Wawayanda Shelter to Wildcat Shelter 12 miles
Last night I managed to clean up a little bit in the bathroom at the nearby ranger station and we haven’t needed to use our water purifier much because there have been spigots or restrooms around us. We got up and left just behind the Scarlet Seven Crew and spent some hours trying to figure out the “what fits under the Umbrella” game. I’m still not sure what fits under the umbrella but I know the umbrella always fits under the umbrella. That’s all I know. We were cruising right along and then the trail started to get interesting. We traversed long ridges of smooth rock and lots of ups and downs. We finally crossed over into New York for good, goodbye to New Jersey and signed the Logbook with lots of sweat drops blurring the ink. I thought this section was supposed to be easy but I started sweating a lot and my socks kept getting really wet. I have to wring them out and change them while I hang the old ones on the back of my pack although they never really get dry. I’m completely out of dry socks, or dry anything for that matter. We got to NY17A and someone hipped us to the Bellvale Farms Creamery. We got some ice cream of course; it was about 300 yards west of the trail so we just had to, twice. It was hot and sunny and I rinsed out my socks and left them on the hot concrete to dry from a spigot that was on the side of the building. Cyclone and I eventually stayed there for several hours as lots of people we knew kept rolling in and getting ice cream, then moving on. Not us! Birch beer in a bottle and vanilla ice cream… Ahhhhhhhhhhh, satisfaction! It rained for a little bit and we eventually got back on the trail; wet socks and wet boots. Hiking with a heavy pack and pruney feet is not a good idea. Every couple of hours they start squish squishing and I have to take them off and wring them out. I feel like I’m getting blisters under my feet in a weird place in the middle of my foot but under the pads next to the ball of my foot. I’ve never had that happen before. I need gaiters desperately. Maybe I’ll get some tomorrow when Mike picks Cyclone up. Since we spent so much time at the Ice Cream place, we didn’t think we could make the next shelter so we just packed it in at Wildcat. It was only 12 miles but I could use a rest with my feet acting up. The Scarlet crew was with us as we came in to the shelter and so were some of the other guys we have met. I met a couple of new hikers: Baggins and Mr Burns (who looks just like Mr Burns from The Simpsons). We ate and I played guitar and so did one of the Scarlet Seven, his name escapes me, and another of them sang. I’m writing this like four days later so please forgive me for not being able to recall your names, email me and I’ll fix the blog. Tomorrow Cyclone goes home.
David AKA “Mister Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1
Showing posts with label Wawayanda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wawayanda. Show all posts
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wawayanda Watermelon Haul
The Mayor’s House to Wawayanda Shelter 19 Miles
We got out of there and the Mayor dropped us off at the trailhead. Breakfast was wonderful and we said goodbye to the Mayor, Butch and Bill. We had a long one in front of us but we knew we were going to run into a bunch of people that had been at the Mayor’s. We were going for a 20 mile day and we’re going to try to make the Hudson River by Sunday evening. It’s going to be a long haul but we want to make it as far as possible before Cyclone heads home. We really took our time today. We stopped and ate a bunch of berries, filmed a bunch of stuff including another bear that was hanging out on the trail ahead of us. We stopped at a cool produce place called Heaven Hill Farms where they had great ice cream and fruit and stuff. We got a little to eat; it was only a tenth of a mile off the trail. Then I got the wacky iodea to carry a watermelon up the 1000 foot vertical climb to the next shelter. I knew I had to do it as soon as I thought of it. No one would believe I would do something like that which is exactly why I had to do it. Defining moments come along pretty often on this trail and I like to take advantage of all of them. We got a seven pound watermelon and I found a way to stuff it in the pack. I carried that bastard all the way up the hill but I wasn’t sorry I did it. It was so cool to pull that thing out when we got to the shelter after a 20 mile day and give it to the Ohio State crew. Riddler and the Scarlet Seven are a group of people who are hiking for six weeks as far as they can go. We knew they would be able to appreciate the true value of a watermelon on the trail after climbing that hill themselves. It’s weird without Rolex. We had too much spaghetti but man was it good! We finally killed the bottle of parmesan cheese. I’m a little concerned about all of the food smells tonight. There is a ton of stuff in the bear boxes and I can guarantee a bear comes by tonight and tries to get into that thing. I’m just trying to get this blog out before that happens. It’s been dark for about an hour now and this is the time they come by. A group of six girls came up to the shelter late and cooked this amazing mud pie, peanut butter, jello thing and there’s no way five bears can’t smell it from all over the state. I better get this posted and get in my tent before I become dinner.
David AKA “Mr. F'n Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1
We got out of there and the Mayor dropped us off at the trailhead. Breakfast was wonderful and we said goodbye to the Mayor, Butch and Bill. We had a long one in front of us but we knew we were going to run into a bunch of people that had been at the Mayor’s. We were going for a 20 mile day and we’re going to try to make the Hudson River by Sunday evening. It’s going to be a long haul but we want to make it as far as possible before Cyclone heads home. We really took our time today. We stopped and ate a bunch of berries, filmed a bunch of stuff including another bear that was hanging out on the trail ahead of us. We stopped at a cool produce place called Heaven Hill Farms where they had great ice cream and fruit and stuff. We got a little to eat; it was only a tenth of a mile off the trail. Then I got the wacky iodea to carry a watermelon up the 1000 foot vertical climb to the next shelter. I knew I had to do it as soon as I thought of it. No one would believe I would do something like that which is exactly why I had to do it. Defining moments come along pretty often on this trail and I like to take advantage of all of them. We got a seven pound watermelon and I found a way to stuff it in the pack. I carried that bastard all the way up the hill but I wasn’t sorry I did it. It was so cool to pull that thing out when we got to the shelter after a 20 mile day and give it to the Ohio State crew. Riddler and the Scarlet Seven are a group of people who are hiking for six weeks as far as they can go. We knew they would be able to appreciate the true value of a watermelon on the trail after climbing that hill themselves. It’s weird without Rolex. We had too much spaghetti but man was it good! We finally killed the bottle of parmesan cheese. I’m a little concerned about all of the food smells tonight. There is a ton of stuff in the bear boxes and I can guarantee a bear comes by tonight and tries to get into that thing. I’m just trying to get this blog out before that happens. It’s been dark for about an hour now and this is the time they come by. A group of six girls came up to the shelter late and cooked this amazing mud pie, peanut butter, jello thing and there’s no way five bears can’t smell it from all over the state. I better get this posted and get in my tent before I become dinner.
David AKA “Mr. F'n Gentle Spirit”
Website
http://www.wbafinc.org/
Photos:
http://www.photobucket.com/brotherproof
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/WBAF1
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