Date: 2007-07-06
From: NJ974

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

Raincheck is the only Thru Hiker I know who is fund raising for a charity during his AT hike. He has all ready raised over $7000 for Orbis, whose goal is to prevent blindness. Their website is: orbis.org/seemikehike Raincheck (Mike Redding) explained to me that 37 million people in the world are blind and that 28 million of this is preventable. Raincheck says, "I'm walking so others can see." Today he has been invited to NYC to the Orbis office to "check in" about how his hike is going and how the fundraising is progressing. You can support Raincheck by sending a donation to Orbis with the directions on his website. He chose this charity to fund raise for because his mother was a nurse affiliated with eye surgery, and saw how this organization was restoring sight to those in need via a flying hospital called the flying eye.... So, while I am hiking alone today, missing Raincheck's companionship, I will enjoy the beauty of the AT, and think of my admiration for his fundraising efforts, in hopes that many others will have their sight restored as a result of his efforts. I hope Raincheck will "catchup" to me by Wed, July 11, when we both have a maildrop in Kent, CT. Skiman, my brother, also plans to meet me in Kent to return to the AT, after being tested for Lyme Disease in NH this week. (Which we presume will come back negative.) Raincheck will be back on the Trail by Sunday at the latest. His host is bringing him to a Yankees game tonight! Liz Manning brought me back to Vernon to begin my solo hike today around 7:15, since Raincheck was going to NYC. Shortly after we parked at the trailhead, a hiker shuttle pulled up and CNN (Charles and Nancy) got out! I hadn't seen them since May 14 in Atkins, VA. They were going home that day and then to Trail Days. This was the same day Skiman met me for the first time to hike together. So, today I hiked with them from NJ to NY! I started out tripping over a big log across the trail and "body surfing" again. Although I was "safe", I cut my knee,and bent one of my brand new hiking poles. The water sources were either dry or dirty today. The NY rocks are as bad as the PA rocks! Sometimes I felt like I was going to fall off the cliff with my heavy pack pulling me backwards. There are blue blaze trails as alternate routes around these tough rocky ascents. At the end of our day, around 4:30, CNN chose the blue blaze trail. I stayed on the white AT, but I was tired and clumsy ascending what I envisioned the Knife Edge of Katahdin to look like. Another time, perhaps I will make the more sensible blue blaze choice. At Rt 17A we went to the creamery for an ice cream cone and a root beer. We refilled our platypuses and water bottles at a spigot, to avoid having to filter the yellow stream water. It was a boost to our spirits to have dessert and a good water supply with 2 miles to go. Staying in the shelter with me tonight is a new friend, Loner Bohner, age 66, from Osgood, Indiana, who started the AT Feb 28. He saw a 6 ft Timber Rattler on the rocks across the Trail today that wouldn't get out of his way, so he flicked him off the trail with his pole! He made a New Year's resolution that he would walk everyday, starting in 2001. Since Jan 1, 2001 Loner Bohner has walked 11,450 miles! We were so proud of him for making it to the shelter today around 6:30. We agree we are all Rock Stars! At 6:45 I was tucked in to my sleeping bag as Loner Bohner was getting ready to cook dinner. We heard the thunder, but did not anticipate quickly enough what was in store for us. First, everything went dark with a strong wind and all the tree branches were turned upside down. Next, it hailed. Then, it rained with the wind blowing into our shelter, so our sleeping bags, clothes, toilet paper, and other things we had organized for the night, got soaked! We quickly moved things to the back of the shelter away from the opening. The sun is shining brightly with the rain now, and if we weren't in the forest, I can imagine there might be a rainbow. Loner Bohner is thoughtfully sweeping the wetness out of the shelter as I complete this journal entry tonight. There is never a dull moment on the AT, and I love all the surprises and challenges each day holds.