Date: 2017-07-20
From: Warwick Turnpike

To: Lakes Rd., Monroe, NY
Miles today: 13.1

Today was our baptism in climbing rocks - not with ropes and equipment, but by finding footholds and handholds and pulling ourselves up using both hands and feet.  About seven miles of the hike involved this kind of climbing, followed by walks atop flatter rocks, then getting down.  In one place we had to get up a sheer face of rocks, and rebar was set into the rock to make a sort of ladder.  We try to keep three points of contact before moving a foot, but that wasn't always possible.  At some places I couldn't get my foot up and instead put my knee up and pulled myself with my right hand, with a little balancing help from my injured left.  In places with very slanty rocks I leaned into the rock and used my right hand on the rock to balance.  In some places coming down I sat down and scooted on my bottom till a foot touched down.  It wasn't stylish or pretty, but I got up and down all the rocks safely.  We hiked over Prospect Rock, Cat Rocks, and the Pinnacles.  From one of these it's theoretically possible to see the New York skyline, but today was too hazy to get that view.  It was very hot - the hottest day we've had so far - and we tried to minimize the amount of time we spent in the sun.  In these high open spaces there were lots of blueberries.   They were the sweetest blueberries I've ever eaten.  At 8:15 AM we reached the New Jersey-New York border.  The paint on the rock was behind a boulder, and it would have been possible to miss it entirely.  We stopped to take pictures.  I took a picture for a hiker trail named The Austrian and one for another hiker whose name I didn't get.Around 12:30 we reached a road crossing where hotdogs and ice cream were available.  We skipped the hotdog stand and headed straight for the creamery.  This farm has been around since 1824.  I had a large root beer float and liked it so much I had a second.  The place was very hiker friendly - had an outdoor spicket for filling up water bottles, lots of picnic tables outside, and a hiker guestbook.  The owner actually chased us down as we were leaving to get us to sign.  StaPuff told us he's seen three bears in New Jersey and showed us video he took of a porcupine waddling along the trail.Great news: Today was my orthopedist appointment.  They cut the cast off and took X-rays.  In the x-ray room I suddenly felt dizzy, as though I were about to pass out.  I put my head between my knees and asked for a drink of water.  I think this was sheer panic that the bone might not be healed, and I wouldn't be ready for the White Mountains in time.  But the news was good.  The bone is clinically healed but will take six more weeks to be fully healed.  The x-rays showed big white areas where new bone is being made.  But I have to continue to avoid weight-bearing activity for six more weeks.  I was advised that I shouldn't lift anything heavier than a coffee mug.  (As Charleston lawyer Matthew Victor would say of that advice, I'll give it the attention it deserves.  I've already been using the wrist more than that and will continue to do so.  Cautiously.).  I'm supposed to wear a splint most of the time but can take it off in the shower and in bed.  And finally, I should have one occupational therapy appointment to learn the exercises I should do.  We'll be starting the White Mountains in four weeks, but I should be ready by then.  It's a really good day.