New York evening
Indiana Jean and I set our tents up in a makeshift camp after a 16.7 day. Total miles 1398. Wow. She related how one of the monks wasn't going to let her stay at Graymore. He was certain she had stayed the day before, and hikers were not invited for multinight stays. Indy's one of the most mellow unassuming hikers out here -- hard to see her getting into it with a monk. I couldn't help but smile reflecting on her circumstance, hard as it must have been.
The next morning (8/1), Indy and I hiked into the RPH shelter for a breakfast stop. Yeti had a fun register entry:
Suffering a mild hikeover today following a jaunt in from the top of Bear Mt yesterday. Just my little way of celebrating 4 months on the AT, '28 on the 28th'. Hiked thru rain, thru low clouds, repeated road crossings, thru swamps, past rodents of unusual size, confusing monastery receptionists, winged monkeys on motorcycles, dive-bombing woodland chickens, screaming squirrels and a small dog named 'Toto' who kept asking me if I really knew what Miracle Whip was made out of...
Think I'll go back to sleep now. If none of you catch me before CT (and you won't), I'll be taking a few days off when I get there. Look for me at road crossings in the Bull's Bridge/Kent area. I'll be the large bearded man in the blue peeling paint pickup truck with the AT sign and a 'Question Authority' bumper sticker. Oh yeah! And I might smell like soap. But don't be frightened; under all that clean skin and washed hair, I'll still be... The Yeti