Date: 2007-09-27
From: Greymore Friary

To: Fort Montgomery
Miles today: 6.3

mi. 6.3sleep hoteldest. Fort Mongomery day 77 Well I wasn't planning a town day when I woke up. It just kind of happened. I woke up nice and early, read before first light. I laid on my little slab falling in and out of sleep until the sun came up. I decided early on not to make it a big day. After all how many times an I at a friary anyways. So I spent a few minutes walking around. In retrospect going to the nighly service last night would have been interesting. But I settled for a self guided tour around. There are a lot of interesting statues and plakes. There is even the original cross on desplay from when the place was first formed. Oh and a funny thing happened last night. Just another example of things finding you if you are looking for it. My book I'm reading makes a reference to a St. Franics of Assisa monk. That just happens to be the frariy I am staying at. Weird huh. After that I headed south. The trail today was not bad, but I was just having problems getting going. The miles on the easy terrain just were not happening. No Runway today either. She must really have pressed on yesterday. I made a water stop at a campsite 3 or so miles in today. I thought the site was dry, but I finally found the spring. Not well marked. I don't know if I mentioned it, but getting water from a spring resembling a puddle doesn't faze me anymore. Even with the frogs swimming in it. The frogs or salamders don't actually bother me. Ampibiams are one of those things that do not servive in bad water. Oh and for anyone that has a death ray. Use Litium batteries. I got a set of alkiline and they last about 3 or 4 days. The litium ones last close to a month. Good thing I am packing some aquia mira as a backup now. Today I crossed the Bear mountain suspension bridge. I walked on the side opposite traffic as usual, the way we are all taught to walk on the rode as kids. At first I wasn't sure if this was it. I walked past a work crew and none of them said anything to me. I got half way arcoss and did not see any white blazes. I was also getting the feeling my Zen method of navigation might be off. But I didn't see any other huge suspension bridge across the Hudson. I even stopped half way across and checked the map. It looked like it. I started walking some more. I figure I like water and bridges, so why not. Then I spy a blaze on the other side of the bridge. Stupid me, check for blazes as if I was a northbounder. Getting off the bridge I stepped over a sidewalk closed sign and chain. Lets just say there was none on the other side. Just some workers that didn't acknowledge me and their equipment. I stopped at a pay phone and decided to make a call to my buddy Doctari. I was getting into a bad way lately. For some reason I just having been feeling it. Talking with him helped a lot, thanks again.                                                                                                                                          My mind was set on a town night at this point. The guide said there was a motel for $65 a night with shuttles back to the trail. It was around the same little town I had to go to resupply in anyways. So off I went. It was only around noon at this point. Lets also just say my great navigational skills are not limited to the trails. The roads around where Io needed to go were really confusioning. Worse to me after not driving and using road signs in a couple days. I knew the direction I needed to go by the map and went with it. Along the way I asked a workman on the road. He was really nice, but not too helpful. We did spot a sign saying I was on the right road. So I thanked him and moved on. The guide said it was .7, but I want a litte farther I think. I did see the small convience store/pizzaeri I will have to resupply at tomorrow. I stopped for a piece of pie, even after finishing the rest pof last nights for breakfest this morning. They said the hotel I wanted was a 10 minute walk away. I got there and no one was there. There was a note saying if you wanted to stay there to call a number. Well having no phone it was no help to me. At this point I really wanted a stop. I hadn't had a real shower with fresh lundry since Dalton. I spotted the holiday inn express across the street. Pricey, but at this point I really needed it. The lady at the front desk was great. She said all theh had was a smoking room. I really didn't care. She said it would be $140. I asked her if there was anything she could do for me. Well the smile and the big blue eyes worked. I felt like travelocity man and got it for $99. Still pricey, but a hike saver. So I checked in and went to the store for a little refreshments. I picked up some ben and jerys cookie dough, some nacho sun chips, and a 12 pack of regular (read bud.). Now not to sound like an alcoholix, I swear it was for the calories. But for those who don't know the best place to drink a beer is actually the shower. Trust me on this one. The rest of the day was filled with great relaxing sans the clothes, they were still dirty. Most of you probibly didn't need to know that, but a few might like the mental picture. The rest of the night was filled lounging and extreme eating from a take out place. I did get to enjoy the finer points of the hotel. I used the laundry and internet. I checked in on whiteblaze.net for the first time in awhile. Lets just say my water concerns are about to get worse. PA is really dry with a lot of springs dry that normally are not. Looks like I will be carrying a lot of water. Lets all hope it rains there a lot in the next week or so before I get there. The hotel also has a pool and workout center. I passed on both. I figured they would not want my nasty clothes in the pool, and it just seemed like work. The workout center just looked evil, so I tried not to look at it for long. Yesturday I figured something out. My right foot has been feeling strange. It felt like my sock would keep getting pushed between my big toe and pointer toe. I kept taking off my shoe and fixing my sock. Turns out I damaged the nerve in my toe. I was wondering when my feet would start to tingle.