Date: 2009-10-11
From: Bear Mountain, NY

To: Bennington, VT
Miles today: 0.0

Well, it has officially been done. I am a ThruHiker. The last entry may have led yall to believe that I finished in Pine Grove, PA....and I did, in a sense. I finished all but about 60 miles, I finished being out on the trail for extended periods of time. To be technical I had two small sections left, one in NY and one in VT. So on September 18, Fred and I parked at the Bear Mountain Inn parking lot and headed North, into the zoo. We paused long enough to check out the bears, but then it was out and over the bridge, and up our first incline welcoming us to what would be about 45 miles in 3 days. The weather was beautiful--early Autumn air, allowing us to hike in long sleeves and be be not hot nor cold as we enjoyed clear, crisp fresh air. The trail in NY was beautiful, as always. I've spent so much time in Harriman and Bear Mountain, but never headed further North, so I was excited. Fred and I walked and talked, and sometimes not talked. No matter, I am always at peace when I am with him. We managed 15.2 miles well before dark even though we didn't start until close to 11 that morning. Our first night, Friday, we tented at the Dennytown Road campsite where a group was busy setting up their annual pig-roast which would be in full effect Saturday after we left. We made pad thai with tempeh which was delicious, and hunkered down in our tent for the night.The next morning we were up and out before the folks from the group roused, though it couldn't have been later than 8. We had 20.3 miles ahead of us which was totally do-able despite not being in prime hiking shape. About a mile before the RPH shelter we met an elderly couple, out for a day hike. It is always so amazing and reassuring to encounter people like that. I would like to believe that when I am in my 70s and 80s that I will still be traipsing around the mountains. Upon hitting the road into Stormville, though we only had 4 miles left for the day and enough food to survive, Fred and I decided to walk the .3 miles down the road to get some more snacks, a slice of pizza, and an eggplant parm sandwich to take for breakfast. Always a nice treat, even when you aren't a desperate dirty hiker. We camped at Morgan Stewart shelter in a really nice spot amongst the ferns. We ate way too much for dinner and went to sleep overly full. Sunday we had only 11.5 miles to make it to the AT Train station and Native Landscapes where my parents picked us up. New York down, Vermont to go.On Friday October 10 we drove up to Bennington, VT. We decided it was important that I finish my hike SoBo since I am a SoBo at heart, despite any willy-nilly hiking that occurred along the way. We parked in Bennington and hoped to hitch our way up to Kelly Stand Rd, just south of Stratton Mtn. It looked like rain and we weren't positive how easy the hitch would be in general. Low and behold, just moments after throwing a thumb, the first car that came by pulled over and ended up driving us over an hour and a half all the way to the trailhead! The man's name was Don, a computer contractor from South Carolina. He was up for the weekend to bike ride and since he had no definitive plans, he drove out of his way to bring us to our destination. It never ceases to amaze me what wonderful people there are out there.Our hike Friday was a quick 3.6 miles to Story Spring Shelter. The trail was muddy but we beat the rain. After arriving it started to drizzle, but we made a fire anyway on principle. A Long Trail thruhiker called Evergreen arrived and stayed for awhile before pushing on. Fred caught an ember to the back which burned a hole through his beloved R2 jacket so that was the end of our fire. We decided to sleep in the shelter to avoid getting all our gear wet unnecessarily. That night Fred and I both had multiple, vivid bad dreams-- some even similar in content. Kind of creepy.Saturday it was cold and foggy and the trail was wet and muddy from all the rain. We stopped into Kid Gore Shelter for lunch and then made our way the rest of the 8.9 miles to Goddard Shelter for the night. Because of Columbus day weekend, and it being just off-peak leaf season, there were a bunch of people at Goddard including Evergreen. We tented for warmth and privacy. After the hitting Glastenbury Mountain the trail wasn't as wet because of elevation, but it was windy and chilly up there. We couldn't see anything off the firetower when we went by it, so after pitching our tent we went back up and caught some nice views under the lifting cloud cover. Sunday we had 10.1 miles til I finished. We hoped to see some moose, but no such luck. However, the day was beautiful. Still chilly (got to hike in my sweater!) but sunny and clear. We had an awesome grilled cheese lunch sitting next to Hell Hollow Brook. Those are the moments I just love--sitting with Fred in the yellow-leafed forest, bundled up in the cold fresh air, sharing simple food. The last few tenths of a mile we were quiet, just enjoying the hike. Usually hearing the road as you descend toward town is a relieving-exciting feeling, this time it was a different thoughtful kind of excitement. I would be done, but I would miss it. We made it down to the car and celebrated with grape Spritzers