Date: 2015-04-16
From: Graymoor Spiritual Center

To: S.Highland Rd.
Miles today: 8.0

April 16, 2015 Day 2 After falling asleep, I woke up, opened 1 eye, saw light on my tent and figured it was early morning. It didn¢t feel like I had sleep very long but with the morning light I thought I must have. I poked my head out of the tent only to see that the light on my tent was coming from a parking lot further up the hill. Yeah it wasn¢t morning yet so I climbed back into my slipping bag and fell back to sleep. Finally when the sun beamed onto my tent I was up, refreshed and ready to get back to hiking. It didn¢t take me long to pack up, then it was hike the 1/2 mile back to the trail. I didn¢t eat breakfast at Graymoor I waited until I had hiked for a little while. Today the hiking wasn¢t all that difficult and the blazes were easy to follow. Still this is a ¢conditioning¢ hike so I wasn¢t going to push it. I was able to cover about 6 miles before I became exhausted again and decided it was time to stop for the day. I came to a stream next to S. Highland Rd. and filled my empty water bottles and bladder. Knowing I was going to look for a camping site nearby, I carried an extra 2 liters of unfiltered water strapped to my pack in my water filtration bladder. I would filter the water later at camp as I needed it. Again another great day of hiking with the weather just about perfect. After getting water I hiked about 1 mile further and set up my tent on a hill facing east. After dinner I went for a short hike without my pack to check out the area. Wow what a difference hiking without a pack. Back at camp I checked on the weather for tomorrow and rain was forecasted. Rain was forecasted to start during the night and continue into the following day. . .ugh. . After dinner I got ready for rain by bringing everything into the tent for the night then went to bed. The rain started during the night and it was heavy. It was still raining when I awoke and with the forecast for rain most of the day, I decided I had enough ¢conditioning¢ for now so I called Gerrie to pick me up at S. Highland Rd. While still in the tent, I got dressed, packed my pack and got on my rain gear. Then I got out and packed up a very wet tent. Gerrie was there before noon and it was back to Moonachie. Yes I¢ll be out again real soon for another ¢conditioning¢ hike. I only have until May 15th to get into condition because that is when we leave for a much deserved 2 week vacation in Sanibel Fl. On our way back from Florida, Gerrie will drop me off in Waynesboro VA (where I had to leave the AT in 2011) and I¢ll hike the Appalachian Trail north to Port Clinton PA. It should take me about 35 days. So next week I¢ll do trail maintenance on the Long Path and next weekend it¢s more LDTC trail building of the AT relocation on Bear Mt. (www.nynjtc-ldtc.org) that leaves only a few more days left to get in condition for the 35 day hikeToday I started on page 139 (Graymoor Spiritual Center) and stopped for the night on page 139 (S. Highland Rd.) in the 2015 A.T. Guide by David Miller (the green book)..... Temps, it's 50* in my tent right now (8:00) with no rain and little or no wind....My lack of conditioning has convinced me to stop and leave the trail but it still felt good to be on the Appalachian Trail. . . . Total AT miles hiked today 8.0. . . . . I'll be back. Nite all. . . . . . PITA....PITA