Date: 2011-05-10
From: Wildcat Shelter, NY

To: NY 17A, NY
Miles today: 2.0
Weather: clear sky

We awoke at 6:50 a.m. with our knee and feet still sore. We found five large, new blisters on our feet, including both heels. It was clear that we were done hiking as there was no reasonable justification for continuing through twenty-miles of remote forest and park. The next best exit past NY17A was at the Hudson River where we could catch a bus or train to NYC depending on which bank we were standing upon.We lay in our hammock and wrote "Da' Plan" in our notebook.DA' PLAN1) Hike back to NY 17A to Cold Creek Creamery.2) Take a sponge bath & change into clean clothes in restroom.3) Catch NJ Transit bus #197 to New York City.4) Hobble to Big Apple Hostel.5) Hobble to Times Square Walgreens and buy slippers.6) Adjust return bus ticket at Greyhound in Port Authority terminal.We heard Half Fast breaking camp. We wished him well and arose shortly after his departure. Without endorphins to dull the pain, each foot step was painful. We gave considerable thought to each movement and sought to maximize each trip. We took our sleeping bag, boots, socks, and pad with us to the picnic table when we first left the hammock. Our goal was to minimize any further trauma to our sole means of exiting the trail. It was at this point that we mentally thrashed ourself for not having decided to stealth camp much closer to the highway. We had given to our vanity and made a poor decision, when safety should have been foremost.We managed to retrieve our Ursack from the tree and made a hot breakfast. After breakfast we left our bottle of remaining HEET in the shelter to benefit another hiker. We took down our hammock and packed our pack. As we packed we gave thought to the coming sequence of events and loaded the pack with our clean clothes on top, followed closely with our hygiene kit and wash cloth. Satisfied that we were ready to go, we made the final entry of our trek in the Wildcat shelter log book. It was now about 10:30 and two elder hikers, the Stapletons, suddenly appeared with small daypacks and they began to explore the shelter area. The couple was slackpacking sections of the trail. As theelders departed, we gave a big sigh and worked our way down and around to the blue-blazes and the trail "home."After making the right turn south on the white blazed AT, we paused at the sole water source between Wildcat shelter and NY 17A. We should only need one bottle of water to get back to the highway, a scant 2 miles distant. We had one liter of pure water from the creamery remaining and an empty liter bottle from dinner and breakfast. Oak's words leaped into our thoughts; "Now. Do it now." We filled the empty bottle and dropped two iodine tablets. In 15-minutes, we'd have 2 liters of potable water.We crossed the stream and continued south with slow deliberate steps. In just a few 10ths of a mile we came upon a hiker in an orange Cabela's balcap taking a break just off the trail. "Hey, IRover! I'm leaving the trail. That section from the state line to 17A just tore my feet up. I can't continue. Thought you smoked cigars on your breaks!" "I was just about to lit one," was IRover's reply. We wished each other well and I turned and resumed my slow walk south. I felt sad that I was leaving my hiking companion for the past week. Although we never hiked together, we had each known and been aware of the other's presence for tens of miles through logs and chance encounters.About a half-hour later we found ourselves looking up at the first of two bouldering exercises we had no wish to participate in. We opted to hike the blue-blazed safety route around the hazard. We did the same when the second set of boulders came into view. Just after the second and final set of boulders, the trail became wide,level and mostly rock and root free. This provided much relief to our left knee.About noon we heard cars and then saw NY 17A through the trees below us. We exited the woods at 12:10 p.m. and started up the hill past the sign announcing the creamery ahead. Two tenths we told ourselves. Just another two tenths.As we limped up hill we saw the hot dog stand across the road was open and there was a table and two open chairs available. As it was lunchtime and the creamery offered only ice cream and soft drinks we made our way across the highway and towards a chair. Digging out our change purse, we ordered a hot dog with cooked onions and a cold can of Lipton sweet tea and paid the princely sum of $3. The cooked onions were nothing special to us, but the tea hit the spot.Fed, we donned our pack and continue our hobble over the final tenth towards the creamery. We paused at the bus stop sign and wrote down the stop number and telephone number for schedule information. We made it across the rhighway, took the short cut over a small dirt berm and made base camp on the first picnic table in front of the creamery. Phase 1 of Da Plan was complete.We went inside the creamery which had just opened and asked the sole person at work for a birch beer and permission to change clothes in their restroom due to our injuries and need to catch the bust to NYC. We sat outside and enjoyed our birch beer and waited for the few customers to leave before we monopolized the restroom. When all but two women in front of us had left, we asked the two ladies if they would mind our tying up the rest room for an extended period. "No, go ahead" was their reply. We grabbed our backpack and entered the restroom. We worked fast and removed our boots and socks, flipped open our pack and removed the plastic bag with our clean spare clothes and waiting wash cloth. Off went the stinky set, we gave ourselves a quick wipe down with a nwe warm, wet washcloth and began to dress. Suddenly there was an urgent knock on the door. "Be right out shortly!" was our reply. We hurried to finish dressing and repack our dirty clothes. A second urgent knock cam quickly. We grabbed our boots, clean socks and backpack and exited the restroom for the unknown person. An older woman we didn't recognize pushed past us saying something about our changing clothes in the restroom. We headed back to the picnic tale and finished putting on our socks and, with much reluctance, our boots. Phase 2 was now complete.As we finished the women exited the restroom and scolded us for having left boot prints and leaves on the floor. Didn't we note how clean the creamery kept the restroom? "Ma'am, we left before we could clean up after ourself as we thought you needed to urgently use the restroom. We'll gladly clean the restroom." The lady disappeared inside the creamery and re-appeared moments later. "I'm sorry. I acted hastily." She drove off in a little sports car that was not there when we first went in to change. We went inside to the counter and asked for a broom and mop to clean the restroom. We found one small bootprint and a few small bits of leaf on the floor and thought they paled to the toilet paper scattered nearby and behind the trashcan. We swept and mopped the floor, wiped down the sink really well and buffed the chrome which clearly had received such attention for a very long time.It was coming up on two o'clock. Remembering seeing a bus just after 6, an even hour, we texted the stop number and received an immediate reply. The next buses came by at 2:10, 4:10 and 6:15. We turned in our cleaning supplies and empty bottle, thanked the young lady for assisting us in our need, and set off to await our bus.Almost on the exact moment the bus came around the curve below. We held up our hand and the bust slowed and then stopped. The door opened just inches in front of us. Wow! (Last year in Carlisle, PA the bus went past us a considerable distance and we had to hustle on blistered feet.) We stepped up inside and found the front seats vacant. The driver said to take a seat and pay him in a few moments at a stop below in Greenwood Village. The fare to NYC was just $12.75!The bus ride into the city took about three hours. Normally, it was just over two, but we arrived at the start of rush hour and it took some time to get through the Lincoln Tunnel. We arrived on the top floor of the Port Authority. Our driver let off most of the passengers and then pulled the bus forward to drop me off in front of the escalator going down into the terminal. (Thank you, Ron!) Phase 3 of Da' Plan was complete.We exited the escalator and found ourselves in a shopping gallery with no familiar landmarks. Across thew wide passageway we saw a "You are here" map and got our bearings. We were one floor above and very near to the Greyhound ticket counter. We made our way slowly to the escalators going down. Once off we slowly hobbled towards Greyhound. We handed our ticket to the lady behind the ticket counter and asked to have our ticket adjusted to an earlier bus, but one that would arrive during daylight hours. "That will be $15." Your bus leaves at ten o'clock. Phase 6 was complete.With a new return ticket in hand, we went in search of food and something to drink as eating and drinking on a NJ Transit bus will get you removed. We found a large deli with one of the largest walls of drinks we've ever seen and what seemed like a mile of glass fronted counters filled with delicious panini's and hot entrees. After making a single pass along the entire length, we decided on a fruit bowl and lemonade. We sat at a table and relished every bite of fruit - from little grapes to large chunks of cantaloupe. Fruit, glorious fruit! (to paraphrase a well known musical).Fed, we fired up our phone and called the Big Apple Hostel to cancel our reservation two nights hence. We only take cancellations by Internet was the answer. We explained our situation and the desk clerk replied she'd cancel our reservation for us and send us the cancellation by email. Phase 4 was complete.Six o'clock, four hours until our bus. We donned our pack and started back towards te greyhound terminal. We saw a pharmacy and went in hoping to find slippers. There against the back wall were several varieties of slippers. We found Chinese made set that cleverly consisted of a sole and two wide flaps that secured with Velcro. Nothing to touch our inflamed toes or heels. Perfect and just $7. We also found ice cream and soft drinks at reasonable prices. We added an ice ream sandwich. Also, along the route back we passed a bread shop that also offered hot soup in 6-8 flavors. We added an apple pastry and a hard roll for later in the evening or for breakfast. Phase 5 and Da' Plan were complete.As we resumed our slow walk we passed a pub that had been opened earlier, but now had locked doors and a sign to enter from Second Street. Disapointment. We had planned for months to have a cold beer after checking in to the hostel. With our bunk canceled it seemed so was our cold beer. The lady manning the nearby information booth informed us we could find beer at McAnn's one floor above us. We turned around and headed back to the central escalators. McAn's was behind them to our right. Miraculously, a single table and stool just inside the door were clear and unoccupied. We doffed the pack, set it in the corner behind us and took a seat. No one glanced or even came by. We wet over to the counter and ordered the seasonal Sam Adams beer. "We don;t have one." We bought a Sam Adams lager for the sum of $6. More than we prefer to pay for beer, so we nursed it while updating our notebook. We event took time to draft a hiking schedule to start at NY 17A and complete New York state.We left the bar about nine and headed down to the basement and our departure gate. We sat on the floor of a nearby gate and changed from our bots into clean "bus socks" and our new slippers. We pulled our Ursack, which we had packed that morning with snacks and foods suitable for the bus ride, and a water bottle out of our pack along with an over-sized duffle bag which doubles as a rain cover. We dropped our backpack inside and affixed the official Greyhound baggage tag to the straps.We had seen a teenage girl sitting nearby who seemed tired but didn't look American by her coat, scarf, and pale complexion. We were concerned that she may have been lured to the U.S. for work and was in the process of being exploited. "Paruski?" we inquired. Ukraine. "Ah, Oo-krain-sky-ya. Men-ya za-voot Timofye Pavlich." She seemed a bit cheerier that someone spoke some Russian. She lit up even more when later a group of young adults came into view and she recognized a girl friend. The group were exchange students headed for Williamsburg, VA and Kill Devil Hills, NC for legitimate summer jobs. We felt relieved.Our bus arrived and was quickly loaded. The seat beside us was one of the last to be filled. A young man of Asian background sat down. "I'm from South Korea" he said. "Anyo hasaeyo" we replied. He was momentarily stunned, but his look of surprise said it all. "How do you know Korean?" "I lived there for a year long ago." As the bus pulled out of the terminal and the tunnel, we had a final look at New York City while exchanging bits of Korean. I would say goodbye to Jool in Asheville, NC the next afternoon.Thus ended the ninth and final day of our 2011 section hike of the Appalachian Trail.