We are now solidly in New York, and it feels like we are on a different trail. In essence,  it feels like we finished one trail and are now onto another as walking a minimum of 2 mph is not a struggle based on the terrain. Maybe it’s the trail tread. Maybe it’s the trail legs. Either way, we finally feel like our mileage will match our effort, and that’s a good feeling.

FYI, our trail miles will now reflect SOBO mileage to Springer Mountain, Georgia.

Day 83: (Sept 21) 14.4 mi (749.8-764.2)

We thought yesterday’s terrain may have been a fluke and today would be a “normal” day on the AT tripping over rocks and roots. Not so, as it was rustling through leaves like a kid on an unraked lawn. Fall is beginning to emerge as the temperature has dipped a bit, and the trees are beginning to shed those leaves that have already morphed into vibrant hues of yellow gold, red and orange.

For all practical purposes, it was a cruisey day where 500ft climbs felt like “nothing”. We met several hikers on trail today, “Cookie” who’s doing a SOBO LASH (Long Ass Section Hike) and a couple out for a section NOBO.

Today, we hugged a tree, spied a completely appropriate street name, and deli-blazed for pizza and to charge our electronics at Corrado Pizzeria Gelateria.

After two massive New York Style pizza slices and a beer each, we waddled back onto trail, where Paul helped a guy change his tire, wandered some more and set up for the evening at the Shenandoah Campsite, a secluded lawn, specifically for hikers.

I think tomorrow morning we cross paths with an ontrail market just in time for second breakfast. Not gonna lie, this SOBO thing is getting good.

Day 84: (Sept 22) 15.4 mi (764.2-779.6)

Last night, there must have been an amusement park, stadium, or celebration nearby, as the sounds of a fireworks show broke the stillness of the evening. Sadly, from our location, we were unable to view the show,  and our imagination had to suffice.

In the morning we discovered (actually we know), that while grass is soft and easy to set up on, things tend to be a little (or, in this case…A lot) damp in the morning. A yard sale later in the day will be on the “to-do list” for sure.

The day was filled with endless PUDS (pointless ups and downs), but nothing like the previous 700 miles. We met a gal and her friend who was hiking with her 8 month old handsome little boy, while her husband is off on a deployment.  She is finishing her final section of the AT, at the Hudson River. Quite the endeavor and commitment. A total badass for sure Check out her story on Instagram @ellie.would.go

In addition to a random analog phone posted in the forest, the day was filled with a plethora of stone walls, narrow raised stone roads, and an unshakable feeling of reverence as we walked through the woods.

It wasn’t until we passed by the stone remains of the small pox inoculation station Gen. George Washington had built for the Continental Army during the American Revolution in the winter of 1776, that it made sense. Oh, what stories these woods hold and history it marks in the creation of our country. I feel unworthy and yet blessed to have walked through this increasingly hidden time capsule of history, as the forest reclaims what is their’s.

In a final and unexpected push, up a rock outcropping in hopes of finding a dwindling spring, we find success and prove once again that our Katadyn Hiker Pro is the water filter to carry.

In a small pool 6 inches in diameter and less than 2 inches of water, we are finally able to quench our thirst and collect enough water to rehydrate our meal for the evening. From there, we continue onto the reported “campsites” noted on FarOut, only to find them to be sloped and rocky. Thus, we bushwhacked off trail up to another ridge for a flat and rock free campsite. If you want something done right, often you have to do it yourself.

Day 85: (Sept 23) 9.6 mi (779.6-789.2) Fort Montgomery

Today is an opportunity for what Hobbits and thru-hikers call “second breakfast.” The Appalachian Market has an in-store deli on trail.

Of course, you have to dodge a bit of traffic to get there, but trust me, it’s worth it. With a rainy weather front coming in, we thought if we ate our fill there, filled our water bottles and then hoofed it as quick as we could, to and across the Hudson River, to either to the Bear Mountain Inn or a motel in Fort Montgomery we’d definitely be able to dodge the rain for the night.

We eventually descend to the Hudson River. So much history flowed through here. West Point is just out of sight. We make our way onto and across the Bear Bridge that spans the Hudson. Once across, we play a game of Frogger to cross the busy roadway and continue into and through the Trailside Zoo, built and designed by the CCC in the 1930s.

It is here that we have our first “bear encounter ” on trail. The trail eventually exists the Zoo and walks you through the Bear Mountain Inn and Resort that sits at the base of Bear Mountain and the Hessian Lake, another “nugget” in America’s history.

We duck into the “Hiker store” at the Bear Mountain Inn to see what they have for resupply.  Within minutes,  we are approached by a gentleman and asked if we’re hiking the Appalachian Trail.  We tell him we are and are looking to get to town for resupply and a place to stay for the night. He tells us he’s trail angeling his friends who are section hiking NOBO and offers to give us a ride into Fort Montgomery. Score!

We get dropped off at the Bear Mountain Motel, and get their last room. Our chores before nodding off to sleep: Laundry. FOOD. Resupply.