Crossed the Hudson River on the Bear Mountain Bridge.
Mist from Bear Mountain
Picked up mail drop at the Fort Montgomery PO. Thanks Lu, everything was perfect. Included a drawing from Ames, and birthday cards from Lu, Shelly and Lynn.
Grampy climbing a mountain, by Ames
Thru-Hikers have free access to walk through the Trail Side Zoo when the zoo is open. Lots of exhibits—could spend lots of time there.
Really enjoyed the AT exhibit leading into the ascent of Bear Mountain. Showed a lot about how trails and structure on trails are made (eg. steps, bog bridges, etc.). The trail crew also did a great job of creating the trail up and down Bear Mountain. The mountain ascends a thousand feet, but the grade and steps allows one to ascend or descend more easily. Even in rain.
Bear Mountain, NY
It rained, at times fairly hard, for about half the ascent of Bear Mountain.
Shirt was already sweaty, so it got rain damp, as well as my pants and underwear. Trail runners and socks were soaked.
Met Dunk, a 58-year-old SOBO. We both decided to take the official route which crosses the Palisades Interstate Parkway (rather than the detour). Cars come fast, but patience makes crossing safe.
While setting up inside my tent, I heard “Hey Alpine, come outside!”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because it’s Biodiesel and I want to see you!”
Was great seeing Biodiesel, as well as Photo Op and Big Cat. They were moving down trail after a double zero in NYC.
Ever feel like there just isn’t enough time in the day to finish everything you want to do? That’s how it feels on trail too. You wouldn’t think so. After all, what is there to do except hike most of the day, then settle in at camp? You have the whole evening free, and the morning too. Or so you might think. This is a topic that Rasputin and Coldilocks brought up yesterday inside their RV. They brought all kinds of books they thought they’d read. Never got around to any of them.
The truth is, in order to hike the miles we need to hike, we wake early. Usually 5 AM. It takes every bit of available time to pack up our things, make breakfast, go to the privey, filter water. Then we’re off hiking. No extra time in the morning. We hike all day, except for, possibly, a brief lunch break. Along the way we plan where to find water. It takes most of the day to hike 15+ miles. When we arrive at the shelter, there’s lots to do. Set up the tent and everything inside. Make dinner, while we converse with other thru Hikers. Plan the next day, or section. Journal. And more.
There is so much more I’d like to do. Like write. I just don’t have the time. There are postcards I’d love to write. There are phone calls I’d like to make. There are emails I’d like to respond to. I’d like to Google things that I experience or see on trail and learn more. I’d like to plan resupplies and mail drops much further ahead. There is more I’d like to say, and refine, in my trail life entries and morning Musings.
And more. So much more. I Just don’t have time.
I’m tempted to become frustrated with all I can’t do. But then I’m reminded of the most important thing I am here to do. The one thing I must do. Walk. Unless I walk, I’ll never complete this thru-hike. Everything else revolves around that.
Of course walking isn’t the only important thing I do. (See “finding our why“.) Capturing the day’s events and reflections are crucially important to me. I do so most often in real time, as they occur during my walk. (At breaks or day’s end, I’ll have forgotten too much and am usually too weary to think well.) Unfortunately, the ups, Downs, and obstacles of the trail prevent me from dictating into my phone while I walk. So occasionally I pause to capture things I think are important and don’t want to forget. But each pause reduces today’s miles and lengthens the time it takes to walk home. So, I’m only able to record a tiny percentage of my experience. Frustrating. But then I return to what has to be the main thing.
Rose at 3:15am, mind swirling with last minute preparations.
My wife was already up at 4:45am when I checked on her. Left close to planned time of 5am for the airport.
We parked. My wife entered the terminal with me – and good thing! Lines for check-in were extremely long, weaving the length of the floor. Extremely crowded! Lissa helped me check in, then navigated us to the long (but much shorter) TSA PreCheck line. Thanks Lu – you saved the day!
Both Lu and I had worked recent days relentlessly to finish that, for me, the reality of this moment hadn’t set in until Lu had to step out of line and watch. Then the tears welled.
No one could know for sure how long this adventure might last, but if all went well we knew it might last 6 months. That’s a long time to be away from those you love. Life would be very different in nearly every way. For both of us.
Alpine ready to leave for AT thru hike
I spent most of my flight time refining notes that I’ll need for the journey. Especially “my Why”.
Walked about a mile with what is likely the heaviest pack I’ll carry in the next six months from the airport to the Concord Coach Lines bus station. Saw a couple of women carrying packs who appeared likely headed to the AT. The young man behind the counter asked as I ordered a bus ticket to Medway, “You doing the 100-Mile Wilderness or attempting the whole trail?” Guess folks like me, who buy a ride to Medway, are usually headed to the AT.
Bus ticket to Millinocket and the AT Trail Lodge
I somehow fit most contents in my bulky bag into my pack, including 10 days of food. Introduced myself to the two women (Tater Tot and Palette). Indeed they were headed to the AT, and to the Appalachian Trail Lodge. Palette was signed up for the Super SOBO Special and scheduled to start on June 9th ( my start date). Tater Tot was scheduled to start tomorrow. We talked about the rain expected on summit day, and how to decide whether to go for it or wait a day.
Folks trickled in during the afternoon also headed to Medway. Jesse planned to start a SOBO hike when the weather cleared – in the meantime he’d wait in Millinocket (the closest town to Baxter State Park). This was Bill’s 4th thru-hike attempt of the AT (with one success). He climbed Katahdin the prior three times but said weather made all the difference in terms of success and difficulty. Spoke highly of the AT Lodge.
Altogether 11 assembled for the Medway bus; all were also heading to the AT Lodge. Bill and Reboot had completed thru-hikes before. I asked why again. Reboot is obsessed with the trail and hikes each year. She owns Laughing Heart Hostel in Hot Springs, NC. Better is very sight challenged – sees maybe 10 feet tops. How he’ll climb Katahdin, much less pull off a thru-hike I can’t imagine, but he seems determined. We had a good discussion in the bus station.
Colin and Jack are climbing tomorrow. Rain is predicted. I asked how they felt about it. Jack was silent. Colin laughed.
