Date: 2005-05-08
From: Wildcat Shelter

To: Fingerboard Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Pink Troop arrived in great form last night and tented out also. So I had the shelter to myself to sleep in. The older women sat around and talked. One of them was a former MASH nurse in Vietnam, so we did some trauma story swapping. They all met through the Girl Scouts and have been hiking together for years. I must admit that, while lying in my bag and listening to them talk, I dozed off and awoke just in time to say goodnight ¢ and goodbye ¢ to all of them, as they left the shelter for their tents.      Awoke at 4AM and was hiking by 5AM. That is the way to start the day! It was a nice easy sweep down to Lakes Road, with a lot of deer in evidence this morning. I also heard a lot of wild turkey gobbling. I startled one turkey ¢ they make an enormous amount of noise when they take off in panic, and this one was a realy big bird.   After Lakes Road the trail crosses Trout Brook. There is a blue blazed trail there in case of flooding and from all of the evidence, it was flooded recently. No problem today however, so it was a nice hike along the banks of the brook - I love streams ¢ up to Fitzgerald Falls ¢ a good Irish name. These were way spectacular, but not enough light I think in the early morning for a good photo. I am now using ASA 200 film, which was all that they had in Glenwood, instead of my usual ASA 400.   The trail then climbed straight up the rocks on the side of the waterfall! It took me a little while to understand that, yes, that was the trail right up the sheer and steep rocks. Quiet a climb, and it was to be repeated several times during the day.      The trail in fact, went up several high rocky escarpments today ¢ each one a tough hard climb up the rocks. On one of them you have to climb up a vertical chimney in the rock. A tree had fallen across the chimney, forcing me flat up against the rock face to squeeze under the fallen tree. It was a tight squeeze, even with my small pack. A large pack would have been a problem, especially since it would have been a tough spot to take your pack off, while holding on to the rock face with both hands and feet, and nowhere to put your pack down, even if you did manage to get it off.   Mombasha High Point is reputed to offer views of the New York City skyline, but I could not see it. There was however a sliver of red morning sun shinning out under a heavy overcast sky that I tried to capture in a photo. Then it was down to West Mombasha Road. The same sequence repeated itself all the way to East Mombasha Road.   Then there was a very nice little lake ¢ Little Dam Lake ¢ which the trail shirts around. Lots of evidence of beaver activity here, and pretty soon I was across Orange Turnpike, and climbing up Arden Mountain. On the top of Arden I met a Dad and his 7yo son who are hiking the New York Long Trail in sections. The son warned me of the ¢Agony Grind¢ ahead ¢ which turned out to be the steep descent to Rt17. Here I found a pay phone and was lucky enough to talk to KT, who was having a Mother¢s Day breakfast, with our daughter Julia, in downtown Oak Park!      Crossed over the New York State Thruway ¢ and yes! If you wave at the trucks passing by below, they will honk their horns back at you on the overpass.      After that I entered Harriman State Park. The Dad had told me that the trail here is much easier. I believed it at first, especially since the parking lot was full of cars, and the trail was full of Sunday afternoon hikers. The trail was soon to prove me wrong again. The same pattern of transverse rocky ridges 20-50 feet high across the trail was repeated, each one steeper than the next. Maybe that is why they call this area Fingerboard, because of all these transverse rocky ridges.    I also had to get through the Lemon Squeezer. As its name suggests, it is an extremely narrow gap between two sheer walls of rock. It was so narrow that I had to take off my pack, and hand it up to a day hiker, to get through the Squeeze.   Then the fingerboard pattern began to repeat, and I was beginning to suffer. At this stage I encountered a group of little old ladies coming south. I could not believe it, little old ladies, with blue rinsed hair, all sounding like Edith Bunker, began to pass me in groups of 3-5. There must have been 30 of them altogether. Not one of them under 70, and not one of them out of breath. Certainly put this gasping hiker in his place ¢ hikers legs indeed!   Every one of the groups wanted to stop and hear my story, so I must have repeated my story 8-10 times in all. None of them seemed in the bit upset by the up and down nature of the trail, and all were in great humor, taking a nice walk in the park on a sunny afternoon as far as they were concerned.   Finally did arrive here at the shelter, and yes! the seasonal spring was flowing, so I did not have to hike the 0.5 miles down the Hurst Trail for water.   Have now had a hot drink, changed out of my sweaty hiking gear, spoke with KY on the cell, and will cook dinner later. A tough day. I realy did not expect the last three miles to be as difficult as they were ¢ especially since the Dad had said otherwise, with the authority of one who has hiked it. Still cant get over those little old ladies.   The shelter here is an interesting stone built structure that has bilateral fireplaces built into the walls. It is pretty trashed with graffiti. There is no register, no brooms, but I have water and shelter for the night.    Another 14 miles for tomorrow, I suspect much the same as today.Thought for today ¢   The best advice is the kind that is asked for!