Date: 2008-06-08
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: NY 17, Southfields, NY
Miles today: 9.9

Wow, today sure didn't end up like I thought it would, but first (drum roll please) something miraculous happened last nite. I slept in my camp shorts and tank top WITHOUT my sleeping bag! I woke @ 2:30 a.m. with a tiny chill, the temp dropped to a frigid 74 degrees, so I got my thermal top out and just draped it over my chest, but eventually put it on and was fine till my alarm went off @ 5:00 a.m.My hiking clothes were still sweat soaked, but that's life right?So I knew the issue for the day was going to be staying hydrated. I stepped off @ 6:45 a.m. and it was already so humid and hot so I made the decision to really slow down my pace today and hike in a sort of "zen" frame of mind where I was very deliberate with each step and concentrated on relaxing all muscles that weren't needed for hiking (which ended up amounting to like my tonsils and left ear lobe). I am also breaking in my new shoes and superfeet insoles, so I wanted to be careful about potential blisters.I enjoyed the hike this morning to Fitzgerald Falls. It's a small waterfall, but I am cameling up at every single water source, so I sat there and drank 1 liter of water and refilled it.Then it was the first climb of the day, a short one up the falls. It's really beautiful in this area, tons of pine trees, great places for camping and this great stream. Then it was 2 miles up (straight up in some places) to the Mombasha High Point where you are supposed to be able to see the NYC skyline and Empire State Building, but everywhere I looked, all I saw were mountains.It was getting very hot already and your energy level suffers greatly, so I just kept my slow and deliberate pace. Some good news is that I think the severe footpain I've been having has been due to worn out shoes. They haven't hurt like they normally do by now, so I'm crossing my fingers.So, the next water according to the guidebook was 10 miles away, and as the temps warmed up, I realized I was in a very bad situation.I got to West Mombasha Rd. and there was a cooler of water and even a little blister treatment kit, with business cards saying "Need a hearty meal, a soft bed, a shower, and laundry?" there were phone #'s for John and Susan. Thanks to you angels, on a day like today acces to water could be a matter of life and death.I took a break, but as soon as I started hiking (even on flat trail) the sweat was pouring down my face like nothing I've seen during last year or this year out on the AT.I just kept moving slowly, and had 2 more climbs next, 1 of which was more of that NY verticle rock climbing. I finally got to East Mombasha Rd (about 2 miles further) and more water was here left by the Tuxedo Trail Angels. Again, I drank 1 liter and refilled, but I could tell there was no way to keep up with this hydration process.Next was Little Dam Lake, and I crossed my hiking poles it would be swimable, but it wasn't. It was more like a mosquito breeding haven, oh, and the skeeters were out full force as were the gnats, so I applied Deet like 3 times today due to sweating it off so quickly.I decided to stop @ 12:45 p.m. just past Orange Turnpike and make lunch. I was absolutely dying of heat, but it didn't bother me to eat a warm meal because I was starving. I was in the shade and it was 90 degrees, but that did not account for the humidity or what the temps were in direct sunlight.The air was so hot that when I inhaled, it felt like I was suffocating, sort of like when you put your head under the covers and it gets really hot. I sat there and let my socks dry out and put my crocks on to let my feet have a break.Honestly folks, the only other time I've felt this hot was in Marine Bootcamp during Nuclear Biochemical Warfare training where we had full protective gear on (called M.O.P suits) and we had to wear our gas masks while walking in a line down the rifle range and firing at different targets. This was in August on Parris Island, S.C. It was the only time in bootcamp I felt like panicing, and today reminded me of this, but I wasn't panicy because I knew I called the shots today.So at 1:45 p.m. I started up Arden Mt., and the guidebook also adds "Agony Grind" in the name. Great, I'm going up THIS one @ 2:00 p.m. in this heat.So I get to the top of the first hump and it's open exposed rock. It was then I could see dark thunderheads forming, and it wasn't long before I was hearing thunder in the distance. Oh man, how much worse can this get?I ran into 2 crazy day hikers and warned them of a possible storm. They thought it was a jet, and I told them it wasn't. They kept heading up though (they were going south).Next was the 2nd hump of this mountain and the heat is just stifling, but then the thunder was suddenly very close and it started to rain. This, of course, put me into my "flight" mode (fight or flight) and suddenly I didn't care how hot it was, I wanted down off the ridge so I started running. The sloped rock face was so slick and I fell of course..nothing hurt.It was raining hard, but offered little relif and I got to a lower gap and got my tarp out, but as soon as I had it tied up, the rain stopped.So I don't know what is going on. I still had 2 more higher humps of this mountain until it dropped in a steep steep 1 mile downhill to NY 17.I stood there and listened to the thunder and looked at the cloud movement. I decided to start over this exposed rock and if my judgement was off (to me it looked like it was just skirting by north of me), then I'd turn around and go back to the lower area and wait until it was totally past me. In the meantime, my voice of common sense started yelling at me, "This is stupid! Stupid to be out in this dangerous heat with no predictable water, quickly forming thunderstorms on wet slippery rocks." My inner voice was right. It was then I decided I was going to head into a town @ the next road crossing.I headed up and over and could see a clear view and luckily, I judged right, but barely. Just before the descent, a man was standing there looking @ the clouds too. He hiked down in front of me all the way down this slippery, grueling rocky downhill. His name was Paddy-O and he's a MAJOR trail magicer. He estimated he's served over 1800 hikers with his trail magic. Really nice man.We finally got down to the bottom and there was more water trail magic again. To all of you angels in NY who are leaving water, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I would bet that you saved a life today.I was @ NY 17, and Paddy-o told me about the Tuxedo Motel 2 miles away, which was in the companion as well. He did warn me the guy rents rooms by the week, so he's not hard up for biz and is sometimes reluctant to give rooms to hikers because some hikers in previous years trashed their rooms.I said bye to Paddy-O and saw a car across the highway getting ready to pull out. I've never been so forward, but I walked right up to them and asked the young woman and man if they could give me a ride 2 miles down the road. They said YES! I felt the biggest sense of relief. The girl (had an odd name I just can't remember) works in NYC as a sales consultant for an elevator company, and the guy, Matt is a sound technician for a band. Really nice people and they took me right to the Tuxedo Motel. I was crossing my fingers there would be a room.I went in, rang the bell, and a man named Sal came up and goes, "You out hiking?" as he grabbed a registration card. Whew!! I said yes, but hopefully not anymore today. I asked for a room for tonight and tomorrow (which is supposed to be even hotter) but Sal said he only had a room for tonight. Bummer...but hey, I'll worry about tomorrow later. For now, I needed to be safe and hydrated.He gave me room #49 and off I went. I got settled, took a most incredible shower and turned on the t.v., which wasn't getting any channels, so I asked Sal for help and got a chance to ask him to let me know if a room opened up tomorrow. He was receptive, so we'll see in the morning. Tomorrow is supposed to be worse than today.I called Karen to tell her plans had changed. I was going to go about 15 miles a day and meet her in Pawling, NY; but not in this heat, so I've got a couple of contingency plans.Then I walked down to the Corner Deli and had one fantastic sub, chips, gatorade, and I've got Ben n Jerry's in the little freezer right now. Nobody makes sub sandwiches like NY though. Man it was good (and HUGE!).I ate it ALLLLLLLL! *evil laughter*We've been under severe thunderstorm warning and it's been thundering all evening here. I have no doubt I made the right and safest decision for myself.People I can not stress this point enough. For anyone wanting to hike the AT or some other long distance hike, you must must must be able to keep your sense of judgement pertaining to safety. See, we all get into this routine of town stop\resupply\plan the next leg and once you head out again, it sort of feels cemented into place in your mind. Well, it's not. It was\is not safe to hike in 97 degree weather with a heat index in triple digits. So what if you're back in a town "sooner" than you planned. It's better to be smart than to suffer a heat stroke out on some exposed ridge. I feel like I set off today with the right frame of mind. Don't push it, hydrate as much as possible, take frequent breaks, etc. Even this was still no guarantee and then the pop up thunderstorms add another element. I know I'm more sensitive to them than many, but it only takes one close call before you realize mother nature does her thing no matter where you're at. So to all current and ! future hikers...don't lose your perspective. It's just hiking, and the trail will still be there tomorrow.~Certain