Date: 2004-11-10
From: Canopus Lake, NY

To: South Mountain Rd, NY
Miles today: 15.8

15.8 miles todaySleeping in the back of my truckSouth Mountain Rd, NY Dr Dolittle and I both got up at 6am and we got ready in a hurry to drive somewhere for breakfast. It was in the low 20s and when I got out of my sleeping bag, I felt it. I drove first to see if I could get to a trailhead on South Mountain Rd and when I located that we drove to Peekskill and found a little sit down breakfast place. While we sat and ate breakfast, we watched the commuter trains coming in about every few minutes or so and people rushing to make the trains. With so much hustle and bustle going on, I was starting to feel stressed and all I had to do today was walk in the woods. I don't know how people can do that everyday. There were some high dollar suits getting on those trains, so they must make lots of money to not have a life. The Dr said that she was getting a little tired yesterday after we did the two 13 mile days in a row. That's the longest that she's walked since she finished her sobo thru hike early last January. Since she was showing signs of being tired, I decided to do a 16 mile day today...ha!! I feel like a Marine drill instructor. We got started walking at 8:30 this morning. The temperature was cold, but there was no wind, so it really felt great out walking. I'm still wearing my regular hiking shorts, but it won't take too much lower temps to make me wear long pants. There were a few leaves left in the trees and I thought about starting up the falling leaf catching game again, but I didn't want some people to play, so I just watched them fall all around me. I did catch one, but it fell right into my hand...I promise I didn't try to catch it. The small ponds were all frozen today and stayed pretty much frozen all day long. We walked by Graymoor, but didn't stop. The hike today was up little 500 foot hills and back down them. The leaves on the trail are still making the downs much harder because they are so slippery. I love hiking this time of year though because you can see where you're at with no leaves in the trees to block your views. We hiked on past Dennytown Rd and this year I didn't even hurt myself there. Last year, I was tented near there and I walked off a two foot wall when it was dark out so I couldn't see...it turned out to be a six foot dropoff. That hurts when you aren't ready for a fall like that. There were no shelters today, so I didn't get to sign any registers and use up any of my smiley faces. This is the area where the shelters are 31 miles apart. We hiked on to Rt 301 where Dr Dolittle's truck was. It was an easy hike today with perfect hiking conditions and we were the only ones out enjoying the woods in that area today. Maggie even seemed like some of her pep was gone by the end of the day. She has been a recliner dog again for the last 10 months. She really enjoys the trail more than any other dog I've ever seen though. We drove back to where my truck was and took it into West Point and ate at a McDonalds tonight. We decided we both wanted fast food for a change. I even ordered two extra McChicken sandwiches to pack out for lunch tomorrow. We parked my truck near where we are hiking from in the morning and are home for the night. Dr Dolittle called Goosebump and I got to talk to her. I said some terrible, terrible things about her in my journal yesterday and I'm here to say that I was WAY wrong in saying those things. I miss Goosebump and can't wait to see her on Friday...it doesn't have anything to do with the fact that I found out it's supposed to rain on Friday. Goosebump, I love you!!! I'm just glad you're pregnant and married because that means there's no commitment when I say that...I only mean it as a really good friend. (I wonder if I sucked up enough for fried chicken when I go over to her house)Another great day on the A.T.Oh, by the way, I've had only good reviews on the poem I'm writing, so I'll work on it more soon.