Date: 2015-07-02
From: Fingerboard Mountain, NY

To: 1,416.9 campsite, NY
Miles today: 28.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke to a deer munching on grass near my tent. Also woke to a partially wet ground sheet due to poor judgement of the lay of the ground when I peed out of my tent last night. Oops. Moosehead and I were packed and on the trail by 8:30am with a goal of ~24 miles by days end. The first few miles passed quickly until we reached the William Brien Memorial Shelter, a cool stone shelter blending in with the large stones surrounding the shelter. We each took a quick break to drop deuces amongst the boulders before returning to the trail.The day would consist of ups and downs, ups and downs, and ups and downs starting with Black Mountain. We then summited West Mountain, a ~600ft climb in just under a mile. A ridge of several rock outcroppings offering views to the west helped break up the monotony of climbing. We next transitioned into climbing Bear Mountain, gradually becoming more civilian-friendly as we neared the top. Halfway up the mountain we passed the 1,400-mile mark which we'd celebrate with a simple fist pump after reaching the summit a mile later. On the summit stands Perkins Memorial Tower, a stone structure rising some ~4-5 floors, offering a 360-degree view of the surrounding area including the Hudson River, West Point, several prominent mountains, and the NYC skyline, though only a few buildings could be made out today due to the haze.After taking in the view from inside the tower, it was time to take care of more I portant business: acquire a drink from nearby machines (overpriced at $2.50 for a 20oz Powerade), and find a comfortable place to relax and eat lunch. During this process a man from central Jersey who was spending the day on his motorcycle chatted with me for close to 10 minutes, asking me many questions that I was happy to answer. Moosehead and I then retired to a south-facing bench overlooking forest-covered mountains and a couple nearby towns nestled along the Hudson River hundreds of feet below. We spent the next half hour eating a hodgepodge of snacks and watching tourists as they appeared, snapped a few photos overlooking the same view we were enjoying, and disappeared just as quickly back to their vehicles. A view sure does mean more when you have to hike 1,401 miles to see it.After lunch and with it already being 2:00pm, we hot the trail still having ~12 miles to put in. We immediately began heading downhill, passing many tourists huffing and puffing their way up and down the mountain between the summit and the Bear Mountain Recreation Area at the base of the mountain. We reached the Bear Mountain Inn and Recreation Area and felt a bit overwhelmed with the amount of people that were out enjoying a getaway from the city life. It seemed like at least a couple hundred people were either sunbathing, swimming, fishing, cooking out, people watching, or simply walking around. We hiked through the mass of people along Hessian Lake, receiving stares like we usually do - mainly Moosehead for his kilt. We then passed through a small Zoo that was free for people just hiking through. It was a strange feeling walking through the amphibian building, seeing many of the same creatures that we do on the trail. I couldn't help but think I'd much rather be on the trail being scared shitless by close calls with timber rattlers, or having my head on a swivel for black bears that were caged nearby. This, on the other hand, was very sad. The lowest point on the AT, 124ft, came when standing and watching the bears. I'd say the bears spirits were just as low.We continued out of the zoo and onto a busy highway, momentarily going the wrong way before discovering our mistake. We crossed over Bear Mountain Bridge, spanning the Hudson River, a large American flag draped from the top, swaying in the wind as vehicles zipped along underneath. I didn't get a picture because I assumed the trail would lead us to a rocky overlook atop Anthony's Nose, rising sharply just beyond the bridge. We must've missed a side trail to a lookout, though, so unfortunately no pictures. After climbing ~500ft in three-fourths of a mile, we continued along a ridge until exiting the woods at the Appalachian Market. We stopped and grabbed a slice of pizza dripping with f'n grease, as well as 2 Coke's for me. As we ate a man sat at our table and informed us that Billy Joel became the all-time concert leader at Madison Square Garden last night, passing Elton John. He then proceeded to invite us to a party he's having on July 4th, a little over ~20 miles up the trail. We thanked him and said we'd entertain the idea, but something seemed a little off about his approach so I don't think we'll be joining.Moosehead and I separated just after leaving the market, me taking the lead and never looking back. I covered an additional ~7 miles over the next 2 hours, passing our planned ending spot by a few miles. I was simply feeling it and wanted to utilize the light - plus I couldn't find a flat spot to camp to save my life. With music going, I was over Denning Hill and Canopus Hill, finding humor in the number of Daddy Long Legs, beetles, ants, what have you's, and what not's scurrying along the trail trying to avoid getting squished. What they don't know, though, is I've taken many extra steps in order to avoid killing hundreds of their kind so far. My hands aren't clean of blood, though, for I've killed my share of gnats and mosquitoes so far. Both will follow you throughout the day, especially gnats, waiting for the perfect opportunity to dive-bomb into your eyeballs. I actually prefer they do that and get it over with instead of hovering just in front of my eyes for miles, occasionally bumping off my contacts in a failed kamikaze mission. Stupid sob's.I finally found a spot just before nightfall. A few other hikers I hadn't met before had already claimed what little space is available. I managed to squeeze into a tight spot on the small approach trail extending off the AT. It's not the best, but it'll do. I assume Mooshead is no more than a couple miles behind me and we'll meet up at some point tomorrow. Darkness has officially fallen, bugs and bullfrogs are beginning their night songs, and somewhere in the distance a town has just wrapped up a firework show. Time for me to wrap up this edition.Here's to 1,400 miles completed, a Coke and slice of pie, and a tent that feels like home after a long day.