Post# 11 Southern (NY) Hospitality

NY greeted us on Father’s Day by having the mountain laurel at peak bloom.  The blossoms started falling the following day.

  Early that Sunday afternoon found me on a 1.25 mile blue blaze trail heading into the village of Greenwood Lake for a resupply, and since I was in town, a lunch that wasn’t made of tortillas.  As I waited in the outdoor seating area for my burger and fries at a pub, another guest approached me to ask about my hike.  He explained that I would be passing about 1.5 miles from his home in 3 days and he would enjoy taking me to a store for my next resupply.  So I got his phone number and we’ll see what happens.

I met another kind stranger a couple of hours later. I had read about this nationally acclaimed ice cream stand located just .2 miles off the trail that is very hiker friendly. They provide an outdoor phone charging station and faucet for refilling water bottles. When I stopped at the stand in the early evening of that hot Father’s Day, I wasn’t hungry because of my late lunch, so when I estimated that it would be an hour wait in line to get ice cream, I just went toward the back of the stand where the charging station was, plugged in my phone and battery block, pulled out a small bag of chips from my earlier town visit, and sat my weary body down on the concrete with my back against the wall and started munching. Keep in mind that I don’t have to be hungry to eat chips. As I was doing this, I noticed a woman that was likely the owner, enter through the back service entrance. A few minutes later, the woman returned, paused in front of me and asked, “Can I get you some ice cream? I saw how long that line is and just thought that a thru hiker isn’t going to have the energy to wait in line that long.” So two minutes later she brought out a chocolate milkshake for me and refused to let me pay for it.

  Then I was hiking through Bear Mountain State Park.  I hadn’t seen another backpacker for a couple of days but I did see day hikers ascending as I was descending the mountain.  I was feeling kind of blah after a couple of hard days with the rugged terrain and warm temperatures, and I didn’t have much energy.  I met a couple of thru hikers taking a break before crossing the Hudson River on the Bear Mountain suspension bridge.  We enjoyed great views as we crossed on the walkway adjacent to the vehicular lanes.  We met 3 guys starting their section hike as we reached the eastern shore and answered in the affirmative when asked if we were thru hikers.  After introductions, the leader of the trio said he wanted to help thru hikers while he was out, reached into his pack’s hip belt pocket, and handed each of us a $100 bill!

  JERM and I arrived at a concession stand at a state park 10 minutes after the grill closed, so all we could order were ice cream bars and drinks.  At the cash register I was handed a paper bag that I assumed was another customer’s order, but since there was no one else standing around I had to ask about it.  I was told the bag contained French fries, salt and ketchup for us.

  Why?  Why did these strangers want to help out someone that hasn’t bathed for much too long, wears torn clothes, and often showers and swims with their clothes on?  I still can’t wrap my head around this “trail magic” thing.  I think there is something about having that backpack that fascinates people; the appealing idea of being able to temporarily throw off responsibilities and all that ties one down, and be carefree.  Then when they realize what we’re doing, their imagination is captured, and so is their desire to assist us in our journey.  That may be why some of you are following this blog.  

  There has been a lot of conversation about privilege and I am very aware of the fact that I enjoy blessings that others don’t have.  There are so many other people that are more needy of the gifts I have been receiving, so it is with great humility that I have accepted them.  Trail magic is an inadequate description for these gifts.  Unmerited favor is better known as grace.

  For this brief period of time, the trip is no longer a dream for me- it is a reality.  I stopped wishing and started doing.  Unfortunately, I know that after I have completed it, this trip will once again seem like a dream.  The present can be so temporary.  But I’m not sure it has to be.  At times I am guilty of racing into the future and dreaming about tomorrow; at other times I am guilty of living in the past.  While hiking, it seems like I’m usually able to stay in the present.

While I approached the CT border, Anita was able to join me for a day of hiking and a double zero. It was relaxing to hike in the rain with her and to spend a couple of days at a motel doing nothing but allowing our bodies to recover. Yes my poor wife had to recover, not from two days of hiking but from three nights of inadequate sleep. When asked by a fellow hiker about her reaction when I told her I wanted do a thru hike, Anita responded that she was supportive but that the current outing confirmed her wisdom of not wanting to do a thru hike herself. I need to continue to work on her.

  Now, New England awaits.