Appalachian Trail day 125 Fahnestock State Park to Morgan Stewart Shelter (Mile 1427 to Mile 1443.5)

We are up pretty early this morning and check out of the hotel In order to reposition the vehicles. We are going to do a 48 mile section over the next three days that will take us out of New York and into Connecticut.

By the time we drive to northwestern Connecticut,  return to Fahnestock State Park, buy the permit, and do some last minute adjustments to our packs, we are on the trail at 9:30. It's a really late start for the amount of mileage and elevation we're going to do today: we have to do 16 miles to get to a shelter tonight.

The trail leaves the highway and after two miles climbs up the ridge to get a nice view of the lake. An official blue-blazed trail skirts the lake and we decide to take it so that we can check out the lake and the shelter.

Given the time of the day, cooler temperature and the overcast sky, it's no surprise that there is no one at the beach today, but I'm sure all the hikers had a blast here in the heat yesterday. Like so many lakes in the area,  the lake is dotted with water lily pads.  The flowers are open and beautiful. 

We walk by the shelter and I stop to look through the trail register but don't see any familiar names. Right when we are ready to put our packs back on Zen walks by! I thought he'd be way ahead of us by now.

A couple miles later Velcro gets ahead of me and when I roll up to a stream I see Velcro filtering water and chatting with Zen.  He is considering stopping at a pizza place just off the trail about 10 miles north that allows hikers to camp for free behind the building.  

I ask him how he will resupply, as there isn't a lot of options in the days ahead.  He said that many of the little towns have a Dollar General near the town,  but FarOut doesn't list them.  A trick is to check Google Maps for resupply options that are not in the app.  Good to know!

Velcro and I hike up a hill, gaining 700' over the next few miles.  Eight miles into our hike,  we pass by the Ralph's Peak Hikers Cabin Shelter that looks like a little one room school house from the outside, but we step through the door to see that the back wall was removed to make it 3-sided. The shelter is nearly maintained and has a ton of space for hikers both inside and on the lawn. A sign in from if the shelter says I only have 760 more miles to Katahdin!

Leaving the shelter,  the trail climbs the second big ridge of the day.  We cross a couple of streams over bridges, and one of the streams has a really pretty series of cascades that are barely visible through the trees. 

The climb isn't terribly long or arduous,  but it is quite steep in places for the 800' of elevation gain.  The ridge parallels the Taconic State Parkway for the next three miles,  which is visible in the valley far below.  The hike Isn't terribly difficult,  but it's no walk in the park either. The trail slants and in some places the rocks slide, so I move carefully.  In other places the trail has big rocks that can't be hopped over. 

There are some gorgeous views to be had up here. Living in the Mid-Atlantic,  I have driven through New York many times on the large interstate roadways around the city. I must admit that this stretch of the AT through New York has been lovely,  and I especially enjoy the well-maintained farms visible from the ridges. 

We descend the ridge and cross a road to re-enter the woods.  Rain starts falling in a light sprinkle, just enough to make us get out our umbrellas.  We walk through an overgrown stretch here the knee-high grass soaks my shoes.  The sides of the trail are thick with thorny blackberry canes and wild rose bushes that I push out of the way with my hiking poles in order to pass through unscathed. 

The reward for hiking through the gauntlet of sticker bushes is the sight of a massively huge oak tree right next to the trail.  We stop to take pictures of the beauty before starting our next and biggest climb. 

We start up the hill with six miles and 1500 ft of climbing to go before we get to the shelter. We dicussed stopping before the shelter and setting up camp, but I would really like to have a bear box or beer cables available to hang my food.

I don't know if it's the extra weight I'm carrying, or the fact that we have slack-packed so much lately, or possibly the heat of the last few days, but I am dragging hard today and it takes a ridiculously long time to get to the top. 

After a couple of hours of hiking ever upwards, combined with a half- hour of filtering brown water from a stream that is more of a mud puddle, I reach a beautiful rocky overlook, with views to the west.  My pack weighs an extra 9 pounds with the door liters of water I am carrying, and I laugh when I try to climb up some of the rocks to the shelter. 

I get to the shelter and find Velcro setting up her tent.  I would consider sleeping in the shelter because the wind is blowing on this ridge and the temperature has plummeted,  but a family has taken over the little shelter and rudely set up their tent inside. I also set up my hammock and soon Ladybug arrives.  

We go to eat at the picnic table in front of the shelter,  but I'm so cold I eat a couple of protein bars and retire to my hammock, where I will be warmer wrapped in my down quilt.  

I am out by 8 p.m..

Today's Stats: 16.2 miles, 3,220 feet gain

Trail Stats: 1,443 miles, 282K feet gain

Appalachian Trail Day 124 - South Mountain Road to Fahnestock State Park

I wake up at 4:50 to find that Kelly is already awake. We get packed up and grab some coffee, and by the time we reposition the vehicles, we are on the trail at 6:15. We agreed to an early start in order to get as much hiking as possible before the temperature gets in the 90's. Right now it's a nice 75°.

Leaving South Mountain Pass Road, the trail goes up on small switchbacks for a short hike up 700 ft to the ridge. We walk through knee high grass that is in serious need of a trim, as it's hard to see the trail in the early morning light. The feel of the grass brushing my lower legs drives me insane after 2 miles.

We descend to a very busy intersection and cross the first road to a market. Even though we've only hiked three and a half miles we think it's a good time for a snack and head inside to get a beverage and I get a Snickers bar for a healthy second breakfast.

Inside the market, a man sees our packs and asks if we are doing the AT. He says he is thru hiking but had to start slackpacking due to friction burns on his shoulders from his backpack. His name is Dust. Armed with snacks, we say goodbye and leave the blissfully cool store to continue our hike. 

At the 6 mile mark, the trail goes up and over the western side of the ridge to the eastern side. The temperature on the western side, shaded by the ridge, hasn't been very bad, but as soon as I step over the ridge I am in the sunlight and the heat is much more intense.

As much as I am uncomfortable in this heat,  I pass several other hikers who are faring much worse. An older man and his son are sitting on the side of the trail with packs off,  taking a break and fanning themselves. 

Another time, a man is standing in the middle of the trail with a big backpack,  wearing a dark cotton shirt and heavy cotton pants. He looks miserable and  doesn't say anything as I approach, even though I say hello,  and doesn't even try to move out of the trail, making me walk in the blueberry bushes in order to pass.

We are cruising through a flat section of trail and we see a man walking towards us. It's Planet Caravan. He started hiking at 6 this morning as well, slackpacking southbound. He tells us that there is trail magic up ahead with a tent and food and drinks at the next road crossing, 2 miles away. We have done 10 miles by this point, and ready for a break! 

At 12 o'clock we have hiked about 12 miles and climbed 3,000 feet of elevation. it's getting brutally hot and the trees above us have really thinned out so we are getting the brunt of the sunshine. A very light breeze is barely moving the leaves, and it does nothing to cool me down. My eyes are burning from all the sweat that keeps dripping into them.

I am definitely in need of a break when I  get to the road crossing, and just as promised there is a pickup truck with two canopies erected to provide shade. Zen and Kelly are seated in camp chairs, and an affable older gentleman with white hair and beard introduces himself as Sir Stops-a-lot and  offers us each a chicken cheesesteak sandwich. 

While the sandwiches are cooking, I grab a cold Mountain Dew from a cooler and look to see Ladybug walking across the parking lot. 

Sir Stops-a-lot drives up and down the Appalachian Trail providing Trail Magic. He is donation based, and Kelly and I both donate enough to cover several lunches for other hikers who may pass through. 

After eating way more than I should to be hiking on such a hot day, Kelly, Zen, Ladybug and I say goodbye to Sir Stops-a-lot so we can finish up the hike and get out of the sun for the day. 

Felling full and refreshed,  We chat with Ladybug on the last leg of our hike.  The trail crosses a large stream that outflows from a big pond.  We decide to stop and take off our socks and shoes and soak our feet in the water. 

The water is really warm,  unsurprising since the pond is being heated by the sun. The temperature is perfect for a bath but not for a foot soak,  but it feels nice to get my shoes off nonetheless.  Some other hikers are there doing the same thing.  We chill for 20 minutes then get up so we can finish the last couple miles. 

The temperature is sweltering by the time we arrive at the truck.  Ladybug is going to continue on to a nearby lake with a beach and concession stand.  We offer water,  and she accepts,  filling up from a large glass jug that is in the back of the truck. 

We say our goodbyes and go to get Kelly's car,  the thermometer reading 99°. 

Today's Stats: 16.3 miles,  3,040 feet gain

Trail Stats: 1,427 miles, 279K feet gain

Appalachian Trail day 123 - 1777 Trailhead to South Mountain Pass Road (Mile 1404 to Mile 1411.7)

We got a little later start today than we planned, because we were up a little late last night. I loved relaxing in the air conditioning and watching TV, walking on flat ground,  and not being covered by mosquitoes.    

Given the ridiculous temperatures, our plan is to do a short slackpack. Neither of us wants to zero,  but we don't want heat stroke, either. 

Kelly gives me the coordinates to our destination and I plug it into my phone. We arrive at the parking lot and I jump into her vehicle and we only get a couple miles away when she realizes that the 1777 Trailhead is a 40 mile drive from this parking lot. What!? After consulting the app and Google Maps, she realizes that we made a mistake and we drove to the wrong trailhead. So we turn around, get my truck, and then drive to the right trailhead

By the time we get to the right trailhead and get on the trail, it is after 10:00 a.m. The temperature is already in the mid 80's and the heat index feels like 92°. At least we're slack packing and not doing a huge climb with a loaded pack today.

The trail starts right up a hill and we are rewarded with lots of ripe blueberries right on the side of the trail. This is the first time we've been able to find more than a couple at a time. While we're enthusiastically stuffing our faces, a hiker passes by us, clad in a long sleeve dark shirt and dark pants. He must be cooking in this heat!

He is a thru hiker from Arizona, probably why he is okay with wearing so much clothing in this weather. His name is Candyman. We tell him our names - Trash Panda and Velcro, and remark that hers is a new trail name. He says he will do a naming ceremony at the top of the mountain at the tower.

We continue hiking up Bear Mountain on a beautifully constructed trail made from carved stone steps, which we climb up for hundreds of feet vertically. We get to a burned out section with gorgeous views of the Hudson River to the east. 

We don't get far until we walk by a tree covered with big red purple berries. I realize they are juneberries (Amelanchier), and yell at Kelly to come back and try them. She returns, and soon we are eating handsful of more berries.  At this rate it will take all day to reach our destination.

At the top of Bear Mountain we cross a parking area to a big stone tower

 The surrounding park offers beautiful views of the Hudson River and many people are milling about even though it's a weekday. 

Candyman is outside of the tower with his pack off and we ask him to do Kelly's naming ceremony. The ceremony is really cute and she is now charged with practicing Leave No Trace principles and officially called Velcro. 

Another young man walks up with a pack and Candyman says his name is Toad. I asked the young man if he is the same Toad that we met with Fizz last week and he says he is (it's embarrassing to admit that a lot of hikers look similar due to the scraggly beards and long hair that many of the men wear out here). Toad says he had to take a few days off the trail and now he is here.

The descent down Bear Mountain is knee jarring on hundreds of steep stone steps.  We marvel at the amount of effort it must have taken to construct this trail.  I'm so thankful we are going down the steps and not up, especially in this heat. 

The steps end at a lake which offers paddle boats for rent near the trail. We follow the white blazes around the lake on a wide, paved walkway around the perimeter, with hundreds of picnic tables occupied by barbecuing picnickers. The smell of barbecued meats makes my mouth water.  

The concession stand is closed,  but I am relieved that there are vending machines tha credit cards since my cash is at the bottom of my pack. I don't normally desire sweets,  but one of the vending machines offers ice cream,  and I buy a coconut fruit bar.  It's partially melted,  but I don't care. It is delicious and I scarf it down before it can melt further. We walk by another vending machine and I buy a strawberry bar this time,  as we enter the park admission area.  

As if this day can't get any better, the trail then travels through a park complex with a public swimming pool that offers free swimming for thru hikers. We don't stop to swim, but proceed on the trail to an actual zoo that is literally on the trail.  

The zoo is small but cute, with small interpretive plaques that name some of the trees and dicuss wildlife habitat.  We walk by the bobcat enclosure,  and I'm disappointed that the bobcat isn't it where we can see it, not that I can blame the poor creature for avoiding the heat. 

Across the walkway,  a porcupine pops out and then turns around to retreat to the interior of it's den.  

The best part of the zoo is a fan that sprays droplets of water into the trail. I stand in front of it for five minutes,  my face close to the fan, enjoying the delightful cooling affect. 

Just before we leave the zoo, Toad catches up to us,  and we walk out together.  The trail immediately jumps onto the Bear Mountain Bridge,  where we cross the Hudson River via a pedestrian walkway. This is the lowest elevation of the entire Appalachian Trail, at about 150 feet. 

On the other side of the bridge,  we cross a busy highway and head back into the woods to climb up another mountain. Toad continues up the road to the nearby Amtrak station,  planning on taking a train into New York City for a few hours. 

The trek up the mountain is not very long, but it is brutal nonetheless, due to the blistering heat. We need to stop a few times to chug water and cool down. 

At the top of the hill we stop to grab a bite to eat in a patch of shade when w woman walks up.  She is middle-aged like us and we start chatting.  Her name is Velma (from Scooby Doo), and she has the red hair to match.  We walk together for the mile it takes to get to our vehicle.

The temperature is unbelievably hot; at 3:00 p.m. it's 102° outside, not including the heat index. We drive back to pick up my truck and back to the hotel to chill.  This has been the shortest hiking day of the last three weeks.

Today's Stats:  7.4 miles,  1,647 feet 

Trail Stats: 1,411 miles,  276K feet gain

Appalachian Trail Day 122 - Fingerboard Shelter to 1777 Trailhead (Mile 1392 to Mile 1404)

I set my alarm for 5 a.m. so we can leave early and beat the heat today, and Kelly and I leave Fingerboard shelter at 6am just as the sun is starting to crest over the ridge in front of us.  The temperature is already 80°F,  and the forecast is for 95° with a heat index of 106°, so we want to get an early start.

A light breeze is blowing and the morning sun highlights the haze in the air from the humidity.  The only sounds in the woods is an enthusiastic whipperwill and a woodpecker is rat-a-tat-tatting on a nearby dead tree. 

After a couple easy miles,  we pass by Coppertone and Franken Pole at a campsite. We talk for a minute as we pass by, then stop a few minutes later near a beautiful bridge over a little stream. A plaque states the bridge was recently constructed by West Point Cadets. 

While we are filtering water,  Steps and Fatal hike up and we chat while everyone loads up in order to hydrate for the hot day.

We have a hiker conga line of sorts as we leave the stream and cross a road.  I look to the right and see Ladybug walking up the road towards us.  She took a short cut to catch up. We laugh when she lifts her hiking poles and shouts "I'm walking to Maine!".

The trail weaves through a beautiful mature forest with towering oaks and blueberries in every direction blanketing the forest floor, but unfortunately none of the berries are ripe yet. 

Today we are ridge hopping,  walking up and over a ridge, only to descend and then climb up and over the next ridge.  The ridges aren't very high; they range from 200 to 400 feet for most of the day. We are hoping we don't have any crazy rock climbs with the extreme heat.

I decide to grab water on the fly at every water source, planning on dipping in my one liter Cnoc bottle without taking off my pack so I don't have to stop. This quickly turns into a prolonged break at each stream because everyone in our makeshift group stops as well, but takes off their packs, so I end up doing the same.

The trail goes up a steep hill to Black Mountain, where we are treated to gorgeous,  sweeping views to the south. The Hudson River lay below and looks so big from here. 

The trail takes us down the mountain and we reach another milestone when the trail crosses the 1,400 mile mark! I take a couple pictures before following the trail down the valley for the next two miles, Steps and Ladybug close behind. 

The trail enters a state park and then starts up another hill which is our last but biggest climb of the day. Steps walks with Kelly and me, and the three of us stay together because the sun is now directly overhead and we are all extremely hot.

The trail just wouldn't be the trail without rock scrambles in harsh weather, and we must stop to take a lot of rest breaks on our way up the mountain.

The mountain and the climbing for the day behind us, we descend to Kelly's car at the  trailhead. Steps comes with us to get some water that we stashed in the car,  then says goodbye so she can hike up and over Bear Mountain,  to a hotel where she will spend the night in order to get a break from the heat.

We are also going to a hotel,  needing to clean up and get some relief from the dangerous temperatures.  I make a reservation once we get on the road and get cell service. 

Soon we are showering and doing laundry.  Our stuff is disgustingly damp from the humidity,  and my hammock smells gross from me sweating in it the last two nights.  Our hotel room is draped with our sleeping quilts,  and Kelly's tent is drying over the wardrobe closet.

Today's Stats: 11.5 miles,  1,913 feet gain

Trail Stats: 1,404 miles,  275K feet gain 

Appalachian Trail Day 121 - Wildcat Shelter to Fingerboard Shelter (Mile 1378 to 1392)

My watch vibrates me awake at 5 am.  I slept pretty badly last night due to the heat and I tossed and turned a lot. I am tired, but may as well give up and get up, and by 5:45 I am on the trail.  

Today is one of the longest days of the year,  and the sky is light so early that I don't need my headlamp to pack up,  and there is enough ambient light to hike without tripping, which is a good thing because someone took the time to construct a piece of art in the middle of the trail: a rock arch that was beautifully constructed. 

The sky is still dark, but the weather forecast yesterday said there was no chance of rain, so it must be dark because we are in the woods and can't see the sunrise 

An hour after leaving the shelter the trail leads across the bottom of Fitzgerald Falls, a beautiful waterfall that would be perfect to splash in,  but cold water at this time of the day is not for me. 

We walk across the creek fed by the falling water,  and start walking uphill on big stone steps beside the falls.  At the top,  we take off our packs for a minute in order to filter drinking water for the day.  While I am filtering the water through my Sawyer Squeeze,  a peal of thunder rings in the distance.  We look at each other and remark that it looks really overcast and Kelly pulls up the weather radar on her phone. 

The weather map is showing a line of red and yellow in a sea of green just to the west of our location.  It looks like we are going to get really wet. I put away my water filter and Kelly pulls out her pack cover.  We both left out umbrellas behind to save weight since the forecast was for clear weather these three days. 

I really don't want to get wet again,  and neither does Kelly. In a flash of genius,  I offer to put up my tarp that I sleep under so that we can remain dry. Kelly is absolutely on board with the idea.  Since it's not raining just yet, we decide to hike a little further before we set up the tarp. 

We only get another half-mile before the thunder intensifies, and when we pass a level spot on the ground we decide to stop and set up the tarp. It only takes a few minutes and we are sitting on a downed tree under the tarp as the rain starts. 

The radar shows that the storm is fast moving,  but we may be here for a while. For the next two hours, we sit under the tarp as thunder rumbles and lightning flashes over head. The rain comes and goes, with the heaviest rain occurring the last half hour.

The storm finally passes and we decide to pack up and keep going . As soon as we hop back on the trail, too young women hike up.  Their names are Coppertone and Franken Pole (one of the weirder names,  to be sure), and we hike with them for a short time of the next hill before they hike quickly ahead . 

The climb heads up to a partially burned woods with a lot of grass covering the ground.  The trail crests the hill, named  Mombasha High Point. The summit is pretty,  but there are no views to be had because the trees are too tall.  We head downhill,  stepping carefully on the rocks,  now slippery from the rain.

As soon as we get to the bottom of the hill,  we round a beaver pond and walk next to a group of benches with a cooler. I open the cooler and sign the guest register.  I see that Grit and Terminated are now two days in front of us.  Looking back further through the journal, I see some familiar names,  including the Six Pack, who came through on May 31. They are really moving!

During our hike, I offer a couple of suggestions for a new trail name for Kelly. She doesn't like the other names she had received, feeling like they have negative connotations. It's not unusual for people to change their trail names, and some even get a new one every year. 

She doesn't seem overly enthused by any of my suggestions, until I remark that her name should be Velcro, because nothing else seems to stick. Plus, velcro is something extremely useful and makes life easier.  She really likes it,  so now she is officially Velcro!

Our second climb of the day is a rock scramble which leads to a beautiful ridge thick with mountain laurel and scrappy oak trees. Kelly is ahead of me and I hear her squeal as she rounds a corner in the trail.  I walk up and she points at a snake.  A copperhead is coiled up between some rocks at the view, which we now will certainly not be viewing!

We leave the snake without disturbing its slumber to take on a crazy fun rock scramble. We have fun climbing up and over the big rocks. It's getting hot, but not yet uncomfortably so. 

A short time later we cross the outflow stream of a beaver bog. We decided earlier to lunch next to the stream,  and we are delighted to eat next to the lovely spot,  sitting on some large rocks above the water crossing, talking to Frankenpole and Coppertone.  

After lunch,  we walk around the most beautiful pond I have seen so far. Clusters of white and yellow water lilies float on the water, with walls of rock bordering the pond on all sides. 

Our joy from the beauty of the pond buoys us as we head up a steep rock incline to a lovely rocky outcrop. The sun is high overhead and now I am cooking on the exposed rocks, and super relieved when we hike under the cover of trees for a little while.

I remark to Kelly that for all the rock climbs we have done, the southbound thru hikers have to hike down all these rocks. I say that their poor knees must really suffer.  Immediately the trail drops and we  descend very quickly down a section of trail called the Arden Grind. My knees rarely hurt, but they are talking to me today!

A mile later,  we enter Harriman State Park and arrive at a stream. Coppertone,  Ladybug, and Frankenpole are already there, as is another hiker named Fatal. I chug a liter of water and filter another liter to drink later, as well as eat a lot of salty snacks to replenish the sodium that I am sweating out.

Leaving the stream, we have a huge uphill, gaining 1,000 feet very quickly.  The temperature is definitely slowing me down, and for the first time in weeks I have to stop on the way up to catch my breath. A woman is hiking up the hill with us, and at the top we talk and walk together.  Her name is Steps, and she is a Phys Ed teacher on summer break.

The trail levels out to skirt a big lake surrounded by woods of towering maples and oaks with grass so thick underneath that Kelly says it looks like a big Chia Pet, and I agree.

Leaving the lake, we reach a huge rock formation known as the Lemon Squeezer. The FarOut comments state that some people need to remove their pack in order to pass through the narrow cleft in the rocks. The rocks are damp and cool to the touch,  and I spread my arms wide and rest my face against the surface of a rock,  enjoying the cooling effect. 

The Lemon Squeezer is harder than it looks.  Kelly goes through first, followed by me and then Steps.  I am thankful that I don't have anything substantive in the side pockets of my pack, and I still scrape my way through the narrow passage. 

We still have the more hills left,  and I am losing steam fast and I have dig deep to keep cruising the last couple of miles to the shelter. I'm not the only one who is struggling in this heat. Kelly makes it very clear that she is done for the day, and when we stop for water at the last water source available before the shelter, Steps also says she is wiped out.

Twenty minutes later we are on a stony ridgetop and see the shelter just off the ridge to our right.  We follow the short, grassy side trail to the Fingerboard Shelter, where a man and woman are sitting inside.

Kelly claims a grassy site behind the shelter and I find two suitable trees below the shelter. Set up our camps and then return to the front of the shelter to prepare and eat our dinner.

I'm so tired that I dinner without uttering more than a few words. Kelly is more energetic and proceeds to chat with the shelter occupants well I sit by listlessly listening to their conversation.

The male camper is named Father Tom.  He is a retired firefighter who started his journey north on January first from Key West.  Once he reaches Katahdin, he is continuing past the on the International Appalachian Trail for a year-long hike of almost 6,000 miles!

We say good night just as the sun begins to set behind the trees on the ridge. I chang into my sleeping clothes, prepared for a very hot and uncomfortable nights sleep when I start seeing fireflies firing off all around me.  Ladybug arrives as I call out to those above, alerting the other hikers of the display. 

Kelly walks down to my hammock and we watch the fireflies furiously lighting up, their courtship dance in full swing. The mosquitoes quickly attack, and we run to our respective sleeping spots.

Good night.

Today's Stats: 14.5 Miles, 3,700 feet gain

Trail Stats: 1,392 miles, 273K feet gain