Date: 2010-07-27
From: Telephone Pioneer Shelter

To: Wingdale
Miles today: 3.0

Day 8 - even though the tent was pitched on a slight incline still had a good night's sleep - wish it were cooler though. Taking it easy today. I pack up the tent and Genevieve cooked breakfast - oatmeal finally. I put half the bag of brown sugar in it. Pretty good that way. I know I have not said much about the scenery or landscape and lately just talking about food. It is curious to observe that most of the hikers we meet are talking about food. The landscape has been mostly deep dark serene forest. Not much wildlife lets us see them. So far between us 3 deer, 2 non-venomous snakes, a salamander. One of the most interesting features are the many many rock walls. They go on for miles and are everywhere. Expertly pieced together by hand - hundreds of years ago I suppose. But mostly it is trail through the forest - PUDS & MUDS as the thru-hikers call them. "Pointless Ups and Downs" or "Mindless Ups and Downs". Because I get tired I stop often and just look and listen - I kinda like it. I am told there will be more magnificent vistas in Connecticutt. I suppose that also means more rock scrambles. Will have to watch pack weight. We get a casual start at 9:30. "Wood Rangler" is walking with us. He is getting a little discouraged. He has walked 1090 miles and can feel that he is suffering from malnutrition and plans to leave the trail at Great Barrington. We expect to be there 8/9/10. Genevieve has been encouraging "Wood Rangler" - and may cut his pace from 15-17 to 8-10 to match ours. It is an interesting community on the AT. Thru-hikers all begin Mar 15 - Apr 15 and leap frog each other as they move up the trail. There are northbounders (NOBOs) and southbounders (SOBOs). Each shelter has a log. We have seen NOBOs that we met a week ago leaving us good wishes in shelter logs where we have stayed. "1.0 and Bea - hope you are still on the trail and good luck". It is nice to get those kind of messages in this fast paced age. I think about all of the hikers we have met and know that they have just passed through this section day or two ahead of me. In another case we heard of a NOBO who left a book behind at a shelter and sent a message down the trail with a SOBO. The message was carried south to a hiker who had found the book. He handed it off to a fast moving NOBO and the book was eventually returned to its owner. Well anyway at the bottom of the hill this morning is the Dover Oak - largest oak on the AT. Truly magnificent. Guidebook says 4 ft diameter but looks like 6 ft to me. Tremendous. I place my hand on him as I pause for a moment and remember the grandfathers. Pressing on through some sunny fields and canebreaks I come to a pond that I am sure has fish in it. I stop for an hour dry my socks and rig up my fishing pole. Very brushy and difficult to fish. Lost a couple flies and no fish. After an hour's rest I figure that I'd best be getting on to Wylie shelter where Genevieve and "Wood Rangler" will be expecting me. Just before I leave an AT volunteer with a sickle in hand passes by. He mentions that there is no water at Wylie. But there is a Garden Nursery up ahead that is friendly to hikers - I might get water there. Pressing on I see that I must walk through some 8 ft tall cane breaks with a narrow trail through it. I'm thinking snakes. This is a swamp preserve and the AT volunteers have put down raised boards for hikers. Spooky nonetheless. Comiing out of the cane break is more grassy meadow and I can see NY22 up ahead and the nursery to the left. Surprise surprise there is "Wood Rangler"!! We walk down to the Native Garden Nursery and everybody is there!! "Clarity", "Boss", "Transcontinental PC", and others that were well ahead of us. They zero'd in Wingdale night before and were stopping back here before heading back on the trail. The nursery has a "hiker's lounge" decked out with burlap on the walls and branches on the ceiling. There is a couch, chairs and plugs to charge phones. Genevieve of course is here too. She gets a ride to town from someone checking on "Creekdiver" and "Restless" and comes back with two very large Italian subs, large Pepsi, and two gatorades. Died and gone to heaven rest my weary bones and lay my body down that was the best sandwich I ever ate half of. I gave the other half to "Wood Rangler" - really cheered him up. Genevieve came up with an excellent plan. Since there is no water at Wylie Shelter and since we were supposed to have a two day zero in Wingdale starting today (we had cancelled today's reservation because of our work day at RPH), why not she reasons, why not call Dutchess Motel in Wingdale (only 4.5 miles up the road) and see if they have an opening for tonight? Well not only do they have an opening but for 5 bucks they will come and pick us up. Brilliant!!! So by magic we are suddenly back on our original plan. When we get to the hotel our packages from Sofia are there except the 23# food box is at the post office. The mgr of the Dutchess, Charlie, and Floyd have a couple three barbecue pits and coolers set up under the oak tree in front of the hotel. Charlie offers us both beers and even though Genevieve doesn't drink I grab one for "her" anyway. We both take showers and feel great. I take a couple advil and drink the second beer. My right knee has swollen up quite a bit though and has become stiff ever the RPH work day. I plan to treat it with beer, advil, ice and elevation. Charlie offers to take us to the post office and then to the Beer & Soda for ice and a 30 pack of Busch. I drink a couple but mostly I want the ice. I leave the rest in the cooler out front for the boys. Charlie then drives us into Pawling for a great meal at the Pawling Tavern: Sam Adams beer, white zinfandel, 2 dozen steamed clams, french onion soup, green salad, mixed vegetables, and london broil with gravy and mashed potatoes. I ask for two pieces of homemade rye bread to soak up the gravy. New York cheesecake and coffee with Kalua for desert. That was for both of us. Great tavern - great little town. We take the train (7 min) back to Wingdale and then a 5 minute walkback to our motel. Great day. Miss everybody. Hope all is well. Can't end tonight without a big big thank you to Sofia. Here I am on the trail with my daughter for five weeks: Sofie helped me get all my gear together, especially the food, and the mail drops, and the surprise packages with chocolate, and the expense of it all, and the chores not getting done at home, and when I'm still on the trail we will have our 5th wedding anniversary. Sofie I know this is a "public" journal but I don't mind letting everyone know how wonderful and kind and good you are. I really love you!Lights out,1.0 and Bea