Date: 2009-10-13
From: Morgan Stewart Shelter

To: Highway 22
Miles today: 10.7

It rained very early in the morning but when I got up at 5:15 at the insistence of my bladder, the rain had stopped. There was still wetness from wind in the trees but no real rain. I was on the trail before 7 when it was just light enough to see under overcast skies. The trail was a wonderland, a fairyland of pathways on fallen leaves wending through lacy yellow color of the understory of the forest - very beautiful. After a few miles I went by Nuclear Lake, named because there used to be a nuclear fuels processing center here. The lake was very beautiful with fall leaves and the sun playing tag with the clouds intermittently shining on the leaves. I had trouble moving forward as I kept taking pictures. For a day that was supposed to be rainy I took a lot of pictures. Everywhere I went the colors were captivating and enchanting. I did move along though and the day's trail was really pretty nice. I am moving faster and I moved well all day. In fact, in the afternoon I took out the heel pad because it was bothering my arch and I did not even have anything for pain in the afternoon. I don't know why the foot is feeling better but I am glad it is. In midmorning I met Mossy and Gaia, two young women thru hikers. They too will have completed the whole trail when they get to Bear Mountain. Tuna Man and Pig Pen came by not too lomg after. I delivered the message to them from Jabberwalkie that she wanted them to catch up to her. Interesting how messages move up and down the trail. Sometimes messages are relayed by other hikers and sometimes by shelter register sign in messages. I completed 7.6 miles by 12:45 when I stopped for lunch at a lovely overlook over farmland and the town of Pawling. I enjoyed watching hawks/turkey vultures soar below and above me and even got one fairly decent picture although I missed a better one by not being ready. Just before I packed up to go on, Electron John also dropped by for lunch on the rocks. He is a more mature hker who lives not too far away. We chatted a while and then I went on. I stopped at Telephone Pioneer shelter to use the facilities and got a bonus. There was an umbrella left behind at the shelter so now I have an umbrella again. (Things left in the shelters are usually fair game for anyone who comes along. I left a note with my email address in the shelter register in case someone came back for the umbrella but that is rather unlikely.) As I went on the last 2&1/2 miles it actually began to sprinkle a bit so I got to try out the umbrella. After crossing Swamp River and the swamp on board walk I came to Highwat 22. The landscaping place there is known to be hiker friendly. Good thing as the cars were speeding past on the highway and hitch hiking is illegal in New York. After I talked with the owner a bit he had one of his employees who was going on an errand that way take me to the motel. Nice. Thanks, guys! So now I am inside. I have showered and eaten pizza 'till I am stuffed. I talked to Tramper on the phone and he is going to pick me up at Hoyt Road at the end of New York and drive me almost back to Sara's. What a nice piece of trail magic!!! And someone here at the motel will take me back to the trail tomorrow even before dawn. How lucky is that! So now I have finished journaling and am ready for bed and life is good.