Back on the Appalachian Trail

This past Friday, I took most of the day off, and with Brigid headed back to where we and three other women had ended our Appalachian Trail walk, over a month ago. Tom Faranda's Folly: Through the Lemon Squeezer

Maria and Kathy were unable to go, but Karen and her husband Mike (and their dog Emmy) joined us. Mike was my college roommate in our junior and senior years at Fairfield, which meant he had to endure two years worth of dirty rugby practice clothes strewn around our room. In spite of that, we have remained good friends.

The day's plan entailed stashing our van on a road the Trail crossed, and going back to the Elk's Pen parking area where our prior hike had ended a month ago. We then headed west on the Appalachian Trail, which first crosses a bridge over the NY Thruway, then Rte. 17, before disappearing into the woods and immediately ascending a hill (Arden Mountain) with a 550 foot rise in elevation. This hill is affectionally known as "Agony Grind", according to the AT guidebook.

Crossing the thruway

and headin' on up the hill - with Karen in the lead. The Trail to the top is four-tenths of a mile, with a 550 foot vertical rise. So it was tough!

Some views very near the top of Arden mountain - here's Mike and Brigid

The view back to where we'd come from - see the bridge over the Thruway? It's behind the lower tree in the right foreground.

And looking south

Brigid and Emmy.

The next four miles was a series of undulating up and down walks, from rise, to valley, to rise, and back down again.

At some point Mike decided to adopt a kind of "clamdigger" motif...

Here's some views of the small lake near where we had lunch

What is Brigid watching?

She's looking at this scene, as Mike and Karen struggle to get Emmy down a tricky spot! Emmy got tired as the hike progressed. Being doggish, she probably walked twice as far as we did, with all the going back and forth!

A boy and his dog. If you are wondering about the orange string - it is the hunting season!

Near the end, into the home stretch

We rewarded ourselves at the end. The trick of course is to have one vehicle at both ends of the trek.

The next section of the Appalachian Trail going south is seven miles. Don't know if we will get it done this year.

Comments

[Karen]

So, did you start reading "A Walk in the Woods" yet? I know you're gonna like it!