Date: 2007-09-02
From: Vernon, NJ

To: Vernon, NJ
Miles today: 530.6

Hey everyone -0-0-0-0-I'm at the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hiker Hostel in Vernon, NJ, 831 miles hiked, 64 more until I reach the Pennsylvania border.Tuesday (8/28) I woke early and hiked to Greymore, NY by the early afternoon. There is a friary of Franciscans there who open their doors to hikers (and anyone else in need). From there, I hitched to Peekskill, NY, situated on the east side of the Hudson. I decided to take Kathy Hymans up on her offer to come visit her in NYC (really Weehawken, NJ), so I rode the metro straight down the river to Grand Central. What a radical experience! I could count on my hands the number of people I'd seen in the past few days, then suddenly, I was a fish in an enormous school of people, flowing down 42nd St. I caught the shuttle through the Lincoln Tunnel (the same route our Greyhound bus had taken on the way up to Maine) and right up to Kathy's Doorstep (almost). Her house is 100 yards away from the best overlook of Manhattan from across the river. Kathy greeted me warmly, though she understandably insisted that I take a shower. I was soon comfortable, well fed, and that evening, I watched the lights come on in the city as the sun went down. That night, I went to sleep reading a biography about Kathy, which was written by her friend who a very talented and amazing man that I've had the pleasure to meet before, Irwin Touster. I didn't get very far into the book, but I was hooked immediately, and am looking forward to learning more about the undoubtedly interesting life that Kathy has led.(8/29)The next morning I was out again, watching the sun rise over the buildings. After a leisurely morning, Kathy and I hopped the shuttle back to 42nd, took a brisk walk of 30 something blocks, and met her companion Irwin for a tour of the Historical Society's art exhibit of the Hudson River School and then we had lunch at a nearby bistro. Afterward, I said goodbye and made my way back to Grand Central, though I took my time and tried to soak up as much of the city as possible.After the train ride, I hitched up to the Bear Mtn. Bridge, crossed over the Hudson, and parked myself at the Bear Mtn Inn for the night. The inn was closed for remodeling, and I was planning on sleeping at a pavillion there, on top of some sheltered picnic tables, but there was a car show going on, and the night air was filled with the roaring of hundreds of engines, so I decided to infiltrate the building, find a quiet spot, and wake up early before the construction crews returned. I did find a quiet room, and doubly lucked out. It had an air conditioner I slept very well that night.(8/30)The next morning, I started up Bear Mountain, a nice climb, but a very sweaty one, and uncomfortable due to the massive amount of poison ivy covering my arms. (I forgot to mention that I had developed it a few days ago.) Later, I was taking a snack break at Fingerboard shelter, where I ran into Sketch. We hiked the rest of the day together, though I pushed further that night than he did. I ended up going 28 miles to Wildcat Leanto, hiking the last few miles in the dark. Tumbleweed, Timber, Cat, and Jack were already there. I was excited because I could see lightning in the distance, and knew that a front was approaching, signaling a change in the weather (for the cooler, thank god). Then, at about 10:30pm, 5 more Southbounders and two dogs hiked in (totaling 12 warm bodies) , with the storm hot on their heels. I met Rambo, Dreamer, and Two-Step for the first time, and greeted Skeeter and Puck again after not seeing them for a week. With so many people in the shelter that night, sleep was fleeting, especially because Dreamer's dog (the same one that later ate my notebook) started barking at me when I went for a bathroom run in the middle of the night. Still, it was cozy despite the nasty weather, and I woke up next to no less than six lovely women, which is a nice feeling when you've been alone for a while.(8/31)I got an early start, as usual, and popped into Greenwood Lake to get groceries. When I returned to the trailhead, I saw some of the group hanging out next to a roadside hot dog stand and I was quickly sucked in to good food and conversation. I wasn't feeling well, and no one had really slept well the previous night, so we all decided to take it easy for a while. We ended up walking to a nearby creamery for a round of the best (I will attest, it was good) homemade ice cream around. There we met a local woman, who happily gave the five of us a ride in her minivan to the church Hostel in Vernon, skipping a 15 mile section of the trail in between. We were having such a good time being lazy, I guess we just didn't want it to end. Later, Dreamer and Rambo showed up to the church, and it was a full house/party all over again.Now, I was certainly enjoying all of the good company and relaxation just as much as (or arguably more than) everyone else, but I did have another pressing reason to take it easy. I decided to visit Kathy in NYC because I was feeling a bit run down and I although I did feel refreshed after my side trip, my sickness ramped up afterward. By the time I arrived in Vernon, I was feeling pretty low. As my symptoms developed, I recognized the signs of Giardia (Beaver Fever, the Big G) which is not one of life's great pleasures, let me tell you, but not very serious unless it leads to dehydration, malnourishment, etc. I spent alot of time at the hostel, wrapped up in my sleeping bag (or alternately in the bathroom). I learned very quickly not to eat heavy, fatty foods, but have been drinking alot of sugary liquids and eating yogurt when I feel up to it. Yesterday, I decided to slackpack (hiking with a light day-load, usually assisted by a vehicle) the 15 miles that we skipped with Sketch, Two-Step, and her friend, a veteran thru-hiker, Chomp. It was a superb section of trail, which began by following the rugged ridgeline southwest, overlooking Greenwood Lake. We officially crossed over into New Jersey after 6 miles, near Prospect Rock (there seem to be quite a few "prospect rocks" around). There the trail turned to the northwest and we soon entered Wawayanda State Park. The terrain shifted quite a few times for just 15 miles, from bare rock ridgelines, to almost paved trails, and quite a few sections of small, loose, ankle biting rocks. Definitely an interesting section which I'd love to return to someday. Unfortunately, I pretty much moped, or trudged if you will, the entire section. It was probably a mistake to hike in my condition, and I got pretty dehydrated for a while, but I made it through, with the help of my friends. At the last mile, we came to a ridge that overlooked so much land. We could see the Catskills to the north, and Pennsylvania in the distance. It was a gorgeous moment, as the sun was lowering toward the horizon, and as bad as I felt, I was very glad to be there, that moment (I was also very glad to be almost done for the day Today, we cleaned up the hostel, which is in actuality a shared space located directly underneath the sanctuary that is used as a nursery/fellowship area. I was given permission to stay for as long as necessary until I can hike again. If my condition doesn't change, I'll probably hang here until I can see a doctor on Tuesday.In the meantime, I've got a decent paperback to read, some movies to watch, plenty of chores to keep me busy, and church ladies to chat up. Not to mention being kept busy by explosive diarrhea. Ah, well.C'est la Vie.I'll here all day tomorrow, so gimme a call if you want to (973) 764-7506.Happy Labor Day!