Date: 2008-06-19
From: RPH Shelter, NY

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter, NY
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: broken clouds

It rained much of the nite, lightly. I woke @ my normal 5:00 a.m. (I don't get up till 5:30 though..it takes me forever to wake up in the morning.) It was cool, and damp this morning, and I stepped off @ 7:25 a.m. to 59 degrees.Zeroing yesterday was the right decision. I felt like Peter pan, where he lost his shadow, but today...I found it again. Whereas I'm still incredibly homesick, I have managed to reconcile my "issues" and am looking at Mt. Katahdin again. Scary to feel so low and be in such a funk out here. Like I said, I don't like feeling that way, and don't stay there long usually.Dark Horse was still eating breakfast when I left, I'm sure he'll pass me eventually though.The RPH Shelter does not have a trashcan even though you can have food delivered, so I had a big plastic bag full of last nite's dinner trash that I was hoping I'd be able to discard of soon.I did find a trashcan just past the Taconic Prkwy. Then it was climbing Hosner Mt. Nothing today was that bad. On the way up, there was swirling fog in the mountains, but the hot sun had already burned it off in the valleys, so you could see the patches of sun way through the fog.Then, I saw the most beautiful sun beams coming down through the moisture. I used to think as a kid, that sunbeams coming down were slides for the angels to come down to Earth on.There were also 2 really great and large trees. They looked so grand and both must have been, several hundred years old. As I was taking a picture of one, I heard something and saw a deer just standing there looking @ me about 20 feet away. Pretty cool, and I got a pic.I got down and just past Hosner Mt. Rd. and there was a sign by the stream warning that this stream originates @ a farm and there are cows using the water. I opted not to get water there. There were also huge signs posted today warning and educating about Lyme Disease. I guess I'm in the prime tick area now..according to the map. I'm trying to be careful, but honestly, there's no way anyone could see one of those things in my hair you know? It's a little stressful.Next it was 1\3 mile of roadwalking past houses and then across the I-84 overpass via Stormville Rd. The trail was about 97% totally friendly today, meaning it just wound its way through the woods on a nice dirt path with very gradual ascents mostly. There were a couple of short steep ups and downs, but they were very short.Next it was up Mt. Egbert which had a small view of the distant mountains, but just over the summit was Morgan Stewart Shelter, where I stopped for lunch. It was 11:50 a.m. and I'd already gone 9 miles with only 7.6 more to go. I was happy about that. This shelter is old, but kept up nicely. They've made a huge firepit of sorts by concreting in a large hole, and there were 2 gatorade powder containers bolted to the roof of the shelter overhang that contained first aid supplies. I thought that was nice.I sat down for lunch and as suspected, Dark Horse was right behind me. The guy takes a cigarette break for 10 minutes every hr, and he STILL manages to catch up even after leaving @ 8:00 a.m.! LOL I want leg extensions!!We talked a bit as I ate my gross tasting beef jerky and gorp. Around 1:15, I was off again. My feet did really well today, and I've decided I think 5 days food is enough @ 1 time. I've been trying for 7 lately, but it's just too heavy.Just before Old NY 55, there's a great bridge over a beautiful stream. I stopped and got water and made my peace with the trail for good. I sat there and remembered the day I did 6 miles and ended up @ a great stream to dry my stuff out. That was a great day, and I'm trying to focus on those moments instead of the miserable ones. I watched the water for a bit and rested my feet, then finally headed on.I came out to the road and couldn't see a blaze, but saw 2 very faded blazes signifying a left turn. I started down the road, and saw all of the school buses pulling out of the bus lot. I snapped a pic of bus #99 for the Pawling Central School District. I wasn't seeing any blazes though, so as usual, I turned back and walked the other way. Finally, found one, it was hidden by a branch with leaves on it.I also crossed NY 55 (the new one) and next it was heading to Nuclear Lake. Before getting there, I met Maggie and Andy, both locals, who were out for a day hike. He wants to thru-hike when he finishes school in a few years. I found myself lighting up again and saying, "Do it! Hike the AT! I couldn't have done that yesterday I don't think. Oh, and Andy (without ONE word from me) volunteers that he wants to use a hammock! I directed him to a website. There was next, this really neat giant boulder that looked like it had been split with a wedge removed. I hiked through it and took a pic. And then finally...I came upon Nuclear Lake, named this because this area was a nuclear fuels processing research center till 1972, when it was shut down and eventually deemed "safe" so they could route te trail here. I saw only 1 three-headed mallard duck swimming around, and that's it. (just kidding)Actually, I knew now was my opportunity to finalize the components needed for me to realize my dream of being a super hero. See, all I lacked was some Nuclear Lake water that was treated with UV light (my steri-pen), and this combined with the residual electrical force field that remains from my indirect lightening strike from last year and the Anthrax I have circulating in my blood..well, all I have to say is watch out Hulk! Oh, I haven't mentioned the Anthrax yet huh?Back in 1998, the Marine Corps started administering the brand new Anthrax "Inoculations" to all deployable personnel (which included me). Well, after being given the first 3 of 6 total "inoculations," (via shots) the program suddenly came to a hault because the safety of the stuff was being questioned. Some of us had raised questions when we were first told we were getting it, but were sat down and our superior people said, "You will get this, it is a direct order, it is safe, and if there are any more problems with this, you will be charged with disobeying a direct order."On ocassion, I really crave hay, I often eat as if I have 4 stomachs, and the methane levels in my household...well...poor Karen, that's all I can say.So I was about to drink my final destiny from Nuclear Lake, but stopped @ the last minute because I figured the world may not be ready for a super hero that when pissed off grows unaturally large udders that shoot lightening bolts out of them to defeat evil.So, I poured out the water and just hiked on. Besides, if I can't be Wonder Woman (and really....who can?) then I'd prefer to just be Certain.The lake was actually quite beautiful. If it had been hot, I would have gone for a swim, but it was only in the mid-70's today..super nice.Dark Horse caught up to me again and passed me, we knew we only had about 3 more miles to go and it was only 2:45 p.m.!It was a gradual ascent up West Mtn. and when I got to the top, a woman was there. Her name is Ollie and she's actually the trail maintenance supervisor for 12.5 miles of the AT. I thanked her for her work,asked her to relay that to her other workers, and we talked for a bit. Now get this, something cool happened.I was aout .2 from the Telephone Pioneers Shelter. She said they had literally JUST opened the new relocated section of the trail, and I was the second hiker to hike on the new section (damn that super fast Dark Horse who was the first). They rerouted it because the other section was very eroded and becoming too steep. Cool huh? Ok ok, I was the first woman to hike on this new trail! There...makes me feel better.So I got to the shelter at a record breaking 4:30 p.m., and there were tons of people there to my surprise. A woman from NYC named Red Dirt, Dark Horse, Jim and Brandon from CT with Jim's dog Chester, and 4 other people who eventually left.Everyone but Dark Horse and I were out for a few days, so they all had tons of questions for us and were totally into looking @ our gear. (yup..I may have hooked Brandon on hammocks!)I made dinner, but will admit, I'm starving right now. I have been hungary all day today. Jim, Brandon, Dark Horse and I all talked for a bit and then I turned in aroud 7:15 p.m. I love a day like today where I made good mileage, the sun was out, the trail was friendly, the birds never stopped chirpping, and I'm @ my destination before 5:00 p.m.! Wish all days could be like this actually.It's not due to my hiking abilities, but is more due to the terrain being pretty flat today.I think mother nature and the trail were in cahoots to convince me not to give up on them. I'm ok with that.I fell asleep journaling, but woke about an hour later due to my nose ad head being all clogged up, so I'm finishing it off. I just heard my owls for the first time since PA I think? I've missed them.It's 10:35 p.m. and a cool 64 degrees. One day at a time is how I have to approach this now. I can't risk getting overwhelmed like I did the past 3 days...again. It sucked.Well, time for more sleep.~Certain