Date: 2004-08-08
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter, NY 

To: An-Ting
Miles today: 20.6

Last night in the hammock, a chill woke me at around 4:00 a.m.. I ate an oatmeal square which was in the hammock and I soon warmed up enough to fall back asleep.While hiking in the woods, a man in his thirties approached me heading southbound. He was dressed in what appeared to be the work clothes that auto mechanics wear. There was no hiking gear like a backpack in his possession. His right hand was wrapped in gauze that was unraveling.We stopped and greeted each other. He told me that he had been riding in a vehicle with a work associate and on the spur of the moment asked the associate to drop him off at a trailhead so he could hike for a few miles. He neglected to bring water and had become thirsty. He asked me if I could spare him some water. I handed him my water bottle. He took a few chugs and passed the bottle back to me. I asked him if he wanted more. He said that he would drink anything I gave him. I told him to drink all of the water in the bottle because there was water in my reserve bladder. He drank the rest of the water in the bottle, handed it back, and offered to pay me for the water. I declined his offer. Then he began to thank me profusely, so much so that I began to feel awkward. I told him about a water source near a shelter and we went our separate ways.The trail passed through a region of low elevation with brushy and swampy conditions. Fortunately, the cool weather kept the insects somewhat inactive. In the heart of this region, I came upon a rural train stop; it was a tiny platform beside the railroad tracks. A sign over the platform said "Appalachian Trail" which was the name of the stop. An Asian American woman in her thirties was sitting at the bench. I sat down on the bench to give myself a rest from hiking. We exchanged greetings and began conversing.Her name was An-Ting and she had taken the train from New York City to spend a few hours on this Sunday afternoon hiking along the Appalachian Trail. Later in the day, she planned to return to the stop for a train back to the city.She eyed my backpack and asked me where I was coming from. I told her about my thru hike and we soon established a friendly rapport. After chatting for a while at the train stop, we hiked together for a few hours on the trail.She was intrigued that I was camping with a hammock. During our lunch break, I strung up the hammock and let her go inside of it.During the lunch break, Gather showed up. I asked him why he did not take the train for a quick visit to New York City, a side trip he had previously contemplated. He is 20 years old, lives in a rural town in North Carolina, and has not seen much of this country. He told me that he chose to skip a side trip to New York City in order to stay focused on his thru hike. After chatting for a while, Gather resumed hiking. After he departed, An-Ting remarked that Gather had probably made the right decision by staying on the trail and avoiding New York City. She said something like "He might have lost touch with the spirits of the forest."An-Ting told me that she has hiked several times this section of the Appalachian Trail. She does not own a car and is dependent upon the train to get out of the city.After hiking and conversing with An-Ting, I realized how thru hiking has, in some instances, negatively affected my appreciation for nature. I will sometimes look upon sections of the trail with disapproval. I don't like hiking in brushy areas because they lousy for establishing stealth camp sites. I don't like PUD's¢purposeless ups and downs¢because they don't offer viewpoints. I don't like areas of low elevation due to high densities of bugs and murky sources of water. I don't like steep and rocky inclines because they are exhausting and hard on the feet. The list goes on.The section of trail near the rural train stop is brushy and buggy. I did not care for it. But for An-Ting, this section of the Appalachian trail, bugs and all, represents a haven of tranquility from the hustle and bustle of the city.I ought to better appreciate the variety of natural settings on this trail. It took a chance encounter with a hiker from New York City to remind me of that. The trail led me into Connecticut, another milestone reached. Almost as soon as the trail crossed the border, the quality of the water sources improved. The streams were no longer murky and of questionable potability.Gather and I made camp in a pine grove situated near a scenic river. After setting up our individual shelters, we crossed a brook and ate supper at a spot closer to the water's edge. As we enjoyed our meal, we could see trout jumping out of the water as they fed on insects.It is great to be back in New England.