Date: 2014-07-16
From: CR-517, Vernon NY, Mile 1350.6

To: Warwick Turnpike, Warwick NY, Mile 1358.4
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: scattered clouds

The forecast for this morning was 50% rain showers tapering off by noon. Since my feet took a beating yeaterday being wet and since I now had dry socks and shoes to go with my now dry feet, I decided to sleep late and not leave until the skys cleared and the grass and bushes along the trail had had time to dry. I taped up the sore spots on my feet, and then several of us went to a breakfast place nearby. It didn't rain at all this morning and the sun was out midmorning. About six of us set out to hitch a ride back to the trail, but everyone but Nora V and I were going back to the road crossing further down the trail. They got a ride in less than a minute. The road we were hitching on had less traffic and nobody was stopping for us. Nora V started putting her thumb out to cars going in the opposite direction and someone pulled over! The woman had her laundry in the front seet and her big dog in the back but we squeezed in with the dog. She turned around and took us to the trail, then turned back around and continued on to wherever she was going. Very nice! :-)Within a mile we came upon Moses, Slayer, Bobcat and Not Yet taking a break. Nora V and I joined them hiking. They had plans for a short day and going into Warwick to the drive-in movie. As a result, they were in no hurry. Although they hiked fast (huff and puff, pant pant pant for me), they take frequent and long breaks, enjoying the conversation. I decided this was good for me and stayed with them. Nora V and I both decided to join them in Warwick, although this will mean more miles for her tomorrow and Friday to make her planned meeting with "the cookie lady" at the monastary on Friday. I'll just be looking for a good spot for Linda to pick me up and take me to Albany for a family event on Saturday. This was a fun group to be with! Moses and Slayer are a young couple from Ohio (lots of folks from Ohio on the trail), Bobcat is a young man from Israel, and Not Yet is a young woman from Asheville NC who is section hiking from NJ to Maine. She just joined the group a few days ago. At one of our stops we were taking group photos when a dayhiker came by and took shots of all of us. Just as he finished, two other day hikers came by and we had one of them take photos of us including the both the other day hikers. We could see this escalating, but no more hikers came by. At our lunch stop we also had rock throwing and knife throwing competitions. The Gang with a Couple of Day HikersWhen we got to the Warwick Turnpike, Not Yet called Dorothy, who runs the Meadowlark Farm B&B where we can tent for 15 bucks. She also came to get us. Turns out the B&B is outside town and far from the drive-in. So we ended up just eating our hiker food and chilling out in a little cabin where we're tenting. Dorothy had a horse in the barn next to where we were camping, and Not Yet volunteered to groom him. I took advantage of the opportunity to learn something new to me. Not Yet Teaching Me how to Groom a HorseIt's been a very different day on the trail but a good day! And only a day and a half 'til I see my sweetie again!