Date: 2008-05-26
From: County 20 (Dover Oak)

To: Schaghticoke Rd
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Monday, May 26, 2008Hoyt Rd to Schaghticoke Rd, Harley, Crazy Dog, Georgia, Amoeba and Benny, 4.4 miles, County 20 to Hoyt Rd, Amoeba and Benny, 9.2 milesMemorial Day. My 2 favorite holidays are Memorial Day, when I get to think about people, met and unmet, who have made a difference in my life, and Labor Day, because, as summer begins to slide into fall, it¢s usually a great day for being outside.Start 9:30.Agile Crazy Dog climbs the steps up the bridge over Ten Mile River, but Georgia and Benny refuse. Harley lifts up Benny and then Georgia. Because of short legs and arms, I¢m not sure, even with practice, Benny would be able to climb steps this steep.Out at 341.Benny, congratulations! You just finished hiking Connecticut, your first state! 51.6 miles!On the way to County 20, we stop for sandwiches and HagenDaz ice cream bars.Me fitting into a decent-size mother-of-the-groom dress by October 4 is hopeless. :-((Goodbye Harley, Crazy Dog and Georgia. Thanks for everything! Harley, especially, thanks for the great company and for sharing your know-how about dogs.At the Dover Oak, Benny and I meet Ollie, who¢s out weed whacking a section of trail she maintains for the NYNJ Trail Club. She¢s a supervisor of the trail maintainers. North of here is Sasquatch¢s section, she tells me. Ollie also works for the ADK. She talks to me a bit about trail maintenance. You do what needs to be done, within the scope of the resources that you have. The Dover Oak, she says, is tied with one in Columbia County for largest in NY State.On the trail north of Dover Oak, Benny and I are overpowered by scent of honeysuckle strong enough to be called a fume. Honeysuckle fumes.Walking through forest, I spot a dead scarlet tanager lying just to the right of the trail. What happened to it? Looks like whatever happened didn¢t happen too long ago. I move it aside onto some vegetation.I pass a hiker who says, ¢I have a cocker spaniel who sounds just like that", meaning Benny barking. Does it come with the breed?Hello to the famous Sasquatch, weed whacker in hand, in the throes of trail work. Wish we had longer to talk, but he¢s got to get back to work.Meet some hikers waiting for the train. Benny barks.We cross 22 and walk into thick grass of a hayfield being cut by a farmer. I ascend a stile and lift Benny over. The second stile I climb over and shoo Benny under the barbed wire, which is high enough for a small dog like Benny to clear. Trail sign says these 2 stiles, and one coming up, will be replaced as part of an Eagle Scout project 2 weeks from now. Because in the space of just a few days we¢ve hit 5 dog hiking obstacles on the AT, 3 at stiles and 2 at bridges, when we get home, I¢ll try practicing with Benny on straight ladders and step ladders. That'll be good prep for our next AT hike together.Meet a Mom with some kids and a little Schnauzer. Benny doesn¢t bark at all.Trail is mowed grass, which tempts you not to look down. At your peril. I just miss stepping into a huge hole, big enough to break an ankle.Hello to some backpackers. Benny doesn¢t bark.Hello to some more backpackers. Benny goes into barking orbit.I don¢t have yesterday¢s energy. We¢re hiking slow. Both of us.4:20 we¢re at the Green Trail.Our approach disturbs a red-tailed hawk and it flies off silently through the forest.A huge maple, not as big as the Dover oak, but an old-timer nonetheless.4 people at Wiley Shelter but we can¢t talk because Benny¢s barking.For some reason there¢s fencing and tarp across Deuel Hollow Brook. I wasn¢t able to find out why.See a thermometer, 70 degrees. Out to the waiting Element at 7PM.Helen has invited Benny and me to stay with her for a couple of days. Benny can't stay inside because of co-op regulations, but I now know he's comfortable in the ventilated Element, and he's allowed to stay in the car in the visitor's parking lot. He's had a long hot day, I walk him and settle him down in the Element. Sound asleep in no time.