Date: 2014-09-26
From: Brook

To: William Brien Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I got started at 7 and had a light breakfast - just a bagel - because I would stop at a deli/convenience store very soon. I got pancakes and bacon at the deli, as well as yogurt and juice, etc. and ordered a sandwich for later. (I may have had a few bites of the sandwich after breakfast - just to make sure it was good enough to justify the extra weight) Hikers are always hungry - its not just me.I bought "pork cracklings" at this grocery because, as usual, I wanted to try something new. People say trail food gets old, and I was determined to not let that happen. I checked the nutrition label to find as much protein per ounce as tuna fish. I wasn't sure if it was a misprint or if it was true. For the weight and price, they seemed like a good choice. Other sources of protein are either heavy (tuna) or expensive (jerky). And they actually tasted good too.I started to notice that many water sources were dry and was sure to fill up where I could, like at convenience stores. I crossed the Hudson and saw my first bear. Two actually - lying in the sun about 15 feet on the right side of the trail. I walked by slowly and they didn't even blink.The trail goes through the "Trailside Museum" which also has a zoo with bears and other animals. The place was busy with tourists, but had some nice amenities, like real restrooms with running water. Unfortunately, it was the worst water I had tasted. I dumped it out and found a water fountain hoping it would taste better, but it didn't. I couldn't wait to get to the next stream in the woods. First, I would have to climb Bear Mtn (one in every state it seems). Before the climb you walk through a park around a pond and past a hotel. The park was lined with beer trucks. They were there for Oktoberfest, but they were closed because it was Friday and were only open Sat/Sun. After walking by 20 beer trucks though, all you want is a drink.I stopped at the hotel to make a quick phone call using my calling card from the front desk and I inquired about their restaurant. I didn't want to spend the time at a sit-down place, but the clerk told me they had a quick-order snack bar and pointed me in the right direction. I had a hot dog, salad, and drink and was on my way fairly fast.Bear Mtn was crowded. There must have been a hundred schoolchildren on field trips and it was a madhouse. Once I cleared the peak, the backside was much less traveled. Just one couple who had gotten lost and went the wrong way. From the top of the mountain and along the next ridge you could see the New York City skyline. As I got near the end of my day, I came across a footbridge and a dry stream bed. That was the last water source before the shelter in my book. I backtracked 0.3 miles to the last stream I saw and filled up. I had dropped my backpack to make the water trip faster and once I was on my way again, I found plenty of water under the next footbridge 25 yards in front of the first. Usually my guidebook will designate if there are multiple footbridges, and I didn't check ahead before doubling back. Oh well.There were people at the shelter and the tenting area was enormous. There were at least 6 very generously sized campsites spread in a flat valley and they were spaced out pretty well. I couldn't see the shelter from my site, nor the campsite of the other two guys tenting. After I set up my tarp, I joined the folks at the shelter to eat dinner and socialize and they were very nice. A couple hiked up after dark and we said hello. The guys in the shelter invited them to stay there, but they wanted to camp, and we told them there were plenty of open spots.I went off to bed about 20 minutes later to find the couple about to start a fire in the ring at my campsite. I was a little confused. There were at least 4 completely open, private spots, and they were trying to light a fire not 20 feet from the opening of my shelter. I asked them what they were doing and they paused. They asked if I thought the fire might bother me and I said "yes" and pointed out what I thought was obvious - there were plenty of open spots and there was a fire already going at the shelter. They moved off and I went to bed. Apparently, some New Yorkers are nice, and some are just clueless.