Date: 2005-08-10
To: A campsite near the William Brian
Miles today: 12.9

This morning was the first time I really felt that I am 60 years old! Even though I was the first one up and had all my stuff packed and had retrieved everyone¢s food bag before the first signs of life from any of the others, I knew with the first step I took that today¢s hike was going to be labored. Indeed it was. I just didn¢t have the energy and the ¢zing in my step¢ that I had enjoyed so far throughout this section. So, today was going to be a day of practicing acceptance. Whatever the reason ¢ the terrain, the weather/humidity, the accumulated effect that 12 days of hiking have had on my body, my age or "whatever" ¢ today was just going to be a slower, more difficult day which meant simply knuckle down, don¢t whine and get on with it. (Damn: it's a lot more fun when it doesn't feel like work every time you lift a foot!)¢The Dude¢ overtook me first and he and I walked and talked together for a while. But when I stopped to phone in my journal, he and the ¢Brothers-MSU¢ went past me, not to be seen again for the next several hours. Nevertheless, the woods were particularly lovely today, especially after we crossed the New York Thruway and entered the Harriman State Park which was once a part of Governor George Harriman¢s estate. Here the forest had a character all its own. Whether it was by some grand plan (in which case it would have then required some even grander-scale execution!) or as a result of some contrivance of nature, these woods were, for miles, incredibly open and uncluttered by middle-level trees, bushes and limbs. This entire forest was made up of towering, straight trees all of whose limbs and leaves existed only near their highest reaches, creating a canopy that could be seen only by tipping your head back and conspicuously looking for it. At your feet, the Trail skirted past only low bushes, grasses, small plants, deadfalls, a few exposed rocks and the occasional clump of Mountain Laurel. Between the dark-green floor and the light-green ceiling there was nothing but openness, and sunlight. What an effect! It felt like you were walking in a park, not a wilderness. In every direction you could see for at least a 10th of a mile into the woods instead of the few yards usually offered by the AT¢s surroundings. Deer could be see grazing in splotches of sunlight and, having never been hunted here, many would let you walk within a few feet of them without even stopping their munching. If I was going to march today at a different pace, this was a wonderful place to have my parade!Besides the unique woods, this morning¢s delights included the ¢Lemon Squeezer,¢ a wild rock formation that you enter as if it were a cave only to find oneself in an open but increasingly narrow schism about 30¢ long. I had to take my pack off and throw it up on top of the open sidewall to wiggle my way through without getting stuck. Immediately above the incline of the Lemon Squeezer was the hairiest routing of AT I¢ve yet encountered. To follow the blazes (and who, on a bright day is going to search out a ¢foul-weather¢ option and contaminate the integrity of their hike?!?) I had to throw my poles up on a ledge above my head, climb up some rocks far enough to get a bear hug on a spruce tree growing out of the boulder face and then inch my way on a narrow ledge around it while my upper body and pack hung out over a 30¢ drop to certain plummet below. About half way through this maneuver I began wondering if my new insurance policy covers ¢Death by Gross Stupidity.¢ Needless to say, I made it, but I didn¢t think that climbing was supposed to be a part of the AT!I finally arrived at the Lake Tiorati picnic area adjacent to the public beach maintained by the State. My Michigan friends were already eating lunch when I arrived and were eager to get in the water to cool off. After lunch I took a nap while they swam (ostensibly to ¢keep an eye on our gear¢ ¢ yeah, right!) and then they did the same while I took a dip followed by a cold but cleansing shower in the bathhouse.Expecting some more of the challenging terrain we had encountered in the morning, I left before the others only to be pleasantly surprised by the relatively flat two hours of afternoon hiking that led from Lake Tiorati to the William Brian Shelter. From a distance the shelter looked charmingly quaint. It is one of the few on the Trail that¢s constructed of stone and it¢s situated on a slight rise up against a large rock wall. Unfortunately, its upkeep has been sadly neglected. It's dirty and showing a lot of wear and tear form weekend partiers and folks not committed to ¢Leave No Trace¢ camping principles. But not far away we found a campsite that came close to rivaling the delightful one we enjoyed last night¢s. Before long our tents/hammock were up, a fire was going and dinner was underway accompanied by the friendly and comfortable ¢camp talk¢ we had all become accustomed to enjoying these past several evenings together. Tomorrow is my last day on the Trail for a while, having finished this planned section of 185 miles. I will miss being out here and I will miss these young men. They have been great company and I feel very fortunate to have run into them and been able to share this piece of their Appalachian Trail Thru Hike with them. America could use more people like these.