[at-l] My longest hike yet :>)

[Dwight at schneideroptics.com (Dwight Lindsey)]

You guys are going to snicker at me, but you gotta start somewhere.  My
longest hike so far doesn't compare to some of your dayhikes . . .
 
Friday afternoon I got a late start from the Bear Mountain Inn parking
lot in Harriman Park and headed south on the AT carrying a 45 pound pack
(heavy for an overnight, but I wanted to see how it felt).  I've climbed
Bear Mountain before, but not with 45 pounds . . . Obviously it was a
bit more work this time.  I was overdressed and even after shedding
layers, I was wet with sweat.
 
The weather was PERFECT, 45 degrees or so on January 2, with overcast
and a 30% chance of rain (it rained slightly overnight while I was in
the shelter, as it should).
 
I passed three groups of hikers (8 people total) coming down the
mountain, as I was headed up Bear Mountain and met two more on the top. 
I suppose the bad January weather scared people away.  Perkins Memorial
Drive was closed, so there were no cars at the top.
 
After a short stop for a photograph (well, it was my first SUMMIT with
a pack :>) ), I continued southbound on the AT, across Seven Lakes Drive
and up the hill heading for the West Mountain Shelter.  I passed at
least one sign that said something like "Fires and Camping only in
designated areas".
 
As I came to the first overlook, I saw obvious signs of camping and
campfires.  I saw this again at the second overlook.  So I'm curious if
camping is legal at those spots or at least tolerated?  I had the West
Mountain shelter in mind . . . so I kept going.  Because of my late
start, it was dusk when I reached the top.  I continued using my Petzl
Zipka Plus (I love that thing).  This was my first serious trail section
at night with a headlamp and I was surprised and pleased at how easy the
light made it.
 
I arrived at West Mountain Shelter at 6:30 PM to find a roaring fire
going in the shelter fireplace.  There were three hikers already there
who had done a heroic job gathering firewood.  As I arrived they were
feeding a 20 pound "log" into the fire.
 
My first night in a shelter (lots of firsts on this hike), shows me
that I need a new sleeping pad.  The low tech foam thing we've had in
the basement is NOT going to do it for these old bones.
 
In the morning I awoke in the clouds, visibility was 20 feet at best
and the world was wonderfully quiet.  Before the fog rolled in we had
car and train noise from the valley, the clouds muffled all of that.
 
I cooked breakfast and hung out there in the shelter just breathing in
the clouds.
 
I finally got moving about 9am and headed south on the AT, headed for
my pickup point on Seven Lakes Drive, a mile or two past the William
Brian Memorial Shelter (great shelter, by the way).  
 
I passed three couples and one solo (all day hikers), during the entire
day.  This is Harriman Park just a few miles north of New York City and
normally you'd pass HUNDREDS of people, especially on Bear Mountain. 
This was a GREAT weekend to hike.
 
Predictably I was not speed hiking, but I kept moving.  I stopped for a
long lunch and arrived at Brien Memorial Shelter at 2pm.  If I subtract
an hour of stops, it took me something like 4 hours to hike the 3.7
miles.  Hmm . . . 1 mph . . .  definitely not speed hiking.
 
I arrived at the pickup point at 4:05 pm and met my ride quite easily.
 
Next up is the next 'section' (mini-section?, Micro Section?) from
Seven Lakes Drive to Fingerboard and then on to Wildcat . . .
 
I'm hoping I can get that in real soon now, I *NEED* to get stronger (1
mph for heavens sake).
 
Dwight