Guru Hikes

Intro

Returning to the Trail after my grandmother’s funeral was bittersweet. I still had trouble processing my emotions, but I knew I was in the right place to introspect on my feeling. As a testament to my mental state, it was not until Virginia that I took another day off, over 600 miles later. Most of those miles were hiked solo.

Smooth

Climbing Mt. Greylock out of North Adams, I was excited to be back on the AT. A unique obelisk stood at the summit accompanied by a slew of day hikers. I ate lunch as I waited my turn to climb to the top and then was quickly on my way.

I appreciated Massachusetts being a mostly non-strenuous section, and there were quite a few good views along the way.

In the final few miles of Massachusetts I came to Upper Goose Pond. I arrived on a cold, rainy day and was very glad to have a nice fire and a roof over my head at the iconic shelter. I was bummed that the weather was not conducive for a paddle on the lake, but the warm fire after a wet day definitely made up for it.

Breezing Through Conneticut

I only spent three nights in Connecticut, but I still recall a four-mile section being the flattest of the entire Trail. On a Trail that almost always goes either up or down, it was a welcoming respite. It was a small section that was a flat, wide, riverside walk on the way into Kent. It was so nice I forwent trying to hitch a ride and walked to Kent to resupply, where I also ate an ice cream on the steps of the visitor center.

One of the nights in Connecticut, I woke up to something scurrying and seemingly flying around the rafters. When I finally got my flashlight turned on to it, it was a flying squirrel! The first one I had ever seen in the wild.

I remember Connecticut as being the easiest state on the trail. Also remembered from Connecticut: a neat rock.

Smooth Days and Food Along the Way

Heading into New York, I passed the directly on trail train stop along the line that leads to New York City. It only picked up one time per week, and it was not the day I passed it. I kept walking, and at the next shelter I passed, I read in the logbook that Scuba had just passed through the day before! It was nice to see a familiar name in the logbook, and I wanted to see if I could catch up to him.

I was quite looking forward to the notion of deli blazing in New York. Numerous road crossings there provide ample opportunity to walk less than half of a mile off of the Trail to grab real food. A bonus to this was that the food carries got much less challenging!

In Fahnestock State Park, the concession stand where I planned to eat lunch was closed, and I ended up eating only Snickers Bars bought from their vending machine until lunchtime the next day. This was made up for a few days later. After another relaxed day of deli blazing, I was able to order a pizza straight to RHP Shelter on the Trail! New York was spoiling me.

Following a night spent sleeping on a picnic table in a park, I crossed the famous Bear Mountain Bridge and headed into the Bear Mountain State Park. It was a very weird experience walking out of the woods, crossing a paved bridge, and walking right into a literal zoo. I am not a fan of most zoos, and the Bear Mountain Zoo struck me as pretty sad. I did not spend much time there and kept walking.

Before I climbed Bear Mountain, I stopped at the Bear Mountain Inn where I tried a Guinness milkshake for the first time. It hit the spot so well I ordered a second, then it was off to climb a mountain.

Bear Mountain was an undemanding ascent with many a day hiker at the top. It was quite striking to see New York City directly from the Trail. I ate lunch with a couple on a day trip from the city, and after a few quick photos, I headed down the other side of the mountain.

And with Bear Mountain being 800 miles of Trail accomplished, that’s it for now!

What’s Next

Up next! Donkeys, The Delaware Water Gap, and a night at a nudist resort! I may be a day late for the next publication due to travel, but I’ll still have two posts up next week! Thanks for reading!