Date: 2014-08-01
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Shelter

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

Woke up at 5:30, I have no need for an alarm clock out here. Once during the night I woke up and saw someone standing on the other side of the short wall that goes around the pavillion. I told everybody about it this morning and we were joking that the place is probably haunted. Later as I was hiking I thought that it was probably one of the southbound hikers tenting nearby. He was more than likely just switching out one of the phones for his group to get it charged. So for the time being I still don't believe in ghost until I see one. We were hiking by 6:45 the trail would not be as challenging today. The forest in New York seem different than the last few states. Lots of streams and there is grass growing in parts of the woods. The forest floor is not full of small plants and trees. I saw a few white birch trees for the first time. There were small frogs and toads on the path all day. I stopped at a large rock to take a break, eat something and air out my boots and socks. When I got to the road there was an old stone building where you could get water and No Rush caught up with me and I took another short break. I hurried back into the woods because I had another 12 miles to go today. I almost stepped on a 4 foot black snake sunning himself right in my way. He wouldn't move at first until I flipped his head with my hiking stick and then he quickly took off. I also saw one really small snake that was having a hard time moving out of my way because of his size. I saw some deer, one was standing by the water and I think that I got a good picture for my photo album. There have been stone walls in every state that I have hiked in so far but today they were everywhere. In one place the had built up a wall on a curved path and it was part of the trail for awhile. I ran into Baby Steps and Daddy Long Legs here, they were also admiring the stone wall. They are from Tennessee and we talked for a bit while we walked. On one mountain top there is a painted 911 memorial flag painted on the rocks. The trail went by Clarence Fahnestock State Park but I didn't go into the park. Through hikers can tent there one night for free but I was planning on going to the shelter in case it rained tonight. I was on top of the mountain when I noticed the storm clouds rolling in. I took off and hiked the last 5 miles to the shelter in a little over an hour and a half. I was sure that I was going to get soaked and didn't want to be on top with lightining so I was practically running part of the time. After I got to the shelter the storm moved on and it didn't even rain. Starbuck was at the shelter for another night, she is having some knee problems. Her husband is still hiking and she hoped to join back up with him. No Rush, Puzzle, and Infrared along with myself would be staying for the night. You can have pizza delivered so I had pizza for dinner and will save some for breakfast. Tim stopped by, he is one of the volunteers that takes care of the shelter and also does trail maintenance in the area. He shared some info on the history of the area and parts of the AT.