Date: 2005-07-20
From: RPH Shelter

To: Murrow Park (Pawling, NY)
Miles today: 17.3

7:58pm - Take 'Em As They ComeToday was the first day in New York I've truly enjoyed. Sure, the rest of my time in the state has had its moments, but much of it was spent in the simple act of enduring, whether it be enduring heat, humidity, frustrating trails, or the terrain itself. Since my initial wake-up at bird-chirp thirty, today has been pleasant all around.Okay, there was one minor annoyance - horseflies were out with a vengeance this morning. In my first five miles of hiking, I killed 22. But they weren't as bothersome as one would think. Mainly I noticed the early morning sunlight streaming through the trees, glistening off the millions of spiderwebs covering the forest floor. It was truly a beautiful sight.Around nine I reached NY 52 and made a slight detour to a nearby deli. I ate a bagel, a muffin, and drank down a coffee while chatting with some locals. I ordered a sub to go and hit the trail. The next miles flew by unnoticed. I reached the next shelter and chatted a few minutes with a hiker named Critter, then moved on again. I made it to the shore of Nuclear Lake just before one o'clock, a perfect time for lunch.It was also a perfect spot. For once, the AT in New York provided a spectacular view, as if to pay pennance for the sins of Canopus Lake. Though oddly named, Nuclear Lake is nothing shy of gorgeous. I stretched out in a meadow next to the water and ate my "Uncle Nick Stallion," washed down with a cream soda. I then went for a dip in the lake and dried out by finishing up my reading of The Atlantic. Finally, after having spent an hour and a half lingering in the sun, I jumped into the lake one last time before heading on.I reached West Dover Road a little after 4pm - much earlier than I expected to get there. I lingered in the shade of the Dover Oak, the largest oak on the AT, before trying to hitch into New Pawling. I heard there was a laundromat and free camping and showers, so it seemed the place to be. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to be going there. I started walking the 3 miles to town, but was picked up maybe a mile or so later. A minute later, my ride stopped again, this time to pick up Critter. I hadn't realized that she was heading to Pawling, too.We were initially dropped at Morrow Park, the site of the free camping, but quickly realized how far out of town the park was - two miles, according to our driver. He dropped us off in town instead, where we took full advantage of the side-by-side laundromat and pizzeria. Critter had received a maildrop, making it to the post office just before it closed, and I helped out by taking some extra food off her hands. Finally, we started the trek back out to the park. Nobody would stop to pick us up, but it didn't matter too much. It was only 3/4 of a mile, not two miles.We quickly found the rather remote campsites, but were disappointed to discover that the restrooms were locked and the outside shower (for a nearby beach on a small pond) had been turned off for the evening. That didn't stop my mental wheels from turning, though. I noted a working water spigot. I'm thinking that a covert shower under cover of darkness may be in order...So even though Pawling itself ended up being a bit of a bust, I'm still very pleased with today. The weather was beautiful, and our misadvenures still involved a bit of reckless fun. Sure, I have no idea how I'll get to the trailhead tomorrow - it's a long, long walk and a hard hitch - but I'm not worried. I'll take 'em as they come.