Date: 2004-07-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 19.5

First an explaination. I have not dropped off the earth, I have not died orbroken any bones and I have nt stopped hiking. In fact the main reason for myjoural being behind is a technology failure. The thing I compose my journal onand send out e-mail with died and I had to order a new one. So I will try tokeep up to date here and catch up on the entries that were written by hand andneeds to be transcribed. Campsite on the eastern bluffs of the Hudson River19.5 miles, mile 1389.0 Well in spite of being up late all weekend I woke feeling pretty good. It hadclouded over during the night but no rain had yet fallen and so I was off to apretty good start. I had spent the night camped reight beside the higway wereDave had dropped me off. I crossed the higway and over the NY Thruway withcommuter traffic headed for The City already getting heavy. But with thatcrossing I entered Harrimen State Park and back into wildneress. Within ahalf-mile I was wlking up a big hill and notice a young buck walking up the hillwith me. His rack of antlers were still covered in velvet. I tried to get agood picture but while he did not run off anytime I tried to get within 20ft hewould off just enough and return to eatting. The terrainin the park was a highcanopy of hardwoods without much undergrowth. This being the AT the trail takesone straight up and straight down some steep and rocky hills. I was movingright along it had started a light rain when I saw m! y first and only other thru-hiker of the day. I had never met "65" he startedalmost three weks after me but had only taken three days off, while I am onalmost three weeks of zero days. But we played the gain of seeing who we knewin common. He knew a couple of folks that I have not seen in at least twomonths who were still on the trail and let me know about a few that had droppedoff. We walked together a short while till the next shelter. There we foundsome nice trail magic fresh fruit hangng from a line. I wanted to make a latelunch at the Bear Mountain Lodge, so I left enjoying his orange. I fear that mybad luck of missing mountain top views may be returning. There was one placewhere one was supposed to be able to have a view of NYC but all I saw was theclouds swirling around.I could make out the surroundiing hills and vallies a pretty nice piece ofwilderness less than 40 miles from Midtown Manhatten. Well I made it to theLodge and ate myself a huge meal while it started pouring down rain outside. While I know we visited this place as children I had no floud of childhoodmemories I think I was just to hungry. The trail passes through a small zoo asit leaves the park annd I was quite diappointed that the zoo was closed for theday and so I had to take a less senic path to the bridge over the Hudson. Iwish it had been a nicer evening I always find the Hudson to be a prettyimpressive river with the greenhill rising steeply on either side and al thetugboats and barges making their way up river. Well I did not quite make it asfar as I planned but a good day in terms of my body feeling better than lastweek and besides there was a flat spot here and the rain is picking up again.lodgerainZoobridge river rain