Day 58 - Tuesday, August 9

Linda

The rain was steady in the night, but we managed to keep cozy and dry, and the morning was dry and clear. Headed over the rocks we were warned of yesterday, and got to Roger's place around 8:30. Went down to the table and drank the rest of his yesterday's iced tea and read the New York Times. This would be a great place to spend a bit more time on a hot afternoon. After Prospect Rocks, the trail leveled off, so we had easy walking for a while. Along one road, a man came out and asked us if we needed directions. I guess we looked bewildered, but we were just trying to figure out where we were going to get water next. He said his friend would be glad to take us to a store down the road where we could get some water. He was very helpful and friendly. I think he makes a practice of helping hikers. We got our water and walked on to Warwick Turnpike where we had lunch by a fabulous fruit stand. We bought a little of everything - plums, pears, bananas, oranges and nectarines. A fresh fruit extravaganza! After lunch we tore ourselves away from the fruit stand and continued on, but the afternoon soon proved beastly. We had felt refreshed after lunch, but the heat and the terrain started to get to us.

Going up to Wawayanda Mountain, Ronald hit an all time low. When we finally reached the top, he was wiped out both mentally and physically, and literally collapsed on a rock by the trail. We rested there until he collected enough strength to go on, then started down to the valley. It was very steep and rocky, but we made it with no major problems. The rest of the day was more road walking, so we weren't sure where we would be able to camp. Once again, we passed some Northbounders who told us to stop for water at a farm with a barn that had "Appalachian Trail" painted on the side. That's the benefit of going in the opposite direction of most through hikers - being able to exchange useful trail tidbits when needed. It wasn't far, so we stopped and fixed dinner in the yard of the farm house. The owners of the farm were named Vance, and Mrs. Vance offered to let us stay in their shed for the night. We thanked her for the offer, but we were going on a bit further.

As we walked on after dinner, a car pulled up along side us and stopped, and a man got out and walked over to us. His name was Daniel Van Duzer and he lived nearby in Glenwood in an old renovated grist mill. He enjoys talking with hikers, and makes it a practice to stop when he sees them. He also makes jewelry out of coins as a hobby, and he gave me a pin made out of a dime for good luck. What a nice gesture. I pinned it on the flap of the accessory pocket on the front of my pack. I'll be sure to treasure it as a memento of the trail. We mentioned we were concerned about finding a campsite for the night, and he told us about several campsites off the trail not too far away. He offered us a ride, but we told him we have to walk the whole way, and he understood. The only times we have taken rides have been when we are getting off the trail to go into a town, or to find a store - never when we are actually on the trail. We promised to walk every step of the way, and that's what we intend to do. After saying good-bye to Daniel, we still had a ways to go, so we continued on through several housing developments before the trail finally took us back into the woods. We stopped at the first good campsite we saw and went to sleep.

Ron

The rain rolled in around 1:00 this morning. This time our fly kept us dry. We slept well after that and were off by 7:00. Most of the early hiking was along a ridge over boulders. It was slow and we were tired when we made it to Roger's turnoff. At Roger's we stopped and read an old paper and drank the rest of his warm tea.

At Warwick Turnpike we stopped for lunch at a fruit stand. In the afternoon we met a couple on the trail headed north. They said there would be little climbing on the next ridge. Assured with the knowledge of the trail ahead, I dropped my guard. I was expecting an easy climb, but by the time we reached the top of the ridge I was ready to chuck the whole trip. I was really down. Mentally I was totally unprepared for the several short but steep ascents. The climb, combined with my sore feet, made every step hard and painful. I crawled to the top, dropped my pack and lay down for a rest. This had to be the lowest point on the trail for me so far.

Fortunately for me, while I was feeling miserable, Linda was feeling good. She nursed me down off the ridge and to farm where we stopped for water and fixed supper. I don't suppose I can criticize Linda about being slow yesterday after my performance today. After an hour break, I began to feel better and we headed off for Pochuck Mountain. Back on the road, a man in a car pulled off the road ahead of us. We stopped for a while to talk about the trail. He gave Linda a pin he had made from a dime for good luck. We finished up our road walking and made camp shortly after the trail entered the woods.

(21.5 Miles - 815.8 Total)