Date: 2003-06-29
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Ten Mile Campsite
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: few clouds

Day 108 Avg Mls/Day 13.4Weather: Warmer, high around 85. Morning and late afternoon scattered thunder showers.Today's Nature: Another fawn scampering through the woods without its mother.Falls Today 0 Total 4Today was a good hike day...did 20 miles and it had some variety. It was only Robb in the shelter and me tenting last night.I got on the Trail about 6:30 and it was nice and cool. As I was getting packed to leave, Trail runner Buckeye (from West Lafayette OH) stops by to say "hello & good bye." I'll probably never see him again as he runs 25 miles of the Trail each day.The Trail was fairly easy today and I was doing 2 and a half mph starting out.After a couple of hours, caught up with TJ, Josh & Caddy. Not long after that, Robb flew past me.   About 9:30 the thunder started to get loud and not long after it showered for about 20 minutes. I was caught in the rain for 5 minutes or so when I ducked into Telephone Pioneers Shelter. I needed a break and to let the showers pass. There, I found 30 or so young cadets from a NY military school (or camp) all dressed in camoflauge army fatigues. They filled up the shelter plus the "prisoners" were being held outside under a tarp. The leader was inspecting their packs one by one while barking orders at them. Reminded me of boot camp in the Army. They were very nice to me and gave me a couple of glasses of Coke. I found out that they were into what was called their "hell wekend." I asked and they let me take a few pictures. I've heard of hikers running into scout troops before but not these guys.At around 11:30 I crossed railroad tracks next to NY route 22.   It had a wooden platform with benches next to the Trail. A commuter train from NY stops here on weekends.My plan was to walk up route 22 to a deli for lunch. But, looking down the road, I could see a trailer in a pulloff area with a hotdog sign. All right! As I walked up Robb was just leaving. I had 2 hotdogs 2 Cokes and a bag of Fritos for lunch. And they were good!As I just getting ready to head back to the Trail, The commuter train stops and lets off 2 hikers. I meet them both...Bilgy a thru-hiker who was visiting his son in NY and Katey a young lady from there out doing a section hike. Bilgy and I hiked together most of the remaining afternoon. I found that I had met him briefly at The Gathering last fall...he was displaying a "sealed tarp" that I had stopped to take a look at. He has the smallest backpack I've seen yet. I think he said the base weight was under 14 pounds. We chatted for miles about hiking stuff. Katey would catch us from time to time and join in the discussion.Although I almost got off to hitch a ride into Wingdale for the night, we all ended up hiking to this Ten Mile River site. We are all tented along the river on nice level sites along side a SOBO section hiker couple. Josh, JT & Caddy are just behind us in the woods.I guess tomorrow will be a short 10 miles to Kent CN where I will probably check into a B&B or motel to get cleaned up. I had planned to take a zero there, but have changed my mind and will hike out day after tomorrow.That's right...good bye NY and hello CN...another state down with 5 to go. BTW, CN is less than 100 miles of Trail.Another BTW, I cooked tonight!...had Mountain House turkey tetrazini plus tuna salad on crackers.Thought for the Day: Being a backpacker and carrying all that food, I guess one should eat it sometime.