Category: June 29 to July 18

Day 111 CT 4 to Mt Easter Rd (6.8 miles) 1485.2 miles total

After about 2.5 hours of hiking I stopped at a road crossing to check my leg as soreness now in knee and thigh. More redness. Decided to try to hitch a ride 5 miles to Sharon, CT where there is a hospital.

Started walking toward town. Road was not busy so thinking I may have to walk entire way. After about a mile a local guy, Dave, picked me up. Drove me straight to Emergency Room.

RN took one look at leg and said “Classic bullseye. You have Lyme Disease.”

After a bit, PA came in with student. “Hear you have a classic bullseye.” I replied that I’ve never seen a “classic bullseye” but this isn’t what I would expect a bullseye to look like. Not round and kind of meandering.

After questions around symptoms and some further examination, she concluded that it’s either Lyme or cellulitis. That made me bristle and I said “I don’t have any cellulite!” She explained that cellulitis is actually a skin infection. I’ve got quite a few cuts and scrapes which could lead to that.

They took blood to test but won’t have results for 3 days so she prescribed an antibiotic that will treat both Lyme and Cellulitis. Drew a line around redness. Quite a large area.

They want me to stay around here tomorrow to make sure redness doesn’t spread beyond drawing.

Had a phone number for a B&B in Salisbury. Maria had a room available. Asked where I was. When I told her hospital, she said she’d come pick me up.

Maria is 88 and super nice. She took me to pharmacy and when we got to her house told me to shower then call my wife and mom!

I am actually kind of hoping that test comes back positive for Lyme Disease as would explain general sense of lethargy I’ve felt for last week.

Planning on walking a bit tomorrow and staying another night at Maria’s.

Happy trails!

Day 110 Cornwall Bridge, CT Zero Day 1478.4 miles total

Leg is still a bit swollen but knee is not quite as sore. I’ll be walking tomorrow.

Happy trails!

Day 109 Schaghticoke Mtn Campsite to CT 4, Cornwall Bridge, CT (14.3 miles) 1478.4 miles total

One thing I should know about this trek by now is that planning is a waste of time. Too many variables (namely weather and injury) that I have no control over.

Was hoping for a few more miles today but humidity has returned and I lost one of my water bottles somewhere.

I’m also dealing with some kind of insect bite (I think) around my left knee. Noticed redness on Th but no pain. Redness has spread a little and now some swelling and knee is sore.

Going to take a zero today to see if that helps knee. If not, may have to try to figure out where to see a medical professional.

Happy trails!

Day 108 AT RR Station to Schaghticoke Mtn Campsite (15.2 miles) 1464.1 miles total

2/3 of the way finished!  Woohoo!!  Mere 726 miles to go.

Sunny day with temp in low 80’s.  Walked a bit through pasture and farm land.  Makes for some fast, easy hiking.

Crossed about 1/2 mile of wetlands on these planks. Can’t move too fast on them as usually wet/slippery. I also have a bit of mistrust as some boards in past have been in tough shape. Bad news if one snaps and you land in that wet, stinky mess.

Finished NY and in to CT now. 9 states down and 5 to go. CT will go fast as only about 48 miles.

After 11 miles today the trail came to a road that led 0.6 miles to a restaurant and market. Sounded good to me. 2 local trail club volunteers were set up in chairs at trailhead. Let me leave my pack with them while I went in for lunch.

Walked through Bulls Bridge. Cool old one-lane covered bridge near Kent, CT. Curios as to year built.

View of the Ten Mile River through a portal in the bridge.

Had a nice lunch at Bulls Bridge Inn. Little fancier than I expected. I was probably a bit under-dressed!

Picked up some tortillas and candy bars at market and then back to trail.

Shooting for Salisbury, CT for next town stop. 36 miles. Hope to be there in 2 days.

Happy trails!

Day 107 NY 52 to NY 22, Appalachian Trail RR Station (14.8 miles) 1448.9 miles total

Nice day for hiking today. A few sprinkles of rain and temp mid-70’s.

Walked around Nuclear Lake. Didn’t jump in. The Nuclear thing kind of scared me off.

Not many views last few days as in forest most of time.

Ended hike today at AT RR Station. Last 1/4 mile was on a boardwalk through swamp and then popped out at train tracks. Pretty cool.

Hope to finish NY today. CT is only about 50 miles so MA by end of week.

Happy trails!

Day 106 Clarence Fahnestock SP to NY 52, Storyville, NY (10.1 miles) 1434.1 miles

Good, good day! Didn’t get hiking until rain stopped about 11AM so pretty good mileage for short day.

Thanks so much for all of the support after my recent pity party! Received a large number of encouraging comments, messages, and gestures.

Lisa and Tom (Lake Hopatcong friends) drove up to the State Park today. They got there about time I left and my cell is on airplane mode so I missed their message. Bummer. Would have been great trail magic just seeing them! Thanks guys!

Glen (friend and former co-worker) sent me a link to Jimmy V’s “Don’t Ever Give Up” ESPY speech. One of greatest motivational speeches ever. If you’ve never seen it, watch it. If you’ve seen it but it’s been a while, watch it. If you just saw it, watch it again! Thanks, Glen.

Jimmy V speech
Then, just as I’m.packing up this AM, I get a text from our friend, Andrew. Mae is the daughter of Andrew and his wife, Susie. She is the reason the Down Syndrome Program at Boston Children’s Hospital is one of the charities I’m hiking for.

I became a brand new hiker today after this video (her brother, Drew) and the picture of Mae and Drew below. How can you not fly up and down mountains after that. Thanks so much!

Last night my tent was on a bed of leaves. You can see how dry it stays under tent when leaves are soaking up rain. You can also see where my pack was laying wrapped in poncho.

Today was mid-60’s with a few sprinkles of rain while I hiked. Nice change of pace.

Horse farm below ridge I just came down.

15 miles to Wingdale, NY. Hoping to stay there tomorrow night and get some laundry done. I need it…badly!

Happy trails!

Day 105 Catfish Tentsite to Clarence Fahnestock State Park (5.5 miles). 1424.0 miles total

Heat and humidity for 3 days is more than I can take. I couldn’t mentally get myself to go another mile.
I have doubts about my sanity regularly out here but today was one of the few times I’ve questioned whether I can physically make it. Kerri told me to “keep my chin up” and Brooke said to “embrace the suck!” Ready for a bounce back day tomorrow!!
One of the lures for staying at the State Park is that there is a concession stand (burgers, etc.). The other is that I saw a sign inviting thru-hikers to stop by campsite #12.
Joe was there with sandwiches, cold drinks, and chairs…with backs.

Joe, 72, has never hiked the trail but has camped here regularly for last 15 years. Started meeting hikers and began providing trail magic 8 years ago. Thinks hikers are crazy but keep him young.

If you’ve got any extra mojo, please send it my way!

Happy trails!

Day 104 Hudson River to Catfish Tentsite (14.7 miles) 1418.5 miles total

Really hot and humid today. About 85 and 70% humidity. My clothes were drenched in sweat early in the AM and stayed that way all day.

This picture was taken crossing the Hudson. You can get a feel for how steamy it was.

Expecting scattered thunderstorms tomorrow and Friday.  

No laundry at or near last night’s motel. Need to wash clothes soon! Lots of perspiration last couple days. Doesn’t smell too woodsy fresh in my tent right now.

Happy trails!

Day 103 William Brien Mem Shelter to Hudson River, Fort Montgomery, NY (10.2 miles) 1403.8 miles total

It poured rain last night. Quit about 6AM. Tent still amazes me in ability to keep rain out. Thanks Big Agnes! Just a bit of dampness from floor. Tenting on bare dirt is not good in rain. Bed of leaves or pine needles soak up water.

Tented a couple of miles from lake below.

Can’t be more than 30 miles from NYC. I’d guess closer to 20. This pic is looking toward NYC. Anyone else surprised at this amount of wilderness so close to the city?

Just crossed West Mtn (elev 1137). From here we go down to Seven Lakes Dr (down 500 ft in 1.1 mile) and then 2.4 miles up to Bear Mtn (elev 1305). It’s the peak on left. If you zoom in you can see Perkins Memorial Tower.

This morning was a tough climb. Took me 3 hrs to do what normally takes 2. Probably combination of difficulty, wet rocks, and I sucked. Needless to say I’m not look forward to this.

Hudson River flowing to NYC.

Bear Mtn climb turned out to be like a superhighway! Apparently a big tourist thing so most of hike up was wide and groomed trail. If the entire AT was like this I’d have been finished a month ago.

Fort Montgomery is the town below on Hudson.

This bear has taken over a shelter along trail!

The trail goes right through a small zoo. That shelter belongs to the bear. Looks pretty comfy! The bear enclosure is the lowest point on the AT at 177 ft.

Rained a bit after I got to motel. Thundershowers expected next 2 days. We’ll see.

Happy trails!

Day 102 Orange Tpke to William Brien Memorial Shelter (11.5 miles) 1393.6 miles total

Less than 800 miles to go. At about 100 miles/week, it’s only 8 weeks until I can revert from Just Pete to “Normal” Pete. I suspected, and have proven to myself, that I am much more suited to playing golf, drinking Bud, and hanging out with Kris at Beach House!

NY has proven to be no easy hike. Lots of ups/downs and water sources are scarce and sketchy.

Below is the entrance to the “Lemon Squeezer”.

You had to walk/squeeze through that crevice in middle of pic below. Tight fit. Thought I was going to get stuck at one point.

When you get out there was an “Easy Way” blue blaze option. Haven’t done that yet and not starting now. Had to scramble up and over boulder to the right. Trust me, harder than it looks in pic.

Below is an example of tree roots that will really beat up your feet if you step in the wrong place.

Had hoped to make next shelter which has NYC view but heard it gets crowded plus I was tired. Should pass by a couple of city views tomorrow.

Supposed to rain early AM and again in afternoon. Hoping to make about 10 miles between rain to Fort Montgomery, NY.

Happy trails!