Eyes set on New York
It was as if the heavens approved my request for a good day, a day with no flaws. It was as if someone wanted me to have a day of perfection. It was a day to remember.
Wake up call at the hostel was the usual 5:30AM. As usual, I had no need to hurry. After partially packing up my bag I walked to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. Back at the hostel I ate breakfast and finished packing up. At 6:50AM Cookie and I prepared to hitch out of town.
Hitching out of Vernon was a nightmare. It took Cookie and me 30 minuts before someone finally came and picked us up. Apparently cops in this area strictly enforce NJ's law banning hitchhiking. We were lucky that no cop saw us violate state law. I would think they have better things to do with their time.
I was walking north at 7:30AM this morning. The climb out og NJ 94 was fairly easy, and I was on the ridge in no time.
There was nothing interesting about the approach to the NJ/NY border. I was entirely focused on entering NY that even if there was something interesting I would have completely missed it.
Hello NY. I was welcomed into the state with an amazing ridge line walk. .4 north of the border is the highest point on the AT in NY, which is called "Prospect Rock", which is really an exposed ridge line. This ridge offers views of several paralleling ridge lines along with Greenwood Lake below. This is where Cookie and I decided to take a break. During the break I called Tin Man of Whiteblaze.Net fame to confirm he would be able to pick Cookie and me up in Pawling, NY Monday morning. After I confirmed he could I called and left a message for A-Traub confirming everything was good to go for NYC this weekend.
After some more ridge line walking over car sized boulders I came upon NY route 17A. Cookie and I decided to walk .1 down the road so we could buy ice cream. We both went with vanilla ice cream mixed with white chocolate and fresh raspberries.
The trail then came to the "Eastern Pinnacles", which is another exposed ridge line rock scramble that had the same views as Prospect Rock. Just south of the shelter there was one more boulder scramble appropriately named "Cat Rocks".
Tonight I am at Wildcat Shelter with Cookie, Footmachine, Rabbit'sfoot, and two other hikers I can't remember the names of, they are out for a long distance section hike.
Time to sleep.
Good night, and good luck.
Kirby
Ga>ME 2008.
