Date: 2009-07-11
From: Hemlock Springs Campsite

To: Near Canopus Lake
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

July 11 --An enjoyable day that ended with discouragment. It was warm from the start, but the pace was good in the varied terrain. Leaving the woods of Hudson Highlands State Park at US9, I saw a large, orange, unnatural unfamiliar object as I approached the boardwalk across the swamp, which turned out to be a large, orange, unnatural, unfortunately familiar inflatable ballon used for promotional events and fortunately, in this case, used to promote the Grand Opening of a Shell service station/convenience store at the edge of Hillsboro, with parking lot fun, Sponge Bob and Elmo, Pennzoil race car, monster truck, give away food and my facorite, 25c hot dogs. I dropped my pack next to Gozer's and went straight for the restroom, done like one found at a nice restaurant, large, toilet paper on a stand, and, of course, clean. I then purchased some Fritos, my first ever and probly last ever Moon Pie, a Tropicana Lemonade and a piece of home made banana bread, all this before having 2 nice boiled dogs followed shortly by 2 more, mostly because I didn't want to store and carry the 2 quarters change. While Gozer and I munched away, watching the locals flock to the scene for food and photos with the celebs, Hitch arrived, then Brown Cow, who was familiar with northern NH, and then Brown Chicken. After I witnessed the actual ribbon cutting ceremony, I was on my way past Graymoor and into the familiar NY woods of ups/downs. At a water stop at Chapman Rd, I found Minnow and Howdy and had a nice chat and walk with them for the next few miles as the sky became overcast and noticably darker in the woods. They would be camping at the beach at Canopus Lake, but I wanted to go further along, close to RPH Shelter where a work for food weekend Bar-B-Q was being held. Reaching the lake, I knew I couldn't make it the 7m, I wasn't tired, but my right inside ankle felt like a blister had formed and I needed to get off of it soon. I continued along and spotted a suitable tent site, no water, but I would make do with what I had. Then I noticed that the discouraging part of the day had already taken over as I had been swatting starving mosquitos the last 2m. I had just laid out the tent and the rain began, held off me temporarily by the tall red oaks, so I quickly assembled the poles which quickly buckled when inserted into the tent eyelets. The front end of the long tube had split and could not be assembled properly, so after a brief evaluation and empty solution, I wrapped the 3 way pole hub with the tent sack to protect the stretched fly and hurried inside to hear the thunder and rain. My ankle, and base of my heel, were not blistered, but irritated by the sweaty socks similar to other areas of my overly sweaty skin. I need to clean up, both clothing and body, the sweaty filth is becoming a factor. I discovered that the carbide tip of one of the trekking poles is gone, adding risk to slipping. It is discouraging that the gear is failing, the inconveience for replacement, both time and cost, erodes enthusiasm, but my body breaking down is bad, because it can only be pushed so hard, and all this tries my mental strength, difficult to measure, observe or monitor, and maintained largely by daily successes and joys which are slow to achieve.