Date: 2005-08-12
From: Bear Mountain Inn

To: NYC ADDENDUM
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

As it turns out, Joanne had arrived after I had finished my shower but before I had gathered my up my gear from the Administration Office and moved to the bench in front of the Bear Mountain Inn. She had received the message; I left for her with the parking attendant that I had gone to take a shower, so she spread out a blanket on the grass under a tree where she could keep an eye on the path coming from the swimming area. Unfortunately even though she was sitting only 40 yards away from the bench where I was waiting, she had inadvertently selected the one place where the tree trunk prevented either one of us from seeing the other.After 40 minutes of patiently waiting for the other, she called my cell phone, only to hear it ring before I could answer it. She learned around the tree and waved, saying ¢hello¢ in a voice that was more audible than if it had come over the airwaves. We both laughed until we nearly cried.Thus began a wonderful evening of fun and laughter for all of us.Joanne and I picked up the three Thru Hikers at the Greymoor Friary baseball field where they had taken cold water showers and gathered their clothes to take to the laundry. Then off we headed to Peekskill.Our first order of business was to find a laundromat where we could get their clothes washed and dried while we were eating. The second was to stop at a cigar store for ¢stogies¢ for each of the men (we got one for the ¢guy in the car¢, too, but Joanne passed on it!) Joanne wanted to try P.J. Kelly¢s Restaurant which was located adjacent to the train station. We decided to give it a shot. The food was quite good, but where we ended up sitting on the outdoor patio happened, however, to be the exact spot where each and every Amtrak and commuter train blew its whistle three loooooong and ear-achingly times as it approached the Peekskill crossing. Of course, every time someone was just reaching the climax point of a story or the punch line of a joke, a train whistle would sound that only added to the silliness of the occasion. We really had a great time.After dinner we torched off our ¢gars, collected the clean laundry and stopped for ice cream treats before taking the guys back to the Friary and our last goodbyes. It was a fun evening and served to underscore the special nature of the friendships and bonds that quickly develop between hikers of all ages on the AT. I¢m really glad that Joanne had a chance to experience it, too, because she really appreciates this kind of connectivity between people.By the time Joanne and I reached my apartment in Manhattan, I was almost comatose from a big day of rattlesnakes, tumbles, physical exertion, good food and laughter. I think I was barely awake enough to thank her for picking me up and making the evening¢s fun possible. What a great way to come home from a ¢vacation,¢ if I can dare term my last two weeks of hiking as such.Since leaving New York 14 days ago, I have walked 185 miles from Central Pennsylvania to the Hudson River, averaging 17.3 miles per full day of hiking. I have eaten 26 meals in the out-of-doors and spent 6 nights in my tent, 3 nights in shelters and 5 nights in B&Bs or Motels (I am certainly no glutton for punishment!). In addition, I have completed 3 of the 14 States through which the AT passes and I have gone over the half-way point in my Section Hike of the Appalachian Trail.All of this is well and good, but what¢s most important to me is the fact that hiking the Trail still holds interest and excitement and adventure for me. I never promised myself that I would hike the entire Trail. I only ¢agreed¢ to hike as much of it as holds interest for me. If, after 100 yards from the start of my hike or at any time thereafter, the allure of the AT disappeared, then I would stop hiking and go do something else with the time I have left. But that¢s not the case, at least not yet! The people I¢ve met, the experiences I¢ve had and the things I¢ve seen and done during my times on the Trail have kept me wanting to return. I¢m look forward to being Bumpo, Long Distance Section Hiker for a while longer.