Date: 2004-11-09
From: Rt 52, NY

To: Canopus Lake, NY
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: broken clouds

13.3 miles todaySleeping in back of my truckCanopus Lake, NYIt was cold out this morning...in the 20s with ice on the truck. I got out and drove to a breakfast place while Dr Dolittle and Maggie slept in the back of the truck. When I got to the place to eat, I went around back of the truck and let the Dr out. I had a mushroom and spinach and cheese omelete that was very good. They put lots of spinach in it. I think that's the first time I've had that kind of omelete and I liked it so well that I'll order it again. When breakfast was over, we drove to a gas station and I sent in my journal entry and checked my email. There was a Dunkin Donuts there, so I had to get me an extra large coffee to go. They had a special going where for just a little more money, I could get a cinamon roll with it, so I got out just a little more money...what the heck, a sale is a sale!!! We drove my truck to Fahnstock State Park and I parked on the side of Rt 301. I was finishing my coffee and it started snowing!! It was just flurries, but we decided to wait it out. It cleared up and the sun was shining , so we started hiking at 8:20am. Within 30 minutes it got cloudy again and the snow flurries came back and lasted until about noon. It was a great temperature for hiking and when the wind would die down, it felt even better. We hiked around Canopus Lake and got to the high point at the far end and took a short break. I got a couple of pictures of Miss Maggie the trail dog. When the Dr got there, I got a picture of her in her high fashion hiking gear. I'll post the picture as soon as I can. It's quite a use of many different colors. I have to say though, that she was the best dressed girl on the trail...we didn't see another person out there today. We hiked on to Shenandoah Tenting area and I ate an early lunch. I still had two pieces of pizza left over from last night's dinner. The last time I was there, I ate apples from the apple tree, but this time, there wasn't even any leaves on the apple tree. We hiked on another mile or so to RPH Shelter and took another short break. It felt good to get in out of the wind. I've been noticing in the registers lately that there is a sobo about 5 days ahead of me by the name of Uncle Kodak. I don't know anything about him, but maybe if he slows down, I'll get to meet him. We hiked on and walked about another six miles to finish out the hike today. I saw one large owl that was watching Maggie, but when it saw me, it flew away. I also saw two deer that took off running. Maggie doesn't even seem to pay any attention to them. Maybe she thinks they are too big to mess with. One of them even ran down the hill in between Maggie and me. The Dr went to her truck, but just so I didn't have to hear any noise from John Galt, I walked the .2 miles that we missed yesterday morning. We started walking it, but I saw a loose rotwieller, so we went back to the truck and drove the .2 mile road walk. I know Dr would have said something to John Galt, even though I did it to protect her dog!! We drove her truck back to where mine was parked and took my truck towards tomorrows start. We saw a diner along the way and went in for dinner. After dinner, we drove to the trailhead by Graymoor and parked for the night. I see that another of my "friends" has decided that my guestbook was really a place to say things about me to ridicule me. I have no idea why my "friends" have a need to pick on me and try to make me look bad. My guest book is there so people can sign it and say NICE things about or to me. My feelings are hurt!!! It's probably going to take fried chicken to make me happy again. This was in reference to my dear, FAT, pregnant "friend", Goosebump The Snow Princess, who was the last of many to do such terrible things. I know personally that when a few snow flakes stated falling while we were going over Hump Mtn last winter, she bailed and didn't come back out to hike until spring, so she has no room to talk.Another great day on the A.T.Oh yeah, I started working on a poem today while I was walking through the forest. I only have four lines done so far, but I'm going to go ahead and share them now, so I don't forget them. "Friends" may feel free to keep their comments to themselves.I am walking through AutumnOver mountains, from top to the lower partsLeaves, leaves everywhereWalking down the trail without a worryWhen I get it done, I'll consider offers of recital at coffee shops and book stores that sell coffee. More to come later...