[at-l] NY hike report

[kab@concordia-ny.edu (kab@concordia-ny.edu)]

I had a nice couple outings this weekend.  Today I was out on a section of the
Trail I hadn't been on before, north of New York Route 22 (Pawling, NY; where
the Appalachian Trail train station is) to the Connecticut State line and back.
 Fourteen miles in 6 hours.  Mostly pretty level; some wet, mushy ground; only
2 pairs of hikers seen.  Well, also a pair of bluebirds, some woodpeckers, a
rabbit, oh, and a herd of cows and flock of sheep in the first field past the
first electric fence.  Also heard, but not seen: spring peepers and a few wood
frogs.  And some colt's foot blooming on the side of the short road section
right where the Trail crosses into Connecticut.  (first wildflowers I've seen
blooming up here this year.)

On Saturday I hiked a kind of loop going up the south side of Bear Mountain
and back down again, then south to Black Mountain (with its view of the NYC
skyline) and back to the car.

Both days it seemed to me that nobody had informed the streams that we're under
a drought emergency warning.  There was lots of water running in every streambed
I crossed.  Hope it holds through the summer.

Two other notes: the Wiley Shelter in today's section is really well taken care
of; and there was a hot dog truck in the parking area on Rt. 22 when I got there
at 11 am (though I didn't ask if she's there all summer [sorry!]) which could
be a quick food and drink stop when you're crossing the road in the summer (those
open fields to the north of Rt 22 could be hot on a sunny summer day).

Be well.

Kurt