Date: 2004-07-05
From: NY 17A

To: 1 mile south of Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: broken clouds

a.m. Misty morning. Some rock climbing first thing -- a fun challenge, despite the slipperiness. Saw a turkey buzzard perched atop Cat Rock as I approached -- he flew off when he saw me, but what an eerie sight he was with the mist and granite in the background.The nice thing about NOT slackpacking anymore is that I don't have to worry about keeping anyone waiting -- I'm taking things very slowly today.Dewy planets inA gossamer galaxy,Web-suspended stars.3 p.m. Am enjoying the rest of my pasta primavera from Pizza Station in Vernon atop Mount Buchanon -- the breeze is keeping most of the bugs away. Had some hand-over-hand climbing to do to get here. New York wants to let us know that we're no longer in sissy New Jersey.Many thanks to the local hiking club that left gallons of water for us beside our first road crossing today. Our natural water sources are getting more intermittent as we go through this area -- not to mention murkier.The animals are finding enough to survive on, though -- I saw a doe, a bear and twin fauns this morning. The bear saw me first and thundered and crashed off through the blueberry underbrush.The sky above is temporarily clear, after a very overcast morning, but there's a thunderhead forming to the west. Patrick the Sole Brother, another thru-hiker, has set up his hammock and is taking advantage of the lovely day. The Roman Noodles have just arrived.5 p.m.-ish: Just saw my first rattlesnake, on the way up Arden Mountain, sliding through the blueberry bushes. His rattle was more like the chirring of a wind-up toy than the dry marraca rattle I had expected. Anyway, now that I'm no longer a rattlesnake virgin, I can walk with more confidence.Up next: a 600 foot descent, followed by a 750 foot ascent. (It's been like this all day.)------------------Didn't get into Harriman State Park until nearly sunset, with four more miles to the shelter, all uphill. Plodded on, past the stealth tent city by the pond -- Wicked Lobstah and Dragon Slayer, the Roman Noodles, Trunks, Litefoot, Mountain Doo and a few others.Ended up hiking with my headlamp on, stumbling around in the dark -- and starting to see pairs of eyes glowing in the dark around me -- until finally I decided I was bet, and just stopped on a big slab of rock for the night. Too rocky to tent -- and I was tootired to set up a tent anyway -- so I lay out my pad and fleece, moved my pack some distance away for the bears to plunder -- and cowboyed it. Beautiful breezy night -- kept the bugs at bay.After I had passed the pond, I ran into a young couple, strolling on their last day of teh long weekend, and the young man enthusiastically offered up his water and a solid dose of Deet for me while we stood chatting about the trail and trail angels (like himself) who leave water for thru-hikers around trail heads this time of year. Nice folks! The water was a big help.I missed a turn after this and added another half mile or so to my trip, but seeing fireflies over the grassy highlands was worth hiking in the dark. I thought fireflies (lightening bugs) had been exterminated by the cult of the suburban lawn, but they live!