Date: 2006-07-23
From: Lemon Squeezer

To: Kent CT.
Miles today: 78.0

Apologies again!For taking so long to update¢¦. So here is the rest of the story!Once I left the Lemon Squeezer on Saturday evening I continued through Harriman State Park. HSP was donated by the Harriman family and is some of the more magnificent forest in NYS. It is less than 20 miles from NYC and the city is visible from several vantage points along the trail although the current humidity and haze prevented photo opps.I walked the 16 familiar miles between Lemon Squeezer and Bear Mountain on Sunday crossing over territory I have hiked dozens of times with hundreds of Boy Scouts. There were lots of sweet remembrances but the best ones came on West Mountain as I passed through our favorite camp sites and rock climbing locations. I was greeted by a rattle snake on the trail who sleeping in the very warm sun was too lazy to move for my photos (check out the recent photos) until I prodded him with a hiking pole. Annoyed with my attention he slithered back under the rock from whence he came. By Sunday evening I had climbed and was coming down Bear Mountain when I was joined by and slowed down several tourist and section hikers who had dozens of questions to ask about through hiking. I enjoyed telling them of my adventures and sharing the trail lore as an expert. Sunday evening I was met at the Bear Mountain Traffic circle by my brother in law Brian O¢Donnell who took me to his home for dinner, re supply, and a shower. (The shower was first!) Brian put me back on the trail on Monday morning.Monday the 24th of July morning bright and early Brian dropped me off and I crossed the Bear Mountain Bridge and climbed the steep climb from the lowest point on the trail up the 1,000 + feet back to the ridge. I crossed over the ridges and headed towards the NY border. The woods here are fairly dull with few vantage points and not much new to see or report. I slept alone in the woods near Dennytown Road where I stealth camped having hiked another 16 miles.Tuesday July 25, I continued my March north through Fahnestock State Park, past Shenandoah Mountain and on to a tent site near the Morgan Stewart Shelter. I am eager to escape the 90¢ temperatures of New York and hike 19 miles in the heat. At least the bugs are better and the mosquitoes are less.Wednesday July 26, another early start to try to avoid the high heat and humidity (to no avail) and I hike 20 miles passing an Amtrak Station (see photo in photo section) in a warm but heavy rain to the Ten mile river tent site. What a beautiful place. I sleep in CT for the first time on the AT. This could be a return location with a Boy Scout Troop some day!Thursday July 27, I hike only 8 miles and stop once to swim in Thayer Brook to try to escape the heat and the nearby odor of sweaty hiker that is emanating from ME! At 2pm Joan picks me up and rescues me in Kent, Ct. Together we drive a short distance to New Preston, CT where we spend the evening visiting with our good friends Bruce and Ginny Reinholdt. Bruce and Ginny are members of our Boy Scout family who moved from Cooperstown only a few short years ago. Bruce and I have hiked together a great deal. We did Katahding and Springer together. We went Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon together and we have canoed and hiked hundreds of miles and traveled thousands of miles by car, plane, and train together. Bruce was the Committee chairman of our Scout troop and was present at the Press Conference in 1991 when Henry our son announced that he had AIDS. We have shared many laughs and tears with them. It was wonderful to share a meal and their hospitality. Joan and Ie spend the night at Windy Hill, in New Preston, CT.Friday,I am off the trail to conduct a public hearing in Cooperstown. (I am the Commissioner of Elections and must still do some work from time to time.)SaturdayJoan takes me to the Emergency Room because her treatment of my shoulder wounds is not helping as much as she would like¢¦Oh, you don¢t know about that. It turns out that I have lost enough weight (I am down about 30 pounds to 175 from 205+.) that the layer of fat on my shoulders ain¢t there no more! I now have two decubitus ulcers, one on each shoulder from wearing my pack on those recently boney shoulders with constantly wet clothing and less padding than I need. The doctor thinks I will need about 3-4 weeks to heal and will need an occlusive dressing for about a week or so. (For those of you who are not medically inclined I have two open wounds on my shoulders and will need a special airtight bandage.) I am now taking antibiotics and wearing those special dressings. Joan and I are negotiating a return to the trail and a way to prevent making this worse than it is. I am optimistic¢¦.The 12 labors of hank continue.I shall keep you informed¢¦..meanwhile, check out the new photos I have posted.