Date: 2008-07-18
From: Half mile north of Stormville, NY

To: North of Hurds Corner Rd, NY
Miles today: 15.0

I woke up at 6am after a warm night in the woods. I did get into my sleeping bag about 2am, but got right back out of it because it was just too warm out. I ate that honeybun and banana that I packed out from the deli last night and also drank the pink lemonade for breakfast. I smelled my shirt that I left hanging just outside the tent and my eyes almost rolled into the back of my head...it stunk! I smelled my shorts and they were bad. I just looked at my socks and knew those were bad too. :-) I knew right then that I was going swimming today when I got to Nuclear Lake in 8 miles. It's not just me though...everyone out here is making the flowers droop when they walk by. ;-) It's been so hot and humid that there's not much else to do if you actually sleep in the woods. (that last comment was because I know where Motel Boy aka my ol' buddy Chief would be) ;-) I slowly packed up and started walking at 7:20am. I felt better once I got moving, but still felt very sticky and damp. I had only walked about 5 minutes when I came to a field. I looked down into the lower part of that field and saw what appeared to be about a 6 point buck looking back at me. I got a couple pictures and walked on...all the while that buck just stood there watching me leave. I ran into the second sobo I've run into this year. His name was Solo and he said Trek said to say hey to me when he saw me. Hey Trek, Solo said to say hey to you too. :-) Solo had done a sobo thru hike 10 years ago when he was 40 and he just turned 50 and is doing his 2nd long hike. We talked about 20 minutes before he headed on. I stopped by Morgan Stewart Shelter and signed the register and used up another smiley face sticker. I repacked my backpack because something was rubbing me wrong half way up my back. I walked on and crossed NY 55. I walked another 3/4 mile when I ran into another sobo. I said good morning and she just walked by. I asked her name and she mumbled something. I asked her trail name again and she turned and said "Alpine Strider" and walked on.I kept walking and soon was at Nuclear Lake. I walked right up and dropped off my pack without losing stride and walked right into the lake...shoes, socks, shorts, shirt, hat and bandana. Oh...that felt SOOOOOOO GOOD!!! :-) Nuclear Lake I took my hat off and let it float off, then took my shirt off and let it float off, then.....kept my pants on and kept swimming till they were clean. 8-)It was amazing just how good that swim felt! I came out feeling great and smelling like a rose. :-) I put my dripping wet shirt on and my dripping wet hat on, then picked up my backpack and walked on. I thought I might drip-dry, but I stayed mostly wet the rest of the day. I had only walked half a mile when I came over a ridge and scared off three turkeys. I'll bet they were thinking to themselves as they ran off that, boy, that thru hiker smelled pretty good! :-) I finished climbing about 500 feet up to West Mtn and walked out on the Cat Rocks and took a picture toward Pawling, NY, then walked on to Telephone Pioneers Shelter. I saw that those 4 nobos I had met yesterday only made 28 miles out of their 38 mile day they had planned. That's still not bad in this humid weather though. I signed the register and got to use the second smiley face sticker in one day. :-) I walked down that hill and took a couple pictures of the Dover Oak...one of the two largest trees along the entire AT. Dover Oak I walked on through a small field, then into the woods again, crossed the Metro North railroad tracks and came out at NY 22....where there's another NY deli! :-) It's nice walking through this area because my food bag is almost empty all the time, but I still eat great! :-) It was a .6 mile walk down NY 22, but that roast beef hoagie, chips and three Cokes were worth it! :-) I hung out there a while, then bought a box of donuts to pack out for breakfast in the morning, and headed back to the Trail. I only walked another 1 1/2 miles and found a spot for my tent. I took a bandana bath before I got in, though I didn't need it nearly as much as last night. I will have less than 10 miles to walk tomorrow and Mrs Moosie is picking me up and taking me to her home. I'm excited about seeing her, Moosie and Goldilocks...they've become great friends over the last 5 years since I first walked in Maine and NH with Moosie and Goldilocks. They both thru hiked in '05. This has been another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)