After 1,400+ miles and 103 days on the job, N becomes eligible for retirement as a Professional Walker (…but decides to keep on working at it for a little longer.) (…if he can get used to working with this new 65-year old body…)

We headed out from the monastery ball field shelter by 6:30 following a very pleasant cool evening’s rest. We left seven folks asleep in their tents, hammocks, and cowboy camps, including late arrivals Gumby and two of her posse. Kim Edwards, one of X’s former Crow’s Neck Environmental Ed Center SCA interns, had arranged for her parents to pick us up in the afternoon and bring us home for the evening. We’d been excited about their offer even before we learned they had a pool, and wanted to get to the pickup point as soon as possible!

Today was a day of several road crossings and after Canopus Hill Road, we were passed by EZ Nomad, who we hadn’t seen in months since the Wood’s Hole Hostel, but whose mother we met yesterday while crossing the Hudson River. We enjoyed the chance to get caught up and compare notes.

One, our former AT fellow traveler who has retooled himself into a trail angel after getting off the trail, came to Dennytown Road this morning to drop off trail magic. Remembering today was N’s birthday, he stopped by a bagel shop on the way where he had them prepare two breakfast sandwiches, one with a birthday candle, and placed them in a bag marked “Please save for the Troverts.” Early arrivals to this bounty had indeed left this package for us, but as they had rummaged around in One’s selection of treats, the bagel bag had worked its way from top to bottom, so that when we arrived, we found the bagels waterlogged in the now melted ice water. Appreciative but crestfallen, a disappointed N threw down two Throwback Mountain Dews to drown his sorrow, and felt much better. One, thanks so much for your thoughtfulness. Personalized birthday trail magic was something we never expected!

The Edwards met us at the state park as planned, and Kim arrived home (wearing a new engagement ring! Congratulations, Kim) shortly after her parents got us in their swimming pool. Peter Sorrel, another former intern, drove down from upstate NY with his fiancé, so it was like a Crow’s Neck reunion. We had a wonderful meal out on the deck, accompanied by much conversation, and concluded with a birthday cheese cake for N! After Peter and Amanda left, Kim took us to the grocery to resupply. She plans to have us back on the trail by 6:30 a.m. We truly appreciate all the New York hospitality…

As for the trail itself, up until entering Clarence Fahnestock State Park, we were about to describe this section of the AT as boring, boring, boring… But the last few miles passed by several signs of the area’s early iron industry, especially a section looking like an old railroad bed with a stone work tressel. We also passed our first two confirmed southbound thru hikers, Possible and Chanticleer. We think that might be the start of a trend.