Date: 2019-08-18
From: Greymoor Spiritual Center - SOBO Mile Marker 780.0

To: Stealth Camp At Beechy Bottom Brook - SOBO Mile Marker 794.2
Miles today: 14.2

Last night at the Greymoor Spiritual Center was very relaxing until I was awoken by a passing lightning and thunder storm.  It only lasted a few minutes but a couple of the lightning strikes and the following thunder rattled my teeth.  Good thing I was in a hammock with a super thin tarp over me. The rest of the day was very eventful.  I was able to get a proper breakfast from the Appalachian Deli and gas station which was very close to the Spiritual Center and right on the AT.  After a huge breakfast burrito and a large cup of joe, I was set for the morning.  Besides the usual ups and downs, the trail was fairly easy as it made its down to the Hudson River.  The trail crosses the Hudson over the Bear Mountain Bridge (see pic in photo gallery) which was built back in the early 1920¢s.  At the time construction of the bridge was finished, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world.  It was quite an experience walking over this bridge which is very high over the Hudson River.  The views were very impressive up and down river (see pic in photo gallery).  At this same spot, back during the Revolutionary War, the Colonists stretched a huge steel chain across the Hudson to keep the British navy from sailing up stream and attacking the interior part of New York and beyond.After I crossed the Bear Mountain Bridge, the trail is routed through a small zoo and local museum.  This small zoo houses local animals which have been injured and need a place to rest and recoup.   The museum has exhibits of the local geology and some very interesting artifacts of the revolutionary war which were found in the area.Past the zoo and museum, I walked around Hessian Lake (see pic above).  This is a summer hot spot for families in the vicinity to have a picnic and enjoy the beautiful lake.  With it being a Sunday afternoon, the place was packed.  Kids screaming, dogs barking, mom¢s screaming at the kids and dogs, and most of the dad¢s just taking it all in.  I was longing for a grill to cook some burgers, a cooler full of cold drinks and someone to toss a football.Just beyond Hessian Lake stands Bear Mountain - elev 1305.  The AT goes up and over the mountain.  There are just over 1000 steps that I climbed to get to the top.  Because of the heat and the long climb, by the time I got to the Perkins Memorial Tower at the top, I was exhausted.  Luckily for me there was a vending machine near the tower that had ice cold Gatorade.  I drank three 20 ounce bottles in no time flat.  After I rested for a while, I climbed to the top of the lookout tower and gazed out at the surrounding countryside.  From this vantage point I could see up and down the Hudson River valley and I could also just barely make out the NYC skyline, which is just over 30 miles away.Later in the afternoon as I was making my way to West Mountain, I was startled by a timber rattlesnake which crossed the trail about eight feet in front of me.  It was about three feet long and rattling its tail like it meant business.  Good thing for me I hike like Frankenstein walks, with heavy feet, so it could feel the vibrations from my steps before I could see it.  Needless to say I gave the snake a wide berth as I started hiking again.To cap off my event filled day, as I was setting up my hammock and tarp for the evening, a ragging thunderstorm decided to swing by my campsite for more than an hour.  The winds howled, trees bent and the rain came down in buckets.  I jumped into my hammock and called it a day.