Date: 2017-06-04
From: Fingerboard Shelter

To: Bear Mountain Bridge Motel
Miles today: 15.1

Ah, the adventures of hiking and the necessity of flexibility.  Last night's shelter is known as being a "high bear-activity" shelter.  The shelter register (most shelters have registers where hikers sign in and advise other hikers of what's going on) had not indicated any problems with bears for a while.  In fact, Doc, Ace and Gofer had written day before yesterday that they were disappointed to have been there and not seen the Fingerboard Shelter bear.  Well, last night he showed up.Both Powerhouse and I had put our food bags up in trees just as we're instructed to do when a shelter has no bear box or bear cables provided.  But we discovered this morning that he had gotten to them anyway.  Powerhouse's bag was on the ground and demolished.  Mine was still in the tree but had been moved 10 feet closer to the trunk where it apparently got stuck, and the bottom of the bag was shredded so that most of the contents fell out.  What a mess!  My Snickers bars, granola bars, and a bag of gorp were totally missing, wrappers and all.  The jar of peanut butter had been unscrewed (!) and half-eaten.  The bag of bagels was gone including the plastic bag.  Fortunately, the expensive freeze-dried food packets were largely untouched.  As a side note, the beefy tough hiker (trail name Bruno) who had come hoping to see a bear...  he heard the bear roaming around, stuck his head outside the tent with headlamp on, saw the green eyes, and made a beeline for the shelter for the rest of the night, not wanting to be alone in a tent.  As if Powerhouse and I were any level of protection!  What a laugh.All of this meant diverting into town to resupply and figure out a new bag solution.  The day began again sunny and dry, but clouds bringing the next rainy spell were building.  About 2 hours before the end of the hike, drizzle began to fall and soon became a steady but light rain.  Temperatures were in the 60s, so it didn't feel unpleasant.  My only food option was to get into Fort Montgomery NY and find a convenience store as there's no grocery located there.  So after 15.1 miles credited to me the hike continued off the trail another 2 miles in a steady and now moderate rain along a busy highway with cars and trucks flying by whipping up spray.  But again not unpleasant and it's so easy to just walk along pavement or a sidewalk as compared to a trail loaded with roots and rocks and going steeply up or down.  Was I ever delighted to find this six-room motel with a sign saying "vacancy".  There's a convenience store, a BBQ restaurant, and a breakfast deli-cafe all a short distance away.  And a blessing:  some hiker had an extra, totally unused bag that is perfect for food, and left it at the motel for someone else to use if necessary.  Wahoo!Last surprise of the day?  Two doors down in #2 is Medicine Man!  Unbeknowst to me, he also came into town to resupply and stay here.  We'll go to the BBQ this evening.Very serendipitous!  Getting soaking wet but getting to get into a motel to shower and largely dry out.  And game 2 of the NBA playoffs on TV!  However, I had planned six additional miles today and not getting them done means I am now officially one day behind schedule.  That surprises me at the four-week mark to be this close to the schedule, so no complaints here.Back to the AT tomorrow.  The motel owner gives a free shuttle back.  He ought to, judging by the price to stay here.Days since last shower: 0