Date: 2004-06-24
From: RPH Shelter, NY

To: Day 84: North of CR 20 near Pawling, NY
Miles today: 18.3

On AT Day 84 I once again got up at 4:00 a.m. and after taking more time that usual, I got on the trail around 6:30 a.m. in surprisingly cool weather. These conditions quickly changed and by mid-day the temperatures had risen to the mid-80¢s under partly cloudy skies. As was true of the day before, the trail proved to be relatively easy to negotiate, but when I got to Old Route 55, I mistakenly followed an old double white blaze turn signal, turned left and went the wrong direction down this paved road. ¢Wrong Way Fireball¢ had struck again¢¦I thought I was going in the right direction since I found and followed a series of faded (gray-white) blazes on the roadside telephone poles. Luckily after a half to three-quarters of a mile a man about my age who was trimming a hedge asked me if I was going fishing. I told him no, that I was an AT through hiker and this road was supposed to be part of the trail. I then pointed out one of the faded blazes on a near-by pole. He told me that he was quite familiar with the blazes, but that this road was ¢no longer the AT.¢ He also told me that I was not the first person to make this mistake, but that I should have turned right after originally crossing the road and then proceed less than 20 feet where the trail usually goes directly over the hill to the new NY 55. Obviously I thanked this ¢Good Samaritan¢ profusely, told him that this was certainly not the first time I had turned the wrong way upon reaching a road and then I turned around and trudged back UP the hill in the sun to rejoin the ¢new¢ AT. Before continuing I rechecked all of the old and new blazes and couldn¢t help but wonder how many others had made (and will make) the same mistake as I. Next time I will not be so fast to trust double blaze signs at trail-road junctions.The rest of the day¢s hike was relatively easy and quite pretty. The latter was highlighted by the hike around the north side of the beautiful ¢Nuclear Lake,¢ so-named because the area used to be the site of a now shut-down nuclear processing plant. Why they ever built such a facility in this lovely and remote area is a real mystery to me.When I got to my original goal for the day, the Telephone Pioneers Shelter, I was disappointed to discover that the sole water source, a stream on the Blue Blaze trail leading to the shelter, was dry. Luckily this is apparently not an unusual occurrence since the AT Companion Guide informs hikers that potable water can be found at a private residence another 0.7 miles further down the hill where the AT crosses County Road 20. When I reached the roadway, I stopped at the famous ¢Dover Oak¢ (the largest oak on the AT) to check my directions and promptly went the wrong way again ¢¦ Although I still insist that the east-west directions were wrong in the Guide, luckily this time I only went 50 yards or so out of my way before I turned around and quickly found the right house. I knew I was OK when I got to the small gray house since Mrs. Holly Chapman was out on her lawn tractor where she waved me in and told me where to get water. Once again, saved by a true trail angel.After loading up on enough water for both dinner and breakfast, I crossed the road and hiked uphill across a series of farm fields to finally enter a forest at the summit where I camped for the evening. I estimated my total hike for the day to be about 18.3 miles. I had to move fast with my dinner preparations since the mosquitoes appeared to be especially hungry this evening. Having a nice roomy tent is sure a blessing as I was able to listen to my radio, eat and clean up after dinner, get ready for bed and all the while be entertained by watching the hordes of bloodsuckers trying in vain to invade my sanctuary.