Date: 2007-07-11
From: Campsite before Arden, NY

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

People often ask me how I handle the rain. Since it poured today (finally), I thought I¢d provide an example. However, note that my solution pertains to a summer rain on the eastern seaboard. I would have had a completely different approach in the Cascades and Sierras or during a winter squall.As the sprinkles began, I quickly put on my pack cover so critical gear (e.g. sleeping bag) wouldn¢t be compromised. I entertained the idea of pitching my tarp for the duration of the storm. But, I had entered Harriman State Parkand random camping was expressly forbidden. And I could see why. That area is so overcamped and heavily trodden that there is little vegetation. I didn¢t want my temporary need to impact the wildlife. I could see, for instance, that a small deer species with an unusually high spring lived here in the park.So, I continued. It wouldn¢t matter much if I got wet. The shelter was only 3.9 miles (2 hours) off. By the time I got to the famous ¢Lemon Squeezer¢ it had become ¢The River Runs Through It¢ . I waded up it. Just as I got through, I spotted a dry shelf protected by a rock ceiling. I threw my pack onto it, stripped off my clothes to wring them out, wrapped a plastic bag around me, and made tea until the storm abated.Moral? If you look for respite, often nature will proved!People also often ask me about safety issues. There are a few people that most everyone stays clear of. Since I haven¢t put much gossip in my journal, I will do so now.Chico, a thug who first entered my universe (and the sheriff¢s dragnet) in the Mt. Rogers wilderness, was pulled off the trail again (this time by federal authorities) for his behavior in the Shenandoahs.Crutch (age 42), to everyone¢s chagrin, has picked up an 18 year old. He has a reputation for theft.Ididrod, who claims he hikes 45 miles a day and will dog sled back to Alaska from Katahdin (but who can¢t spell Iditarod correctly), is wanted in several states.The authorities watch these three all the time. (I have this information from a good source).In addition, there are some minor nuisances ¢ like Frito, who targets women ¢ who are conmen, highly manipulative, and takes advantage of people¢s goodwill. Luckily, there aren¢t too many of these.The trail ¢community¢ ¢ men and women ¢ are quite protective when it looks like someone might have befriended a person of poor character. And, the unsavory types are big talkers. It¢s easy to spot that something¢s amiss. They invariably ¢ all the above are good examples ¢ tell some tall-tale that¢s so ludicrous they call attention to themselves.Transcriber comment: I¢ve learned so much from Silver and here again I¢m now educated on the term ¢Iditarod ¢. My husband knew, but I had never heard of it. For those of you who are curious, the explanation follows: The Iditarod, sometimes called ¢The Last Great Race on Earth,¢ is a 1,150-mile trail full of bumps and twists, icy hills, and frozen lakes in Alaska. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, usually just called the "Iditarod", is an annual dogsled race in Alaska, where mushers and teams of dogs cover in eight to fifteen days. The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best dogsled mushers and teams, evolving into the highly competitive race it is today. The current fastest winning time record was set in 2002 by Martin Buser with a time of 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 2 seconds. The Iditarod received more attention outside of the state after the 1985 victory of Libby Riddles, a long shot who became the first woman to win the race. Susan Butcher became the second woman to win the race, and went on to dominate for half a decade.Lemon Squeezer without the downpour.Rock Ceiling Ledge