Date: 2006-07-13
From: Warwick, NY

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 2.1
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning it was raining . . . hard. The motel didn¢t make any sort of breakfast or coffee available until 8:00 am, so Bama had her own coffee and oatmeal in the room. Since it was raining, there was no sense in starting out early. The Doppler radar showed new bands of rain still coming in from the west. Bama and Little Wing would hang tight until it cleared up about 11:00 am, which was check-out time. Drum had decided to take a zero, as well as Windtalker & Mom.Since yesterday was so hard on everyone, Bama and Little Wing planned to only go as far as the Wildcat Shelter. It¢s only two miles away from the highway, but is better than trying to fight more flooded trails and wet rocks and boulders for 12 more miles to Arden/Smithfields, NY or the next shelter. At least they don¢t have to pay again tonight for this overpriced motel and the extra day will dry up some flooding and the rocks. The next four to five days are supposed to hot and sunny with no rain.Bama had a real ¢Twilight Zone¢ moment at the bus stop back to the trail. When she and Little Wing got on the bus at Noon ¢ it was the mid-day commuter bus to Manhattan ($1.95). There was only one other passenger sitting behind the driver, the same man that was waiting by the road yesterday, who had helped them out and told the driver where to let them off at the motel. Bama spoke to him and mentioned yesterday and how funny it was they should see him again ¢ she learned his name was William. When it was about time to get off the bus driver said, ¢Do you want off (at this place)?¢ William interjected, ¢No. They need to get off at (this other place).¢ Whoa! . . . Kinda like this guardian angel was there to help. The three of them got off together and Bama asked him about where he was going; he said something about having to get out and doing some reading or something. He was in shorts but not really dressed for the trail. About that time Enuff and Too Much walked up and called to the girls and Bama and Little Wing turned to talk to them and trade trail tales about the last few days. When Bama turned around, William was gone. Poof! (Goosebumps!)The two miles to the Wildcat Shelter were not pleasant. It was still wet and flooded in areas. There were more two-story tall, wet rock and boulder piles laughingly referred to as a ¢trail¢ in this part of the country. Bama said she understood why so many people quit the trail after Harpers Ferry ¢ this isn¢t hiking ¢ this is boulder scrambling and not only is it unnecessarily hard, it is very dangerous in parts. Bama has noticed many ¢woods trails¢ bypassing the rocks that locals and other hikers use and no reason the AT hikers couldn¢t use them to if they really wanted. So why was the trail laid out where it is? She only hopes that the rest of the hike to Maine isn¢t like the last 200 miles.The Wildcat Shelter is not so wild. Aside from the trash and litter the locals probably left here (it¢s only two miles off the road), it¢s OK and there is a privy. The book mentions that it has no water source - Bama didn't comment on it. They have 799.4 miles left to Mt. Katahdin - under 800 miles! Bama swept the shelter and cleaned it up for the next thru-hikers. She and Little Wing had plenty of time this afternoon to dry out things and read their books ¢ which they finished and will leave in the shelter for the next readers. No one else had come in by 6:45 pm and it looks like an early dinner and early bedtime. Tomorrow will be another rocky trial (and trail) to wherever they end up ¢ probably Fingerboard Shelter. Note: The shelters are spread out up here, there are few, if any, places to tent camp between shelters and hitchhiking in NY state is illegal so going to town is either a miles-long hike or a lucky bus ride or a risk of a ticket or arrest. Bama joked yesterday that if they got arrested, they would at least get a nice bed, bath and good food for free. After what they went through yesterday, I really don¢t think they would have minded .Bill