Pawling, NY (USA)

It rained all night and the temperatures dropped a lot. I didn't leave my room until 0700 and headed into Pawling to have breakfast (La Guadalupana, ate in the café). At 0745, I found the trailhead on Old Dover Road (Dutchess County Road 20) and got ready for my hike. Before leaving my car, I paid homage to the Old Dover Oak, one of the two oldest (300+ years) trees on the trail (I already passed the other one in Virginia). Started SOBO, bound for the top of West Mountain (i.e., the ridge above the Telephone Pioneers Shelter). It was still very slippery and rocky but this section had plank bridges across the creeks (no splashing for me today!). I passed a lady (filtering water) and several tents in the first mile and then saw another hiker coming down from the shelter - otherwise, I was alone. The views were great from the ridge but it was very windy and cold - I wore a jacket all day. I had decided to split this section into two parts and only walked until I believed I was near Penny Road (found out later that I'd missed it by about 100 yards). Turned around and headed quickly back to my car, stopping only to chat with some campers and their dogs. Back in my car by 0915 (after about 1.8 miles out and back) and drove a short distance (via Old NY-55) to another trailhead on NY-55. Between 0930 and 1230, I hiked the rest of the section (3.5 miles out and back). It was hilly and the trail snaked in a frustratingly switch-back way (like most of New York) but the trail wasn't as rocky or muddy. In fact, there were at least two completely flat stretches where I made excellent time. I ran into a LOT of day hikers and a herd of Boy Scouts - probably more than 20 people out for a stroll near Nuclear Lake. One little boy told me he liked my hat. I don't think I saw a single section hiker all day, actually... One mystery: I saw a feline looking animal walking across the trail - I would have said it was a bobcat but it seemed to have a longer tail. It could easily have been a coyote, I suppose [Mollie told me later that she thought it might be a gray fox] - I didn't get a good view but it looked like a cat. The weather went between sunny and blue skies and back to overcast and ominous. Still, the second part of the hike seemed easier than the previous day - I was powering uphill in the last mile with no fatigue or soreness. It must have been the soak and soft bed - otherwise, I don't know how I'd manage with ankle, foot, knee soreness... One additional realization came as I reached the road - I finished all the AT miles in New York! Got on the road immediately and used NY-55 to NY-82 to Taconic Parkway, I-84 to US-209, I-80 to PA-33, US-22 to I-78, I-81, I-83, PA-581, US-15, I-270 and I-495 (with one gas stop at 1530 in Hamburg) to get home. Unfortunately, I've now got nothing left to hike that is closer than six hours north of DC. Will have to work on the remaining sections to the south and plan some three day weekends. Still, it was a great trip! AT Today = 5.30 miles / G.T. AT = 1213.12 miles