Sprout Day 58 (Tuesday, May 24th, 2016)

We hiked 14 miles today.  Some spots were easy hiking and others were steep and rocky.  We took our time early in the day because the rocks were wet and slippery.  The rocks in this section of New York are huge and not too bad for hiking unless they are wet.  It's easy to slip and fall.  

At the top of bear mountain was a memorial tower.  There were a lot of pictures and paintings describing what you were looking at and gave a lot of information about the history of the area.  I was happy to get to the tower because there were vending machines!  We had a can of coke and some Pringles as soon as we arrived!  At the bottom of bear mountain is a little zoo that the Appalachian Trail goes through.  They had some of the local wildlife on display but the main attraction is the bear cage.  They had two bears in a fenced in area.  I kinda felt bad for them.  It looked like a small space for two big bears but I guess all the animals were disabled in some way and wouldn't survive in nature, or at least that's what the sign next to the bears said.

Seven miles into the day Bubbles met up with her cousin Nate, his wife Jenny, and their daughter Anna for dinner and to just catch up and hang out.  It was very tempting for me to go along with them, but for now I have one thing on my mind, walking the trail.  I finished the next seven miles and caught up with her later on the evening.  She got dropped off at the Spiritual Sanctuary where we were camping for the night.

A little over a mile from the sanctuary is a gas station/deli... It was amazing!  They have really good food and all the cold drinks you could ask for. I ordered a double cheeseburger, steak fries, and washed it down with a Powerade!  It was a nice treat right before camp and it was great because I didn't have to bother with cooking.  I got to camp, set up, and hung the bear bags as soon as I got to the camp spot.  I was able to take a shower (there's an outside shower right by the pavilion and camping area.)  It was the coldest shower I've ever experienced but it felt amazing, especially after a long hot and humid day.  I washed some of my clothes in the shower too. It's funny how happy a shower, even an ice cold shower, can make you feel!

Mountain Man and Karma were already at the sanctuary along with a few other people. I was happy to see Rabbit, Keebler, and Lost and Found.  A little later in the evening a guy named Blues Brother showed up.  This is the guy who put out a shelter fire in Pennsylvania a couple weeks ago.  He said he showed up and saw some guy acting weird leaving the trail coming from the shelter.  When he got there the place was on fire! There was a broom at the shelter so he went 300 ft down to the water source multiple times with the broom and slashed it on the fire until he got it under control.  I can't believe someone would come out and catch a shelter on fire. It was a local who obviously had something wrong in the head!  Blues brother is a hero!  He explained it pretty well, he said he just did what anyone else would do.  When you arrive at a shelter, that's your home for the night. He said anyone would put a fire out especially if it's your home and the next home is 15 miles away!  I love all the different people we have met and love listening to their stories and experiences.

View today

Awesome part of the trail today

Loved the rocks

Hudson River

Hudson River

Yay, it always feels great to drink a cold drink after hiking on a hot day!

Hit the spot!

View from the tower

I thought these tiles were pretty cool

I thought this was interesting.  There were a ton of these stone walls.
Now I realized that they are visual barriers for not falling off cliffs!

This sign is about why stepping stones are placed on the trail.
I like how these signs teach people about the trail.

Statue of Walt Whitman

Fox in a cage

Bobcat at the zoo

One of the bears

Another bear

This picture shoes how all of the steps were placed

Information about crib walls

Kind of sad they split the rocks to make the stairs

Some people would rather that foot bridges not exist, however, they help with trail erosion.

I call them boardwalks but apparently they are called bog bridges!

Day:  58

Miles hiked:  13.4

Total Miles hiked on the trail:  548.3

Bears:   0

Butterflies:  8

Chipmunks:  3

Cows:  24

Crawfish:  1

Deer:  20

Donkeys:  2

Horses:  12

Inchworm:  1

Really Big Dog:  1

Mice:  2

Nest of bugs:  2

Newts:  2

Owl:  1

Rabbit:  1

Skunk:  1

Snail:  1

Snake:  2

Squirrels:  11

Toads:  2

Trout:  2

Turkeys:  4

Turtles:  107

Vultures:  6

Woodpecker:  1

Bubbles Day 58 (Tuesday, May 24th, 2016)

Today was an emotional day for me.  I got a phone call from my mom and she asked me about my sewing machine because she was worried about it.  She wanted to make sure it wasn't in storage.  She sounded sad (although if she was sad she would never admit it for fear that I would be sad) but the phone call made me emotional beyond words.  I promised my mom when I moved home from Columbus that I would make her some clothes that went on like a hospital gown, but look like normal clothes.  I never got around to it with preparing for the trail.  I felt so guilty and sad and I was bummed out.  I cried and then cried some more.  My mom means a lot to me and I kept asking myself "am I doing the right thing?"  Should I be home with my mom right now?  I am hiking the trail for her and then I thought "is that stupid" shouldn't I be home with her instead of states away trying to fulfill my dreams.  I know my mom wants me to succeed.  I know she wants me out here but at the time I couldn't shake it.  I was just down in the dumps.  It makes it hard to hike up mountains when you can't focus on the good, because you are too busy feeling sorry for yourself.

I was supposed to meet up with my cousin Nate's wife, Jenny, and their daughter, Anna, at Bear Mountain Zoo, but it took me longer than expected to hike those seven miles.  My feet felt heavy as did my heart. My pack felt like it had every disappointment and letdown in it and the weight was crushing my shoulders and my soul.

I called Jenny and asked her if she still wanted to meet up quickly to say hi and so I could meet their adorable daughter.  I was really bummed I wasn't going to see Nate.  I asked Jenny if maybe she wanted to get something to eat and wait for Nate to get out of work.  Sprout kept on hiking and I went with Jenny.  Sprout had a mission to accomplish and I was emotionally drained.  I was so glad to get off the trail and be with family.  I haven't spent much time with Jenny and never with Anna so I was excited.  Jenny is probably one of the kindest souls in the world. She is soft spoken and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She is an incredible mom and you can clearly see in the way she and Nate are raising their daughter.  She let me shower and asked me if I wanted to do laundry.  I was so excited to get clean and be around family.

When Nate got home they took me to a fantastic Diner and wouldn't let me pay for me dinner.  I have the best family.  It was great catching up and getting my mind off my sorrows.  Nate drove me all the way back to the trail where Sprout was camping for the night, which was a 35 minute drive and then couldn't find Sprout.  So that took another 20ish minutes.  When I got my backpack out of Nate's trunk we discovered that my pack and belongings were covered in antifreeze!  I was bummed out but I think Nate felt even worse.  Oh well, it wasn't the end of the world.

The Graymoor Spiritual Center had a basin I could rinse my stuff out in.  I skipped 7 miles of the trail today and I feel pretty lousy about it.  It's the first time I've missed any of the trail in over 500 miles.  We are going to come back and I am going to hike it after we reach Katahdin.  I told my mom I was going to walk past every white blaze for her and I am going to stay true to my words. I just needed a breather and I didn't want to walk 7 miles of the trail, in the dark, by myself.

When I got in my tent I laid there and cried myself to sleep. I felt pitiful and lonely and I missed my mom, dad, and family.  Not everyday on the trail is butterflies and daisies.  It can be difficult. It's as much mental as it is physically challenging.  I have to remember why I am out here. Tomorrow is a new day and I will overcome these obstacles and I will strive for happiness.

This always helps cheer me up. And I read it before I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

Little bit of NYC history

Plaque at zoo

Trail today

They need signs that also say please do not deface the trees, see the next picture

White blaze

Jenny, Anna, and Sprout

Anna at the diner.  Such a cutie!!