South Fields, NY (USA)

Had meetings all day in Gaithersburg, so I packed for a hiking weekend! Was in Maryland early and completed all requirements.  Even had a chance for lunch with Bill M. at Quickway (1130).  Was able to escape from town by 1500 and headed north on I-270, US-15 and I-83.  Had to drive through Harrisburg on city streets to get to I-81 - I-78, I-287.  Got gas in Boonton, NJ (1905) and continued to NY-17.  Despite the traffic, I made great time to the NY-NJ border (near the scene of my unfortunate need for a mountain rescue in June...). After checking into the Tuxedo Motel, I quickly changed clothes and headed to the trailhead on Orange Turnpike, starting NOBO at about 2030 (after sunset). It was a rocky climb and and the temperatures were still in the high 80s (!). Footing was very challenging and I lost my bearings several times in the dark. The blazes were OK but there was no obvious beaten path across the rocks. At the first ridge line, I encountered a pair of SOBO thru hikers ("Bolt" and "Rocky", guys who just finished college). They were camped along the trail and their campfire, the periodic sound of cars in the valleys below and the map app on my phone provided welcome navigational aids! When I reached my turnaround point (Sapphire Trail), I was treated to a beautiful (albeit hazy) view of the moon and the mountains in Harriman State Park. It was very slow going during the 1+15 hours of my trek but I managed to squeeze in about 2.5 miles (backtrack and redirects included) before 2200. This was real night hiking - I'll need some practice before it is "fun"... Stayed at the Tuxedo Motel again.  More trails tomorrow! AT Today = 1.00 miles / G.T. AT = 747.88 miles]