Date: 2004-08-05
From: Arden NY Hwy 17

To: Fort Montgomery NY
Miles today: 18.6

Gather (Adam) called in from Fort Montgomery NY @ 11:30 am from the Holiday Inn Express.I left Arden NY 8-4-04 around 10 am. Still rocks and more rocks. Knee is giving me trouble, hurts bad. Blisters on my feet, no moleskin or duct tape to put over them. Bugs are eating me alive. No water through here. All you can do is head north, grin and bear it.I will try to make it to Fort Montgomery NY. Doubt I will make it today with a bum knee. It's 18 miles to Fort Montgomery. people have been leaving jug's of water along the trail for us and it is welcome indeed. Thank you who ever you are for leaving the water it was much needed. you would not believe how much water we consume a day out here on the trail.I came close to losing it yesterday, just one of those days on the trail when nothing seems to go right. Gotta get hold of myself. Hardest part is yet to come. Can't let the trail get the best of me now, not after coming all this way. Injuries and sickness are my biggest fears out here, they will put you off the trail in a heartbeat. Since I started I have seen many good hikers have to quit because of injuries. I'm still on track time wise to summit Mt. Katahdin Maine. I hope to make it by the last of Sept, we'll see.I made it to the top of Bear Mountain State Park last night. Camped there with another thru-hiker. Cannot remember his name. I last saw him at the Kincora Hostel in TN.We get up this morning. The other hiker fires up his little stove. The flame just wasn't big enough to suit him, so he gets his fuel bottle and squirts fuel on the open flame. The flames roared up, ran into the fuel bottle. That bottle went off like a rocket and flew out of his hand and right by my head ! Now his pack and food sack is on fire, I'm drinking a Gator-Aid, I throw that on the flames. We scramble and put it out with dirt, what a mess. When we finally got it put out we sat down and laughed our butt's off. When I left he was still trying to clean up the mess. That's just life on the trail.Made it to a phone, tried to call home no one answered. Walked on down to the Holiday Inn Express and checked in. Only suites were available, here I am stinking to high heaven with a big pack on my back.Get in my room and call home again, no answer. Few minutes later the phone rings and it's dad ! This Global calling card I have leaves a detailed log on the internet instantly every time I use it. We talk awhile. Dad tells me a very nice lady who happens to be a business acquaintance of his e-mailed him that morning to offer her assistance to me. said she would come pick me up and let me stay at her house overnight. Her name was Melissa, thank you Melissa for the offer I do appreciate it. There are just wonderful people every where I go. I told dad I was fine, knee is better, no need for a doctor.Now here ole Slimer is back there digging and scratching through the rocks and here I am all laid back in a suite taking it easy. Hope the Slimer is ok.There's a nice steak house nearby. I walk over to it, go in and it's really dark in there. Lady seats me, waiter comes over all dressed up like he's going to a funeral. He asks " Sir, are you joining us for dinner tonight" ? I say no, I'm eating by myself. He lights a candle so I can see. I order a cheeseburger, fries and have a piece of cheesecake for desert. Waiter brings the bill. I look at it and it's $17.00 ! I call him over and explain to him I have never had a $17.00 cheeseburger in my life. He smiles and said " Welcome to New York". Man for $17.00 I can get enough cheeseburgers at home to feed, me, Will, Josh and Marty. Well maybe Will and Josh, Marty can really put away some groceries.I will re-supply here in the morning and hit the trail. Jorma (Slimer) should be getting really close to me now. Not sure where he's at, last we heard from him was on the 3rd of Aug.Down the trail the other day at the High Point Shelter, Chase , Paparazzi , Baloo , Flint , Mr. T (girl) , and Reverend Yukon Jack and myself were there. there was a bunch of noisy boy scouts there also. Now all this racket was annoying the Reverend Yukon Jack. He looks at us and says, 10 o'clock is late enough for them to stay up. He looks at his watch and starts counting down. At 10: o'clock on the nose he screams at the top of his voice " Shut the hell up and go to sleep" !! All was quite.Called home again. Dad read some entries from my guest book. One in particular got my attention the most. From a guy in MI, Dave Freas, thank you Dave. I do appreciate all you people signing my guest book. Dad always reads them off to me over the phone. I will say those words of encouragement help keep me on the trail headed north. No one pushing me, but myself.Getting late, going to bed ..........