Date: 2006-06-25
From: Wawayanda Shelter

To: Wildcat Shelter, NY
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: 0

Cell goodI need to touch on the topic of friends. Some people are friends, some are good friends, and some are great friends. Now let me explain where this fits in. I mentioned that my friends Dean, Brenda, Wanda, Jeff, and Tim came down to be with me.I want everyone to know how great their friendhip is, and how lucky I am to have them as my friends. They not only came to spend time with me, but they also came down with Trail Magic for any hiker who came along.I can't tell you how terrific it was to spend time with them, and to just have them there. I found it difficult to move on and continue the hike - I wanted to stay there with them and just hang out some more.Some other great friends are Bob, Kim, and Roger. They were not here physically, but they were here in spirit. Kim sent down a huge batch of chocolate chip brownies. They were delicious, as are all her wonderful desserts! Thank you, Kim, for putting the exclamation point onto the magic of friends!Well, I eventually moved on, and the hike continued. The beginning of the hike was fairly smooth, with a few hills to climb. Just before I entered New York there was a hard climb. So hard, in fact, that a ladder was built along side one of the sheer rocks. I forgot to mention it was raining all day, and the rocks were like ice at times. You see, a lichen grows on the rock, giving it a green color; when wet, it is slick.I don't know if an inanimate object, such as the State of New Jersey, can cause harm on a person. I've been telling everyone that Jersey is so bad you have to pay to get out. That comes from all the toll plazas at every bridge or highway leaving the state. A few years ago they started collecting the tolls as you leave Jersey. Well, with no toll plaza on top of the rocks, they had to get it somehow.Mine was collected as I was walking on a slippery rock. I was planting my hiking poles, and taking small steps, trying to be careful, when I finally fell. I hit hard, and hit my right hip on a rock. Oh yes, and as I was falling, I twisted my right ankle. I'm a little sore, and my pride is hurt, but otherwise I'm okay. I'll continue to monitor these spots and hope they don't get worse. Right now it is wait and see.New York welcomed me home with another fall, where I skinned my right knee and left elbow.I mentioned that it was raining most of the day. I was fortunate in that the really hard stuff didn't start until after I was in the shelter. We [Skids and I] reached the shelter about 4:00 pm. We both changed into dry clothes and laid out our sleeping pads and sleeping bags. I climbed into my bag to warm up, and soon heard the rain pouring down hard on the roof. I was so comfortable that I fell asleep and got an hour nap while it rained. After the nap, I ate dinner - a bagel and Velveta Cheese. The rain had stopped for a while, so I fetched water, called Sue, and completed my chores. Now that I'm settled, the rain has resumed its intensity. I guess this is a lucky sign. I'm ready for bed and hoping the mosquitos game is rained out tonight. I've chosen the shelter so I don't end up in a soaked tent. I hope it was the right decision.Goodnight.Old GoatSue's Note: One of my tasks is to correct spelling and major grammar errors in Old Goat's entries. I had my dictionary out for this one! :-) He used "decadent" to describe Kim's desserts - I knew what he was trying to say, but when I looked in the dictionary to make sure it was spelled correctly, I saw that it means decay....and Kim's desserts are NOT to be described as being decayed! :-) Old Goat writes beautifully...only occasionally needing a correction...honest! I change very little of what he writes.When he called me this evening, he told me Dean and Brenda cooked a delicious pancake breakfast this morning - Old Goat and the other hikers thoroughly enjoyed them. One guy (I forgot his trail name) said he doesn't usually eat much for breakfast...then came back for seconds and raved about how good the pancakes were!Old Goat told me about the rock climbs and wet rocks. When he was describing hiking a rock ridge, he said it would be fun if it were dry, but since it was wet, it was treacherous. Imagine describing climbing rocks as fun....everyone has their own version of "fun."