state north is tougher than the state before. Blue, this is a tough training field!

We headed out and it was a roller coaster of mountains and big rock gardens. I’m sorry, but we ain’t in Kansas anymore! Mooch stayed close by through the first few climbs. We had Eastern Pinnacles and Cat Rocks as a warm up. Once again, these rocks are “put your poles away kind of climbing” and no joke. I’m thinking I may need to rethink this trail.

It was only the beginning of what was going to be another tough day on the AT. After making it up and over the first Boulder climbs, Mooch took off. The three of us were on our own, meandering through these rock walls and climbs. At this point, I’m wondering if I bit off more than I can chew?

We made it down to Trout Creek where water was flowing. We all sat down and gathered up our water supply for the rest of the morning. Once refilled, we headed up towards Fitzgerald Falls. It was not flowing at all. With lack of rainfall, the fall was dry. Such a shame as it would’ve been a nice sight to see.

The trail took a hard left and we headed up the staircase to the top of the dry fall. The trail was a bit hard to follow but Braveheart was doing a great job at recon. We followed her up and over the falls.

At this point, I start sharing with Couch that I may be slowing her down. She has a particular time she wants to be completed at Mt. Katadrin, first week of August. I’d like to think more like the second week of August. She has her trail legs as she’s been out here since February. It’s hard finding that perfect hiking partner. Ends up Couch pushes me uphills and I am on her tail going down. I hope we can compromise and find a good rhythm that works for both of us.

Braveheart has been thinking about turning off at Empire State Trail and hiking back home to Rochester. she has a limited time before her visa runs up, and walking back to where her boyfriend is, makes a lot of sense. She’s familiar with the trail and now that she has conquered her fears, bears and snakes are not as big and bad as they once appeared. Our little girl is growing up.

We finished our day with climbing Buchanan Mountain. It’s another rock scramble that tests your quads and hamstrings. And maybe a bit of biceps and triceps on the pull-ups. This is such a great workout, and I’m thinking if I finish this up alive, maybe I’ll start climbing again! But maybe without a backpack.

Once on top we had a great downhill called Agony Rocks. The routes here do not include switchbacks. They are extreme and they follow a typical rockfall. So if you ever kick a rock down a mountain, whatever way it bounces, is pretty much the way the trail goes. Lucky for me, my knees are my strong suit and I was able to negotiate the downhill slide quite well. It was .5 miles with 800’ descent. Pretty darn steep.

The best part of today is the fact that Cinderella, aka Laurie, is picking us up from Elk Park. I met her last year when I was hiking the AT. She’s retired NYPD and has invited us all to stay at her home for the night. At first, I thought we just got off trail for our town stop but when she reminded me that severe weather was predicted, I rethought our strategy. Sounds like a great idea.

Her home is beautiful. It’s situated on a pond with rolling green grass, and a huge Victorian Style Home on top of the hill. She wined and dined us after we all took showers and laundry. I cannot believe the filth that comes off me after a couple of days in the woods. We had an amazing meal of Chicken Parmigiana, Fettuccine with Tomatoes & Basil, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Maple Syrup and Salad. There was nothing left on our plates.

After 9pm, we all made it to our respective rooms for shuteye. Even off trail, hiker midnight comes early. I think after working out all day, your body requires much rest and nourishment. Instead of crawling in my sleeping bag on my blowup mattress, I was laying in a wonderful bed with Egyptian Cotton Sheets and Goose-Down Pillows. Oh, my life on the trail really isn’t that bad after all.

My sweet Lord has been blessing me with so many gifts these past weeks. The friends I have to hike with are the best. Even connecting me with people I met last year to protect us from the storms. He has showed us animals and critters who have been well-behaved, no striking snakes or angry bears. Jesus has kept me from certain injury over these numerous obstacles I’ve had to overcome, and protected all of us from any harm. I’m sure he has assigned many angels to watch over each one of us and they have their hands full. Life is good and I am so grateful to have my Creator right next to me, holding me up and pushing me ahead, even when there are times that I’m ready to throw in the towel! This is one incredible training ground indeed, both physically and spiritually. Thank you Jesus.

What a glorious night of sleep. There is something amazingly comforting when you sleep in a bed with clean sheets and three pillows! Oh, how well I slept. Thank you Lord because I sure needed it.

Braveheart and I took showers in the morning because we could. We won’t be bathing ourselves for another week so you want to take full advantage of running warm water and plush towels. We packed up and Eddie and Couch picked us up at 9am. We headed down the road for breakfast at the Daily Bean. Great little cafe.

By 11am we were back on the trail. Well not before Braveheart saw her first bear. She decided to go alone in the woods to pee, and just before finding her perfect squating position, she heard it. She looked around and he was on all fours, looking just as scared as Braveheart. She yelled “Bear” and went running back to the car. Couch went to investigate but the big bad bear had fled the scene. Braveheart was shaking like a leaf!

After regrouping, we all hit the trail, with packs on and Braveheart had her Bear Spray at the ready! She is the life of the party, that girl of ours. She took the lead and within a mile or so, she screamed once again. But this time it was a big black rat snake. She ran behind Couch and there she stayed. No more leading, no more up front, she was content staying in the back of the pack.

Today when I checked the profile, it appeared to be fairly flat and manageable. We were so glad we had climbed Wawayanda Mountain the day before. All was good in our world. Or so we thought. We crossed over the NJ/NY State line and our trail took a turn.

We were back to bouldering before we could say New York. Mooch caught up with us and asked if he could join us. Heck yeah, as he really arrived as a guardian Angel. We got to a huge Rock Pile/Boulder Area and Braveheart went first. I attempted a foothold and before I could get my second foot up, I was falling backwards. Couch tried to stop me but momentum had taken over and Mooch leaped across the rock to catch me. I tumbled onto my back, which was protected by my backpack, and there I stopped. Thank the Lord I hadn’t climbed up a few more feet. I was shaking as badly as Braveheart, when she saw her bear.

I took an inventory of myself, not a scratch on me and no blood. I stood up and tried again. This time, I made it up without any crazy falls and took ahold of the metal ladder rungs, and up I went. That was the beginning of the Bouldering. And there was another two miles of that. Oh my goodness. Welcome to New York GG.

Mooch led the rest of the way through the maze of rocks and minimal trail. Needless to say, it was a long and arduous day. As we neared our destination, we started to see some day-hikers. Bellvale Creamery was in our sights and with only 2.7 miles to go, we were focused. It took us a bit over an hour to get there, which seemed like the longest hour ever. We arrived to find half of NY there. This place is utopia. I guess people come from near and far to have ice cream. It’s definitely not just a hiker destination as we were the only hikers and the other 100 people drove there. It’s a thing!

We all ordered some kind of ice cream sundae, shake or banana split. Oh my, it was well worth the wait. I had a two scoop hot fudge sundae with honey walnuts on top of Coffee and Coconut Ice Cream. It was incredibly good tasting. We all indulged and loved our ice cream dinner. What a treat!

After ice cream, we still needed to find a place to pitch our tents. Mooch went ahead and about a mile down the trail, he found a fine place to pitch for the night. Within ten minutes, we were able to stake down our temporary homes and fell inside. I decided ice cream was dinner. Enough said and tomorrow maybe I’ll have dinner for breakfast. I’m exhausted so off to bed I go.

There was no doubt that the sweet Lord had me in his grasp. He surrounded me with capable and wonderful friends, and he caught my fall. He kept me from harm and it appears he still has plans for me. Thank you Jesus for watching over me, for giving me strength and for surrounding me with earthly angels!

Why can’t I sleep? Oh my goodness. I was in my tent at 730pm, wrote my blog and then tossed and turned until after midnight. It wouldn’t be such a big deal but come 5am, my brain is awake. My body revolts but the rest of me is rearing to go. I laid in the tent till 530am, and then woke up Braveheart. She sleeps like a log! No budging, no rolling from side to side. She sleeps like a baby. Oh what I would give to get a restful night of slumber!

We headed over to the Shelter and sat with C2T. She also has been struggling with shuteye too. We had our breakfast and thank goodness I have my coffee. It would’ve been a lackluster performance on my part without caffeine. We were packed up and hitting the trail by 7am. Not super early, but not the last to leave either.

C2T and I talked last night about how far we wanted to hike today. Eddie, Coach’s husband, was picking us up today. We decided to push a bit further so we could get a couple of extra miles in. We decided to stop at Barrett Road which meant we would climb “Stairway to Heaven.” It’s gonna be a good push for the last few miles.

We started with a few ups and downs with many rocks. New Jersey is known as the Garden State. I’m not sure what it’s a garden of? It’s still out for debate, but today I’m thinking it’s the garden of big boulders and granite steps. We made it through the first five plus miles and made it to “The Boardwalk.”

The Pochuck Boardwalk is close to a mile long. It stretches above wetlands that provide habitate for countless birds, ducks, eagles and other animals. It was quite an amazing feat to construct. This magnificent structure allows handicap and disabled persons, along with many hikers, a Birds Eye of the area. We saw tons of locals and tourists who came out to enjoy this beautiful morning. It was quite spectacular.

There was a bit of a forest walk that led to another section of boards that proceeded to a field. We crossed the railroad tracks and headed north towards the Staircase. I could see the mountain ahead and prepared myself for the final push. Just prior to the climb, we met Anthony. He was selling beautiful walking sticks that he whittles, then burns, making pieces of art out of ordinary wooden sticks.

Just before heading up Wawayanda Mountain, we truly had a climb today, Anthony warned us of a bear up ahead. I think Braveheart would appreciate seeing a bear as long as she’s not in front, and he’s not charging down the trail. No Bear was seen but we did see a large pile of bear scat.

Stairway to Heaven is a 1000’ climb in a little over a mile. The rocks are made into stairs in parts but most of it is a Boulder Field. I shouldn’t be so surprised with these little climbs but when I just restocked my food for five days. I was seriously considering tossing the food bag into the wind, like Nick Nolte did in “A Walk In The Woods!” If you haven’t seen the movie or read the book, I highly recommend it. It put the Appalachian Trail on the map like “Wild” did for the Pacific Crest Trail. There were a few things that helped todays’ hike and that was, the temperature was pleasant and the trees provided much shade. But those rocks and boulders! I’m really hoping that we can be done with them, anytime now.

A side trail leads north 150 yards from the AT to Pinwheels Vista on Wawayanda Mountain. The vista provides spectacular views to the west, all the way to New Jersey High Point, twenty miles distant by the AT. Closer than High Point, there are also fine views of Pochuck Mountain, and the Pochuck Creek wetlands. To the north, the Shawangunk Ridge is also visible. There was a drone flying overhead, and a soaring raven catching the wind currents.

We had a couple of miles more to go to meet Eddie, so the view was short lived. We headed over the top and started our descent. We crossed a creek which would’ve been one of the few that I’ve seen that had soaking tubs. But we had places to go and food to eat, so we continued onward. Just shortly after noon, we heard the Highway and knew we had arrived.

Eddie was waiting, and we were glad to see him. He took a picture of us stinky hikers with Whistles before us girls, climbed in his very clean car. I felt terrible as Eddie smelled nice and we we stunk to high heaven! He was gracious and never complained at all. First stop was lunch at an authentic Mexican Restaurant. The food was scrumptious and we licked our plates clean. Hiker hungry has definitely kicked in!

Eddie drove us to our rooms for the night at Rolling Hills Motel in Sussex, NJ. Braveheart jumped into the shower as I was sorting through our dirty laundry. Eddie and C2T went upstairs to their room, and within moments we all fell asleep. This hiking takes a toll on the body and food and rest is all we are concerned with. Just for the record, I did take a shower and then, promptly fell asleep. Oh how nice it is to have a bed, clean sheets and three pillows.

I have learned that Braveheart has not been introduced to the American Classics. As we were hiking a few days ago, I started singing “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.” She had no idea what I was saying. You’ve never seen the “Wizard of Oz?” She has a blank stare on her face and I’m like, who hasn’t seen that movie? After our nap and the motel owner finished our laundry, we indulged in American Cinema.

There are so many metaphors for the trail that come out in this movie. And many similarities between life at home and on the AT. Auntie Em is our C2T. She is always mothering us, making sure we have all our needs fulfilled. I am without a doubt, the Tin Man, with all my aches and pains, especially in the afternoon. Braveheart, oh she is the Cowardly Lion, overcoming her fears. While we were watching it, many of our sayings come from this movie. There’s no place like home, you ain’t in Kansas anymore, don’t worry about what’s behind the curtain, click your heels three times,… It’s priceless watching this with fresh eyes and an open heart. We have a list of movies to watch. One at every town stop.

We laughed and cried a bit, and then we went for pizza. Eddie and Couch drove us to Frank’s Pizzaria. It’s interesting here. Most places don’t serve alcohol. Luckily, there’s a Beer & Wine Store next to the restaurant. I grab my one beer and partake with my pizza and salad. There’s no corkage fee and no one minds that I bring my own drink. It’s the oddest thing in these parts.

Today was a special day. Braveheart made it to 100km. We did a happy dance for her, celebrating her accomplishment. She is a great addition to our Tramily- Trail Family. God has blessed me with lovely friends along the way, healed my knee completely, and kept the rest of this body firmly planted and upright on the trail. My ankles are good which for all who know me, your prayers are being heard. With over three weeks on the trail, I am feeling stronger everyday. I can’t say I have my trail legs yet, but that will come. I am so grateful I have C2T and Braveheart to share this magnificent experience with. What a wonderful and beautiful family I have indeed!

I don’t like sleeping in Shelters. Even though we were the only ones in the shelter, I just couldn’t get to sleep. At midnight, C2T gets up and both me and Braveheart sit up. We all were awake, tossing and turning but nobody wanted to say anything. Once we realized we were all awake, I offered up my Lavender Essential Oil. My friend Blue turned me onto these wonderfully magical oils that help with all things last year, when she hiked with me. Right now, we all needed sleep. I rub it under my nose and on my temples and Braveheart said to place it on my wrists too. We all doused ourselves with Lavender and within minutes, we were sound asleep.

With only five hours of sleep, we were all moving pretty slow this morning. The best part of Shelters is there’s always a picnic table and a privy. Sitting on a proper table heating your water, drinking coffee or tea and eating oats, is pretty darn special. The second and only other good thing about shelters is there’s a privy. A place to do your business. I guess the one and last thing is there typically is a bear box so you can store your food properly. So Shelters can provide some sort of comfort but I do not like sleeping in shelters.

Our hiking today, after lack of sleep, was hands down, the “best day ever” on the trail. (I’m stealing this quote from my grandson Quin.) The terrain was perfect, the scenery was gorgeous, and the AQ was great. We walked through these wide open grassy fields that went on forever. There were a few ponds along the way with turtles and bullfrogs, cattails and lily pads. It was idyllic. Definitely the best part of my hike to this point.

By 11am, we had made our way into Unionville, NJ. Both Braveheart and myself had resupply boxes waiting for us. We made it to the USPO before they went to lunch. Hours at the PO really can dictate your day. We carried our boxes over to the General Store where C2T was waiting for us. We found some nice chairs to sit on, plugs to charge our electronics and we entered the store to order Deli Sandwiches. It was all around a perfect spot to eat and hang out.

We talked to the Store Manager as she was hanging up flags and getting ready for Fourth of July. She asked where we were from and then I asked her. She lives a couple of miles out of town. So you’re a local, I said. Nope, she told me unless you have bones in the graveyard, or you have family in the cemetery, you are not a local. That’s the way it is up here. The people that live here, were born and raised in these parts, and they have grave markers to prove it. I guess that’s what it takes to be from around here. Bones in the graveyard.

After a couple of hours, we packed our packs with five days of food, grabbed a scoop of ice cream and returned to the trail. It followed the creek in the woods for a bit of time and then took us onto the country roads. We passed a house that had a sign, Trail Magic and had to indulge. We grabbed some drinks and sat for a bit, then continued on.

We walked along Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge for about two miles, making a large circuit around the marshes and ponds within. The refuge was created in 1990, and is a habitat for migratory birds.with Cranes, Egrets and Hawks. It was flat as ever, no hills, no rocks, just smooth grass and a perfectly groomed trail underfoot. A gal who lives in the neighborhood started walking with us asking all sorts of questions. Where you going, where did you start, where do you live, where are you sleeping tonight? The typical questions that most people want to know. She was planning to run a 10K in NYC tomorrow. She walked with us for a few miles then headed back to her car.

Our last bit of business was filling ip on water and yes, climbing one rather steep hill to get to the shelter tonight. The water was a spigot attached to an abandoned house that the ATC has acquired. It’s the only water near the shelter and was nice to turn on a tap, without filtering. The simple pleasures that we take for granite.

Once we arrived at the shelter, I found a somewhat level spot to pitch my home for the night. Braveheart joined me as C2T was committed to sleeping in the shelter. We all met for dinner, shared stories and laughed quite a bit. I guess there is one other thing I like about shelters and that’s the community of people, the hikers you meet along the way. It was a fun evening of sharing.

Today was an extra special day. C2T passed 1,000 miles on the trail today. Couch to Trail (C2T as I call her) started in February and was determined to finish this endeavor. There were a few nay-sayers who didn’t believe she could do it. She’s in her late 50’s, never been athletic, didn’t train before coming out here, and literally came off the couch to the trail. She has lost close to twenty pounds, and this girl can climb a hill like no one’s business. She is a force on the trail, and nothing is going to stop her. I’m so glad that we have met and I plan to finish this trail with her by my side. C2T, we are climbing Mt. Katahdin!