Today was a good day. It started out a little rough though. Even though we were in the shelter last night, protected from the rain, it rained so hard that water started collecting in the area under the overhang, and ended up getting our boots wet before we could grab them and bring them up onto the sleeping platform. That means we had to put on wet boots in the morning, which don’t help sore feet, and cause new hot spots.
Other than that less than ideal beginning, the whole day was very pleasant. The first section of trail was quite a bit of up and down, and included some rocky sections, but the elevation changes kept things interesting, and there were a few view points which were nice. The next section, from the High Point State Park HQ to Unionville, NY was really nice. A few steep descents, but the rocks were finally subdued. It seemed like this whole section was through old farmlands that had new growth covering them. There were many stone walls in the woods which I imagine were the boundaries of the old fields. It was very pleasant walking through this section. The final section of the day brought us down an old forest road, along a long road walk, around a wetland wildlife sanctuary, along a boardwalk, and finally up a sort, steep climb to the Pochuck Mountain Shelter. Most of that final section was very flat, and with all the road walking, wetlands, and boardwalk, the walking surface made it easy to move quickly. It was really a nice change of pace. Also, we had really nice weather all day. It never got overly hot, and the sun was out so shoes were able to get dry, which is always a good thing.
We even got some trail magic today, to top off the goodness of the day. First, at the High Point State Park HQ, we got a few sodas from the check in counter (they only do that for thru-hikers). We were hanging out for a bit, when a van with two women showed up. They brought out a cooler with water and soda, a big basket of chips, and fresh fruit. They called out to our little group of hikers hanging out by the HQ, and we came quickly. It turns out one of the women was doing a thru-hike last year but fell in NY. She’ll be starting up again in a few days to finish the final section, so we’ll probably run into her again out here. We were able to end our day with a bit of trail magic as well. Just before the climb up to Pochuck shelter was a cooler filled with sodas. We happened to be there when Pigpen (the kind person who put out the trail magic) showed up. We chatted for a bit, learned that the spigot up ahead might not be working, and were able to fill up on water thanks to them. It was a great way to end a nice day of hiking.
Finally, to top off the whole day, we wandered into Unionville, NY, only 0.7 miles off the trail. We did a mini resupply, then had a late lunch at Wit’s End Tavern. The food there was good, more Reuben sandwiches for both of us. The people there were kind as well. It wasn’t very busy when we first showed up, but just before we left a group of bikers (motorcycle type bikers) stopped in. We talked with one in the parking lot, as he was interested in what we were doing. I’ve said it before… everyone has been so nice out on the trail, even people who don’t know about it.
Today was one of those days that just makes us glad we’re able to be out here doing this hike. I know the past few weeks it was starting to sound like we were getting bored, or not having any more fun. Today gave us some renewed interest in the trail. We’re ready to keep on going and see what’s over that next hill.
