Date: 2015-07-11
From: Wawayanda. Shelter

To: NY 17A/Bellville NY
Miles today: 10.0

I headed out early excited to finish NJ and enter NY. I planned to really cover some ground today. The weather was beautiful and, at least initially, the trail was easy. I was feeling bad that everyone except me had a NJ bear story, when I suddenly saw a bear. He apparently saw me before I saw him and he was sauntering away from the trail when I spotted him.Minutes later the AT started to follow an old dirt road. Out of the corner of my eye, off to the left of the trail, I spotted another bear. This one was busy eatting something - a hiker's food bag! Bad bear!! I stood and watched for a few minutes and tried to take pictures. Down the trail came Super Slider and Jolly, and I got an idea. I signaled to them that there was a bear. Then I asked them to help me get my air horn out of the side of my pack. My plan was to chase the bear off the food bag. The guys were happy to get the air horn out for me, but they noticeably stood back - stood WAY back, while I went after the bear. I gave the bear a few blasts of the air horn, and he ran off a short distance. I gave him a few more blasts and ran towards him, and he went further away.I was able to get to the food bag, which was nothing more than a white plastic kitchen garbage bag that the bear shredded. Bad hiker!! There was dried food, cliff bars, and various other food items strewn all over the ground. I looked very quickly because I knew the bear would try to come back. There seemed to be no way to collect all the food and haul it off. I certainly did not want to carry it all day, and there seemed to be no way to hang it properly. (I was not about to sacrifice my bear bag rope.)I collected a few things, including a fuel canister, and then headed back towards the trail. The bear immediately came back to the food. I chased the bear off the food a few more times using my whistle. (I did not want to completely use up my air horn, and I wanted to see how effective the whistle would be with a bear.) Eventually the bear got frustrated and gave up on the food. Hopefully smaller animals ate the rest of the food, and the bear will associate food bags with harassment and leave them alone.I found the NJ-NY border painted on a rock vain up on a ridge I was SO happy, another state down!! But the celebration did not last long. The AT guide specifically stated "Despite the unimpossing profile, rocks, abrupt ups & downs make this section challenging"What an understatement!!! The AT went from one rocky outcropping to another. Up and down, over the rocks, over and over again. A "ladder" is also listed. Basically that is nothing but an aluminum ladder cabled to the base of a tall smooth rock face. At the top of the ladder there is a skinny little rock ledge. Of course, I went the wrong way on the ledge and had to climb back the other way while looking for the next white blaze - all while carrying a full pack. I was TERRIFIED!!!I kept hoping it would even out, but it only got worse! I had to hoist my butt and pack up and over many rock faces. It was hot and exhausting. At one point I worked to climb up on the rocks, only to get to a point that looked impossible for me to get over. As I was struggling a group of young thru hikers who were slack packing that day came along. They were extremely nice and tried to cheer me on. But I know no one wants to watch a middle aged woman with tight hamstrings and a huge fear of heights try to hoist herself over a tall rock, especially from behind.So I stepped aside and asked them to go first as I watched. They scrambled up the rock face like limber monkeys in just seconds, and they scaled it at least 6 different ways.Again they were very nice and offered to help me over the rock, or take my pack, or wait to make sure I made it OK. But I needed to do it alone. (I did not want anyone to hear me swear as I hoisted myself and pack over the rock. Yes, I swear like a sailor in these types of situations. For some strange reason it seems to help me to swear out loud at the AT.) They showed me how to do it. I just had to get it done. The alternative was to just live out the rest of my life there because I was literally stuck between a rock and a hard place.The rest of the day was more of the same. Up and down, climbing over and then down rocks. I thought it would have been so much easier slack packing rather than with a full pack. Of course, all the climbing and weird foot angles aggravated the pain in my left foot.My good friend Gail and her husband, Dan, were headed to Maine. (Gail previously helped me slack pack in GA and NC.) They stopped on their way north to slack pack me for 2 days. I told them to meet me at Bellvale Farms, an ice cream place .3 miles west on NY 17A. I only hiked 10 miles, but I was beat and ready to stop for the day. I stopped at a hot dog stand for 2 dogs, had a large ice cream cone at Bellvale Farms, and then had dinner with Dan and Gail.   I am definitely eatting like a true thru hiker. And I definitely looked and smelled like one. I was so glad to see my friends, but I was embarrassed to hug them or get into their vehicle because I smelled so bad and my clothes were filthy.We stayed at an RV campground with a wonderful shower. They even provided free ice cream!!The AT is calling. So far i am not loving NY, ans I am REALLY looking forward to slack packing the next 2 days!!