Date: 2003-08-15
From: Long Hill Road

To: Stream at 1420.50
Miles today: 10.8

Well, I am back on the trail after too much time away, and we are in New York!! My body protested all day long beginning with generalized weakness, crescendoing to a full-scale bonk, and ending with total body exhaustion! You would think after all these months my body would bounce back to hiking after an illness, but Nooooo! It wanted to protest, and protest it did! However, for the most part, I didn't mind, because, as Bumpkin put it, it feels good to be back home. The trail here in New York is quite different from what we have already hiked. It is wide open, with little undergrowth, and scattered with piles of rocks that look like mashed potatos plopped down from heaven. :)The trail winds up and down mountains... nothing new there...but instead of going up and over obstacles, it goes around them if possible. The result is a path whose constant winding can make you sea sick if you are not careful! Also, for long sections, the trail is somewhat smooth, making for some of the nicest hiking we have had in ages! The other sections were constant rock scramples, but since they were New York rocks, I didn't mind! :)   The most interesting thing I noticed about todays trail is that it is still summer.... but the trees don't know that! Fallen leaves are scattered across the trail, obliterating it at times. And, sure enough, when we gazed out over the views, splashes of red cover the mountains in the distance. Fall is coming, and she is coming fast. This places stands to be utterly amazing in a couple more weeks!   Another symbol of the changing season is the South bound thru-hiker. Leaving Katahdin in mid-June, they are arriving here sporadically, and we met our first one today. Stringer and his dog, Daisy, came striding down the trail, living proof that our time is running out. At the same time, though, we met three hikers this morning, two of which, at some point during the day, decided to hang it up and go home. The North bounders, they are dropping like flies.   The absolute highlight of the day was when we crossed I-84. The AT contains three major interstate crossings, and for myself, they are major landmarks! Every summer for the last ten years, I have driven to New Hampshire to take continuing ed classes. For ten years I have made this trek, and for ten years, I watch the highway expectantly til it crosses under the Appalachian Trail. I always honk, as is the tradition, regardless of whether or not a hiker is crossing the bridge. Someday, I would think....someday that is goingto be me. For ten years I was a driver passing by at 70 mph. Today, I was that hiker. Hiking along behind Bumpkin, I stopped and leaned out to look at the cars. In quick succession, two cars honked at us and I held my hiking poles up victoriously. I whooped and hollered as my eyes filled with tears, a huge grin splitting my face. Bumpkin just looked at me like I was crazy. :)Todays crossing was on a two lane road, but south of us, there is an actual pedestrain bridge across the interstate. I will warn you now that I will have to repeat this whole scenario when I get to it, complete with tear-filled eyes, but that experience will pale slightly in comparison to this one. Yet again, I just can't believe I am here.   This evening, we wearily placed our tents in whatever space we could find. Yep....we are stealth camping. Every forest has a personality, and stealth camping is the best way to discover the quirks of the woods. This particular forest is very, very alive. Branches drop from the trees every few minutes, while unseen creatures break twigs all around us. It is the liveliest forest I have ever been in, and I am completely comfortable. For now, I will let the birds and peepers sing me to sleep. Man, it is good to be out here.Love, Anna aka Mud Buttwww.trailjournals.com