Date: 2010-07-14
From: Glenwood NJ

To: Bear Mtn Inn
Miles today: 49.0

Back on the Trail late in the day on the 12th after working the weekend. We drove to Arden NY and started at 5:00 PM and did 8.5 miles to Fitzgerald Falls going south. We hiked into the night and the heat and humidity finally lifted as the rain came the last hour or so. It rained off and on through the night so the tent was fairly cool for a change. Tents can become like ovens in the early morning sun. It helps get Funk going as he likes to sleep late and let me start early. Since he hikes so fast he catches up quickly. We diid 22 miles to Glenwood NJ. What was fun was meeting hikers we had not seen in a while as we were going the opposite direction so we crossed paths. We slowed down a bit to have social times with them to share our stories. It rained for about 4 hours cooling everything off. After the rain stopped I changed into dry socks. What a difference as my feet were sliding around inside my boots creating new hot spots. We crossed the NJ/NY line going south. Another state down! Six to go and with NY having only 52 miles left after the next day hike and with the next 2 states CT and MA being fairly short we will be in VT soon leaving 3 states to go.We drove back to AT trailhead in Arden where the van was left after a nice dinner at a Tavern. There is nothing like a cold beer after a hot day on the Trail! We slept in the van. It got so hot Funk ran the engine and left the AC on all night. I headed North to do the 18.5 miles to Bear Mtn from the trailhead and Funk drove to the Bear Mtn Inn which is on the AT at the base of Bear Mtn to hike south toward me. We crossed paths and exchanged car keys. It rained all day and my feet were soaked and very sore from all the sloshing around the water building up inside.I called Funk when I finished and was glad to hear that Trooper a hiker we spent a lot of time with early on the Trail was tenting near the van in Arden. Since Funk had the cooler with beer and sodas he did a little Trail Magic before he headed back to Bear Mtn. The plan is for Funk to hike the 52 miles to CT in 2 days and rest for a day or 2 then do the "CT Challenge" That means hiking the entire 51.8 miles of CT in under 24 hours starting at midnight! Oh what a gift to be young and wild! Meanwhile I drove to JFK for a flight the next morning to LA for a Board meeting to return on the Redeye Friday night arriving in NY in the morning. Saturday. I will drive back to Bear Mtn and do the 52 miles over 3 days starting about noon on Saturday. Then I will hike CT on my own while Funk recovers from his adventure on the CT Challenge. Will will start up again at Sages Ravine and head north. At that point we have 90 miles in MA then we are in VT! From Bear Mtn we have about 785 miles left.It has been a bit frantic with the logistics of fitting in everything and I have had little time to add much to Trail Journals. The journey has been wonderful and the time spent with Funk a real treasure. We are having a great time and I see him evolve daily and have come to appreciate many aspects of his personality and character that have been revealed during our time together.Barring a major injury it is apparent that we will finish and that prospect is finally sinking in. What will life be like after we finish? I have written before that the journey down Katahdin is often more difficult as we have to face the reality of leaving this basic life of walking, food, shelter and water. Last weekend one of the dialysis patients asked if I planned to retire after I finished as that was the rumor going around. I was surprised as I have never spoken of retirement and had promised Spirit I would stay at least 4-5 more years. I look forward to returning to be with my extended "family" of more than 30 years with new energy and compassion.Spirit Walker