Date: 2015-06-01
From: William Brien Memorial Shelter 

To: Fort Montgomery
Miles today: 9.8

Another slow day. I am now back to literally 2 miles an hour and it is killing me. Again, the same problems as yesterday. Pain, weather, terrain. The mosquitoes got me again last night, about 4 times. I woke up because of the intense itchiness. My lower right wisdom tooth has also made a painful appearance, and no amount of Aleve seems to be helping. The mosquito bites on my leg that blistered now look like I have the plague but don't seem to be infected. The cut on my left knee makes bending even more painful than before. It feels like my entire body is falling apart. The storm and rain lasted all night long. In the morning, I thought that there couldn't possibly be any water left in the sky. It was foggy outside the shelter, and it started raining as I left. The train immediately went up a rocky climb. It was very slow going, as I had my poles in one hand, a cup of tea in the other, and the rocks were near vertical and wet. It's remarkable that I didn't slip or lose my tea. I have definitely had a lot more trouble with the rocks in NY and NJ than I ever did in PA. I recall a thru hiker in Harpers Ferry saying that he thought the rocks after PA were much worse. He was right. The rain continued off and on throughout the morning, so I had to keep my 'just slightly too warm' rain gear on the whole time. My feet were soaked from the moment I put my wet shoes on. There were a few climbs. Plenty of fallen trees around the trail. Even a wooden plank bridge had been completely twisted out of action. All the views that were promised in the guidebook of the famous NYC skyline and the Hudson River were completely invisible to me because of the rain and fog. It was just another painful and slow slog up and down the rocks, surrounded by tall trees that cream and threaten to fall at any moment. In the last hour or so of hiking, things finally picked up. Bear mountain starts off with a million stone steps that caused my knees to ache, but were still better and faster than the usual rock scramble up. The trails around the mountain are largely well maintained and the latter half down is all gravelly and very gentle in comparison to the climb. In typical American tradition, there was a car park at the top, with vending machines. On a clear day, I am sure the mountain is packed. Instead, I was alone almost the whole time. I even saw a deer staring at me near the carpark. There were three other people on the mountain, including a trail maintainer who proved that they do actually exist here in NY. (Though perhaps just in their most popular destination.) I asked the maintainer if the rain was ever going to end. She cheerfully replied that it wasn't, but at least there were no thunder storms predicted for today. Rain is predicted for the next few days. New York has flash flood warnings. The perfect time to be outside in the woods, slipping and sliding on all the rocks and roots. By the time I reached civilisation (a lake, with a park and more vending machines), the rain was coming down heavily. I was practically jubilant as I plodded along, swinging my poles in time to my music. I was heading for a motel, the rain didn't matter any more!The trail beside Bear Mountain actually goes through a small zoo that has a $1 suggestion donation fee. The zoo is mostly for plants and trees. There was a curiously random, full sized and detailed statue of Walt Whitman. I saw some foxes, a porcupine, yet more snakes and frogs. Then I came to the main attraction- the bears! Finally, I could confront the mythical terrifying beast which stalks the Appalachian Trail, leaving destroyed packs and snacks in its fearful wake. There were two bears in a medium sized enclosure. Both seemed bored and completely uninterested in my appearance (even with the surely delicious smell of instant mash and chewy bars in my food bag) . One was hiding from the rain. The other was licking himself. I stuck around to watch and see them in action. Eventually, they both moved slightly. They looked almost exactly like large dogs. It was unnerving to see one stand up on its hind legs purely because it looked so much like a dog. I took some photos and moved on. I hope that's the last of the bears I will see on the trail. I went through the zoo and then doubled back to the zoo office to use their telephone. The motel I was planning to stay in was fully booked. I had no choice but to either continue on in the rain and stay sopping for a few more days, or splash out on the expensive Holiday Inn Express. I chose the Holiday Inn, and one of the zoo employees kindly gave me a ride the nearly 2 miles there. I don't know how I will get back in the morning. Since then, I have done my assorted hotel room tasks (shower, snacks, bath, clean socks, clean Sawyer filter, dry everything, bath again). I met up with Archangel and Lorax who are taking a zero tomorrow, and we had dinner at a nearby BBQ place. I had half a barbecued chicken with a baked potato and beans. It was delicious. The portions were perfect for me and other hikers, but huge for the average person.Tomorrow I have to go back on the trail despite the horrible weather predicted. I cannot afford to spend another night here, despite the immense appeal. I am hoping I can go into NYC in a couple days, but with the speed I'm currently travelling I don't know how long that will actually take.