Date: 2017-04-25
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter

To: Bear Mountain Bridge
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light intensity drizzle

Along with Stamp and Silver Girl, we woke about 5 am. I packed up and had a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter for breakfast and was on the trail by about 6 am. Silver Girl had actually left first, about 15 minutes before I did. The trail started immediately with the scramble up a pile of wet rocks right next to the shelter. It continued up Black Mountain where I'm sure there would have been some nice views if not for the fog. It rained all day today, so going was significantly slower than yesterday for safety reasons. Four miles in, at the top of West Mountain, I stopped and had a more substantial breakfast of tuna salad burritos. Stamp caught up to me at that time and I was able to actually see what he looked like. That was not possible earlier or the night before because it had been relatively dark. He appeared much as he had sounded: 25 years old, light brown hair and beard and slim after having been on the trail since early February. After Crossing Seven Lakes Drive at about mile 5, I came across a tall thin man wearing orange rain gear carrying an enormous pack with an osprey rain cover on it. He was moving very slowly. I said good morning and we chatted a little bit. He admitted that he was struggling with the climbing over the last couple of days. He had done a 350 mile section mainly in Virginia last year with the same equipment I gather, and it had not been such a problem. His plan had been to go as far as Rutland Vermont. But he said that was not going to work, because even without food and a little water his stuff was just too heavy. So he said he intended to call it quits after today. He told me his Trail name is Bigfoot and I encouraged him to see if he could get some rest and lighten his load and then maybe try again. He nodded and said, "Yeah, maybe." We wished each other good luck and continued climbing.At about 10 past 10 I arrived at Bear Mountain itself and could see the Perkins Memorial Tower at which I took a picture and more importantly I spotted three vending machines near a maintenance building. I had only one dollar bill and no change but the machines accepted credit card, so I paid for a regular Coca-Cola and small sized can of Pringles with my Visa card. I think that cost me about $4 but it tasted fantastic and I think the perk was worth the price. I wandered around the tower on the paved circular and gravel pathways, and I took some pictures of the view out over the Hudson River. As I still had three miles to go to get to the actual Bear Mountain Bridge where I had originally planned to meet Teresa, I got back on the trip going. Teresa and I had texted and discussed that since I had hiked more miles than originally planned yesterday, my distance today would be shorter and I would be arriving sooner than expected as a result.My first use of the extra time was just to take it easy on the remaining portion of the trail for today. After descending Bear Mountain, I arrived at the Bear Mountain Inn and had a leisurely walk through its grounds. Next up was the Bear Mountain Zoo where Teresa and I had taken our children when Joey was 4 and Jenna was a baby. My book says that the Bear Den at the zoo is the lowest point on the Appalachian Trail at 177 feet above sea level. A sign in the zoo, however says that it is at 126 feet above sea level. There was also an historical marker for the Appalachian Trail and a display with more historical information on the origination and construction of the trail and the people who built the first shelters along it. I took some pictures and then left the zoo and arrived at the south or west end of the Bear Mountain Bridge. Instead of continuing on the trail, I turned left and walked a few feet to the Bear Mountain traffic circle and called a taxi to take me to Highland Falls so that I could get signed into our lodging at West Point and maybe get my laundry done while I wait for Teresa to arrive this evening.