Date: 2017-07-21
From:  Lakes Rd., Monroe, NY

To: Arden Valley Rd.
Miles today: 13.9

Today we pulled ourselves up over lots of rocks, just as we did yesterday.  Late in the afternoon we came to a place that was a wall of rock about seven feet high (see photo).  The photo, having no human in it for scale, does not do justice to just how challenging a place it was.  There was a blue-blazed trail that was marked "Easy Way", but we are not blue blazers (blue blazes are side trails, not the AT).  Terri and I scoped out the rock and decided to pull ourselves up by some tree roots, with a left foothold on a rock below.  Terri did it after a few tries.  I, however, could not get my left foot up high enough to put it in the foothold.  Momentarily I considered the right side of the rock, where there were many handholds and footholds.  But I didn't find a low enough foothold to get started there either.  Finally Terri took the "easy way" back down to help me up.  First we moved several smaller rocks in front of the rock to be climbed.  This got me about six inches higher, but I still couldn't reach the toehold.  Finally, Terri offered to give me a boost from below.  With that, I managed to reach the toehold and pull myself up.  If I'd been there alone, I'm not sure how I would have gotten up.  Not long after, Arlene and Bill came along.  Arlene couldn't get her foot into the foothold on the rock, and she was unwilling to let Bill give her a boost.  So Bill came up next.  While he was struggling to get started, Arlene walked over to the right side and pulled herself up there while no one was watching.  There were more events in the day - more blueberries, more rock climbing, more walking on boulders in high places, hiking through lovely grassy fields with trees interspersed on high places in Harriman State Park (see photo), and trail magic in the form of water and cold sodas at nearly every road crossing.  They were similar to yesterday, only more difficult.  Tonight my newly-splinted left wrist is sore from the two efforts of pulling myself up on rocks.  I hope tomorrow will be less hard on it.  I don't want to reinjure it or slow down the healing process.  Tomorrow's hike takes us to Bear Mountain State Park Museum and Zoo.  The AT runs right through it, and there are white blazes to guide us.  We have to arrive between 10:00 AM and 4:30 PM to get in, or else we miss that section of the trail.  We have to hike 14 miles to get there, so  we're starting early at 5:30.  I'm headed to bed early.  Note to Pam: thanks for warning me that my wrist would look like a chicken wing when the cast came off.  It does indeed look like a chicken wing, but so does the other one.  It's just that the other one is more sunburned.Later note: Shortly before noon Arlene, Bill, and I came to a beautiful campsite.  It was a flat spot shaded by pine trees and cushioned with fallen pine needles.  A trail angel had affixed what appeared to be a permanent trail magic box to a tree.  The box was full of first aid supplies - bandaids, ibuprofen, antibiotic cream, etc.  We ate lunch, then spread our ponchos on the ground to take a short nap.  It was one of the most peaceful and relaxing times I've had on the entire trail so far (see photo above).  Although I didn't fall asleep, I rested comfortably.  I got up feeling totally refreshed and relaxed.