Summer 2019- Day 16-Appalachian Trailside Zoo and Museum to Graymoor Spiritual Life Center

Date: July 1
Total Miles Today: 5.7

Total Miles this Summer: 191.8
Total Trail Miles: 992.2

We ruthlessly purged our packs, and managed to send about 3 pounds of weight home, this may not sound like much, but it's huge.

While in the hotel, I noticed my "new" pair of Altra Timp Trail shoes were ripping out the side from the inside. 110 miles. With Gorilla tape and luck, perhaps I could have gotten a few more days out of them. In the past less than 300 trail miles up to Bear Mountain New York, I have destroyed 3 pair of these shoes.

Time to try a different model. I love the Altra fit, so I'm now wearing a pair of Lone Peak  4.0s. If they only last 100 miles....not sure what I'll do.

Altra-Great shoes....terrible shoes.

So, we took a Lyft back to the zoo, and hiked through. Yes, the AT goes through a public zoo. Strollers, kids, families...and smelly hikers. The bear lounging in a hammock is located at the lowest elevation on the entire AT. 

Oh, that's interesting.

It really was a fine specimen of a utility pole.

Mom...whats the funny smell, is it the animals? 

(Hint: it's the hikers)

By the end of the bridge Sage had opened up quite a lead. My blister repairs seem to be working.

The first climb wasn't that hard, but we had wimpified after our zero...so it was difficult.

Once the climbs were done we turned on the gas. Sage was motoring down the trail...no limp, just hike. Fast hike.

And then ..in the distance, we saw the Appalachian Deli.

After a BLT Hoagie, and a cold drink, Sage then enjoyed an Italian Ice. On these hot days...cold drinks and desserts are a huge moral boost.

A short hike away, we rolled into a Franciscan something or other that has been hosting AT hikers since the 70s. A faucet, a cold shower, an outlet to charge phones and a ballfield to set up tents (with hammockable trees nearby). A very sweet free campsite.

Sage even found a comfy spot to sit.

With a zero yesterday, and a Nero today, I'm optimistic we can do a full day tomorrow. Sage was hiking with no limp and almost no pain for most of the day.