Date: 2007-09-28
From: Fort Montgomery

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: light rain

mi. 8.9sleep hammockdest. William Brien Memorial Shelter day 78 I can't say enough how good last night felt. Going to bed clean, in a huge comfy bed, huge warm blanket, and full stomach. Lets just say it's probibly been before I left. Even the other hotel or hostel stops didn't come close. Not to mention I figured it up and it was 10 days since I showered and did laundry. Did I mention how hot and how much I had been sweating lately. Washing off in the stream and rinsing out your clothes only goes so far. I did take a lesson from Rob in doing laundry. Instead of 2 wash cycles, first one without soap, I rinsed them out in the bath tub. There were tons of dirt and a few larger things that came off of them. Side note, I am now relaxing in the shelter before going to the hammock. And overnight guy just got out his mandalyn. He just played a good rendishion of "Man of Constant Sorrow", the song from O' Brother where for Art though. Great music to relax to. After I get back and have mastered the tin whistle, your gotten good enough to play around others, I'll move on to something like the guitar for the next trip. I relaxed around the hotel all morning. I figured I payed the money for it I may as well enjoy it for as long as I could. The plan was only to make it 7 or so miles anyways. I did leave a big dent in the breakfest. There was a big group I assumed was with West Point, I am only a few miles away from it, crowding the place. I did manage to get my fill. I also aske the guy working it and he let me take 6 cinimion rolls back to my room. I ate 2 and packed out the rest. Hotels strangly enough feel normal to me. I figured it up and I spent close to 7 months worth of nights in hotel through college with rowing and grad school bridge testing trips. So I feel comfortable in them. Anyways around 11am I left. I stopped by the convience store and got 1 dinner and some snacks to hold me over. I had about a mile or so walk back to the trail. The trail today oddly enough cutts right through a small zoo. It houses what a sign said where local injured or rescued animals. It also has a great Walt Witman statue. I can't remember the poem off hand, but it was his famous traveler one quoted there. If anyone has it, please post it in my guest book. It fit in great and really hit the spot with my trip. Original Benton Mckeye also planned for the AT to have trail side museums at each major town. They would be locally run and offer travelers the history and nature for that area. The zoo grounds has one of those original building. I think it was turned into a amphibian, snake, and fish display house now. A great concept though. It's interesting how his big plan of a trail came to be, but that was only a small part of his original vision. At least what I understand about it. H wanted much more. In terms o museums, camps, and a whole society. It has parts o that now, just a lot different than h invisioned. I'll have t add reading u on the history o the A to m list when I get back. Speaking of reading, funny thing. Last night I was watching tv and enjoying it, but all I wanted to do was keep reading my book. I didn't though, I wanted to save that for trail entertainment. Hopefully my wanting to read will keep up when I get done hiking. Did I mention how dry it has been lately. I really should have drank water and completly rehydrated myself. But beer sounded so much better. Today I was planning to camp close to a stream. It is shown on the map and in the guide. It looked to be really reliable. But when I got there, no stream. Just some stagnit nasty puddles. Good thing another soucre as only .4 off the trail. Now let me just say today I think I did my sketchyist and most dangerous thing on my hike todate. Maybe not, but it felt that was. The trail crosses a 4 lane divided highway at grade. Basically a busy highway with no bridge or tunnel. Did I mention I was there at 4pm on a friday. I made it across fine and with some time to sopare. But man it felt iffy. I am alsways seeing signs saying not to cross the highway or how many people get hit every year. And here the trail goes right over the middle. But anyways. I followed it down to a little book store, kind of strange being there at a reststop. I drank up and filled up my 3 liters of water. I also checked 7 port-a-potties for hand sanitizer. That makes 9 for the day. No go. People most not use it around here. And some of them were way worse than the privy's on the trail. After that I figured I would go to the next shelter. It was right on the trail and would put me 4 miles to water the next day, and 10 to the road with the outfitters. On the way up to the first bump I heard something up ahead. At first I thought it was a squrrel because of the huge bushy tail, but it was way too big. It was a red fox. I got an ok pic of it. Stupid me had the flash on though. It scared it away. The pic is a little blurry and it was major red eye. But I got it. Maybe a future in wildlife photography. I may have to look into that. I got to the top thinking how cool of a site it would be to camp here. I can across 2 weekenders staying there. I was talking with them. They had a ton of questions on the AT. The one said his daughter wants to hike it at some point. We were talking and I saw some lightning in the distance. It also looked like rain. The forcast called for rain scattered tonight. There was no way I wanted to be on an exposed ridge for that, so I pressed on. Only about 1.5 or so to the shelter. I made it about half way. Then the rain came. I stopped and put the rain jacket one. I didn't have my closed cell foam pad to block the rain, so I fashioned my tarp over the top of my pack. I reall can't wait to get a new one tomorrow. Just before the shelter it stopped raining. It rained just enough for myself and my gear to get wet. Everything that needed to stay dry did. But my seatosummit ultra sil drydays are showin signs on wear. I am going to change around my pack waterproofing with my new one. Tonight I am here with 2 people. I swear I meetreally intereting people here. One is an older man from England. He worked for years in South Africa. The other from NJ. His wife though is running for a seat on the consitutional congress for Equador. They are holding one and 4 seats chosen by their citizans living in the US. Come on. Where else Am I going to meet and talk to people with these sort of views and experiences.