Date: 2018-06-14
From: NY route 52 mile 1424.1 Stormville

To: Edward R Murrow Memorial Park
Miles today: 12.4

I slept so well last night. Very refreshing! I don't know what time River went to bed but I do remember opening my eyes at one point and seeing her on her bed with her phone. I showered and threw my hair up wet. I really wanted to shave but my $1 razor I've been carrying around is a piece of crap and I can't get the head to stay on so I gave up and tossed it. I went to the lobby and got a bucket of ice and we iced our water bladders. I packed up my backpack with what I needed for the day and put the rest in my pack liner and carried it all downstairs. Julio was waiting outside when I arrived there at 8:25. I left the key at the front desk and proceeded outside. I put everything in the back of the van and hopped in the back seat waiting for River to arrive which she did shortly. Once squared away Julio drove us to the deli we were at yesterday because River left her z-seat there. Let me just say that River does tend to lose things. Ear buds, bandanas, and at one time I looked in the trunk of an Uber after she'd grabbed her pack and her satellite tracker was there! I tease her about needing a Sherpa. She was lucky today and her z-seat was still there. She grabbed it and said hello to a group of hikers in the parking lot and hopped back into the van. Julio drove us back towards the trail but passed it and we ended up on the side of the road walking uphill to the trailhead. I love slack packing. I've been feeling pretty depleted and I thought today would make me feel a little stronger. The trail was nice with a small open field and several small ups and downs. With a light pack and nice terrain it was a day that I could focus on my thoughts. I love days like this. We stopped at the Morgan Stewart shelter for a snack. The songs in my head today were "I feel good" by James Brown and "looking out my back door" by CCR. I had mentioned to Brian that I'd love something for music for the days it might boost me and he texted the links to play both of those. So while at the shelter with 3 other hikers we enjoyed a little CCR. Such a happy toon! We found the perfect spot for lunch later on next to a stream and I rolled out my Tyvek on a mossy area beside it and laid down. If felt super! After a short rest I filtered fresh water and we made chicken salad in a Ziploc bag to share. I ate mine with some flat bread crackers and it was excellent. We chatted with a couple of hikers that came through. One man out hiking with his son has been hiking sections of 100 miles with his son for 20 years. They have 2 more years to go and they will be done with the entire trail. They must have made some fabulous memories! I love their story. We hiked near each other all day today which isn't usually how we hike. We go at our own pace and sometimes don't see each other all day, but when we slack pack we're sharing a ride so we do tend to hike closer together. We saw a fabulous oak tree which was a perfect climbing tree and it brought back memories of climbing in the Willow tree at the park up the street from my childhood home. It would have been fun to climb this one but my appreciation for it wouldn't allow me to. We passed by Nuclear Lake which also has some history. Beautiful lake and swimming area but the name is really unappealing and we didn't swim. I didn't feel hot enough to want to. At the end of the day we called Julio when we were about 1.5 miles out from West Dover Rd so he'd be there to pick us up. When we arrived at the road we saw an even more fabulous oak tree and Brian texted me a photo of it from the guidebook he uses to follow me. The tree is over 300 years old and just amazing to hug ( as I did). The stories it could tell! Julio arrived right on time at 5:50 and dropped us off at Edward R Murrow Memorial Park. The town of Pawling allows thru hikers to camp there 1 night. It's a beautiful park with a small pond, picnic tables, covered pavilion with electric, restrooms and outdoor shower and it's been welcoming thru hikers for over 40 years. It was an honor to stay here. We set up camp under the maples near the pavilion. No other hikers we're there and that was okay, we adjusted to it. I guess many hikers stay at Toni's deli but the train tracks are right there and we prefer quiet. We made dinner and it was very cool and breezy out so we skipped the shower and cleaned up in the bathroom after dinner. I charged my phone and journaled before going to bed. The bullfrogs on the pond sure do sing off key, but it was a beautiful sound.