Date: 2015-06-02
From: Fort Montgomery

To: Graymoore Retreat picnic shelter
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: light rain

I took another short day. I could have hiked longer, but by the time I reached the next shelter it would have been very dark and there were no spaces in between to camp. It has also rained the entire day, so I would rather be in a shelter anyway. At least it has given my legs and feet some time to rest. This morning I met Lorax and Archangel for our complimentary breakfast at 8am. Today was Archangels birthday, and in celebration the two of them are going to the doctors and resupplying. I said goodbye to them, but added that I would see them in a couple days. Probably tomorrow, considering how slow I am right now. I managed to get a taxi from the hotel about 11am. The taxi driver was a bit confused about the area and dropped me off by the lake, so I had to walk back around and through the zoo again. He also strangely invited me to have dinner with him once I was finished hiking, but I declined and explained that I would still be in the woods even after I was finished for the day. Then I quickly made my way onto the trail and as far away from the taxi as possible. After the zoo, the trail crosses a bridge and follows the shoulder of a road. Then, it's almost straight up for a few hundred feet. Of course I was immediately far too hot in my rain gear. It was raining just enough to require waterproofs, but still too hot to hike uphill in them. The trail was much as it has been throughout NY. Lots of very slippery rocks and roots, steep ups and downs of a couple hundred feet. I also had to go over some board walks. It was much slower because they are incredibly slippery when wet. Still, I plodded along in the rain. The blister on the bottom of my foot feels better than before, and I'm hoping that the rain today hasn't ruined any progress that I made with it. I now just need to resolve and repair the rest of my painful physical problems. As I was coming along a board walk, I thought "I've been in New York for days now and haven't eaten a sub". I had been told before that you can eat a sub almost every day hiking here. Almost immediately, the Appalachian market appeared. It's supposed to be a resupply spot but it wasn't good for hikers- mostly snacks. It was however excellent for rolls, pizza and coffee. By the time I left, I had tried all three. I even packed 2 slices of pizza in my pack to take to the shelter with me. A couple inside offered to drive me to the Retreat, but I declined as it would have meant skipping about half a mile of the trail. I had stayed there hiding from the rain for about an hour before moving on to Greymoor Retreat shelter.I went to the shelter and met two hikers, Batona and Vermont Visitor. The shelter is just a picnic shelter with three tables, which we have laid our sleeping stuff on. The shelter also has an outlet for charging, water, a solar shower and portaloos. The only bad thing is that it is quite windy and there are only half walls, which the tables/beds rise above. So I can sleep on the floor and be out of the wind and risk getting wet, or I can sleep on the table and stay dry and be blown by the wind. Tomorrow the rain is finally supposed to end. My shoes are already wet again, but maybe they can dry out tomorrow. I really hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. I am so sick of the rain.