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
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