Turkenna saw a black bear

Our stay at Lake Lodging was great! Jim drove us back to the trail after enjoying a leisurely morning eating at the local deli and resupplying us for the next few days. With backpacks full and legs well rested, the three of us hit the trail for a 13-mile day.

Views of the waterfall and the mountains

Just a mile into our hike we came across Fitzgerald Waterfall! The tall waterfall cascaded down a rock wall flanked by a steep stone staircase. With all the rain we had experienced the last few days, I’m sure the waterfall was flowing more than usual. Maybe it was optimistic thinking or just plain denial, but we turned around as we took a side trail away from the waterfall. When we realized there were no white blazes, we turned around and realized that the trail actually went up the steep staircase we had just admired from the base of the falls. From the ladder to the top of Buchanan Mountain, we expressed how amazing this section of trail was. The trail held up very well for the next few miles. We wondered how the huge rocks could have been placed to double the staircase.

Another bear on the road

Later that day, we were cruising along the trail, watching the landscape change from waterfalls and rocks to densely forested areas and open fields of tall grass where Turkenna could enjoy running around and smelling everything. And then we found ourselves walking on a ridge with open woods around us. Turkenna could smell something unknown and her eyes widened as we crossed the ridge. And then he ran off the road while letting out loud warning barks. This took us by surprise! I quickly shouted her name and called her loudly. He stopped about 20 yards from the road and let out another bark or two. “Turkenna, come!” I called again. He returned, but remained alert, keeping his eyes down the hill. I didn’t see it, but Cody told me he was barking at a black bear! Fortunately, the bear tucked its tail in and ran in the opposite direction. And luckily Turkenna remembers, even when she saw a bear! He was tied up again for the next two kilometers.

The lemon squeezer

There are some famous rocks along the Appalachian Trail, including the famous Lemon Squeezer in New York. The crack created by a broken rock becomes increasingly narrower as you move towards the end. When you think you can go further, you will have to climb the rocks by planting each foot on the narrow walls and working your way to the top. Cody and I barely made it with our packs still on, and Turkenna made it out without a hitch. He jumped over the high rocks with ease and watched us go down the Lemon Squeezer. And of course, the next section of the trail is a vertical cliff that requires hikers to use handholds to climb to the top. Cody made it look easy, but Turkenna and I chose the blue blaze that circled the cliff and met the trail at the top. Easy!

Fingerboard Shelter

After the Lemon Squeezer, the trail seemed to mellow out a bit because of how strenuous it was. But that didn’t help Cody, who for some reason kept hitting the same finger on small roots or stones along the way. The agony of stubbing a toe once or twice is enough to excite any hiker. But hitting your foot in the same place over and over again is a cruel joke the universe was playing on you. We planned to sleep at the Fingerboard Shelter that night, which had no water source. So we took a long dinner break at Surebridge Brook about a mile before the shelter. The rest was appreciated. It had been a hot day with some pretty strenuous sections. When we arrived at the shelter, we quickly prepared our sleeping mat and went straight to bed.

The next morning

The next morning started out great! We walked along the path lined with blueberry bushes. Pick some for ourselves and share some with Turkenna. We came across several deer, most of which Turkenna didn’t see or simply didn’t pay attention to. And then we had the pleasure of running into a hiker we’d met when we stayed at The Lookout Hostel in Pennsylvania. Now that we’ve slowed down since Turk followed us again, we see fewer and fewer familiar faces. It was good to see Witchcraft again!

New York City and 1400 miles

As beautiful as New York has been, it has definitely given us harsh weather conditions. On our first day in the state, it rained for almost 36 hours straight. And then a heat wave lasted for days. As we traversed rocky trails and large boulders, the heat hit us. But we took long breaks to cool off and quickly passed through the exposed areas on the mountain peaks. At the top of Black Mountain, we officially crossed the 1400 mile marker. We soaked in the views, took a quick photo and continued back towards the tree line where we rested in the shade for lunch. It was surreal to get my first glimpse of the New York City skyline from Black Mountain. It was only one day until we took a train into the city!

Magical Trail at Bear Mountain

At the end of the day we were exhausted and ready for a break. We read comments on FarOut informing us that there were a handful of vending machines in the busy Bear Mountain Tower. Unfortunately, all the machines were turned off when we got there. No cold drinks or snacks are allowed for us. There were no water fountains before Bear Mountain, so we really relied on these vending machines. But we got some amazing views from the top of the mountain. And we chatted with two women who told us they were visiting places along the AT in every state. And then he offered us drinks, fruit and bagels! What trail angels!

Share the AT with strangers

As the crowd began to thin and the sun began to set, a Hasidic Jewish family began chatting with us. They were very intrigued by what we were doing and had tons of questions about doing a long hike. From what we eat to where we sleep and how we do business in the forest. We love sharing our journey with people and teaching them about long distance backpacking! They, in return, told us about themselves and answered some questions we had about what it is like to be an Orthodox Jew. They were very friendly and truly one of my favorite interactions we’ve had along the way. When we answered one question, they had another list. We sat and talked for a long time before we finally broke up and walked to find a campsite.

The next morning we had booked a transport to Peakskill train station. So we found a sneaky little campsite just a couple miles before the road junction where we would be picked up and camp for the night. It was a beautiful and peaceful afternoon. We both went to sleep realizing that the next day we would be in a whole new world: New York City!

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