Date: 2017-06-24
From: Ft Montgomery

To: RPH shelter
Miles today: 25.2

Amazing what a shower and clean clothes will do for your outlook. You learn to appreciate the little things,  like tissues, after a week in the backcountry.  Doug the motel owner drives me back to the trail at Bear Mountain Bridge at 7:30 after a solid breakfast at the biker cafe next door. Doug and his wife have been great, taking in my laundry and shuttling me. They run a comfortable and clean homey place.Crossing the bridge I see two tug boats inching upriver and mist rising from the hills. It rained overnight and continues to drizzle, but in an hour it will clear up and turn into a beautiful low humidity day. I've been very lucky with the rain this week. I meet Eddie Spaghetti at the other side, a retired firefighter from Arizona. We chat away the climb up and over Anthony's Nose. I hit a surprise deli at a road crossing in late morning. Perfect timing. Mr. T and Rocketman are there. Rocketman is a retired Air Force rocket scientist. After this his next adventure is to bike across the country. Pretty cool retirement plan.  Mr. T, another older hiker, is bored of the trail and plans to get off in a couple hundred miles. I've asked some other thru-hikers what drives them at this point and the answer is usually to see NH and Maine, or because they simply want to finish. Anyone not determined to finish dropped off already. Mr. T has already hiked NH and Maine. The miles pass uneventfully. The trail is easy and weather good. I stumble upon trail angels at a road crossing with a spread of hot dogs, watermelon, drinks, and more. They are PCT thru-hikers and friends of Action Jackson, who I meet for the first time. I'm sorry I'm not more hungry but I'm grateful for the cold drink and fruit. I meet Bulletproof, Daddy Longlegs, and Acadius (who started January 4th). I book the next four miles to get to the beach at Canopus Lake before they close. Turns out they close later than expected. I take a refreshing dip in the lake which is a very comfortable temperature. The beach is crowded with local families, and there's a group of hikers hanging out. Ounce, Captain Jack, Trainwreck, Chef and others. The earlier folks filter in as well. Some have been hiking together for a thousand miles. It's mostly a young crowd, some only 19. The trail angels and Action Jackson follow us here and set up again. No one leaves hungry. There is a picture of this motley crew on Daddy Longlegs trail journal on this site. Everyone heads to the next shelter but Daddy Longlegs, who's heading to Manhattan to see his kids for the first time in two months. Another relatively easy five miles to the shelter in the evening, where a tent city is erected. There are at least 15-18 thru and section hikers here. Michelle and Veronica are flip-floppers who recently started with their weimeraner dog. The dog was bitten by a rattlesnake on the third day and taken to the hospital. All three have just returned to the trail. I also meet Bill T, who apparently had one of the other 4 rooms at my motel last night. His entire pack (minus food and water) weighs only six and a half pounds. Most thru-hikers have 20-25. He and Ounce seem to be in an ultralight competition. A bunch of people are talking about doing 30 miles tomorrow. I only planned 25. But we'll see. If the trail continues as it has today I may be knocking on Connecticut's door tomorrow.