My Hiking Life: Bear Mountain

Day: 104
Start: 1378.0
End: 1401.0
Miles: 23
Hours: 12
High temp: 84
Low temp: 76
Thru hikers met: 2

Glimpse of Kloibers Pond, mile 1379.0

The night stayed warm with high humidity allowing the insects to stay busy all night. In the early morning darkness I rose to answer the call. When outside I saw a flash of a light, remarking to myself that someone is hiking very early today. Then I realize it is fireflies. I delightedly watch as more flashed their lights and danced about.

I put on my wet-from-perspiration clothing because in the high humidity nothing dries. I'm on the trail at 0525 hrs hoping to make Bear Mountain by the end of the day. Then I'd have just a little over 2 miles to reach my resupply in Fort Montgomery the following day. I take maybe 30 steps and flush out a bear. He is maybe 2 years old and bounds away with earnest. I suspect he was looking for my food bag and waiting to see if I left anything.

I am climbing then descending again and again. This climbing in the humidity is makeing the water just run out of me. I get a breather of a flat section along Little Dam Lake. While walking this section the brush explodes to my left and an alarmed bobcat makes a for safer napping spot. I'm able to get a good look at him, he is tan in color with spots and a short tail. Given how shy this cats are I feel very fortunate to have seen him. Shorty after the bobcat sighting a hatch of flies pester me ruthlessly. I finely have to hike with my headnet on. The net makes me a little hotter but the relief from the flies is worth it. A mile later I'm away from those devils and I can remove the net.

Lots more of the trail climbing rocks on steep grades to reach a summit. The forest is a bit different here with much taller trees and more grasses.

Some of the rocks are huge

Water is scarce as so far all the sources are dry. Thankfully trail angels have left water for thru hikers. I take advantage of the water cashes 3 times keeping my bottles full.

So there is a huge pile of rocks the trail goes through called the 'lemon squeeze'. The squeeze is a slot that get smaller as one walks through it. My pack would not fit through the squeeze so I improvised, just to the left of the slot is a slippery rock with a log in top. The Log had a branch in a position that allowed me to put the strap of my trekking pole over it a pull myself up ending on the top on the slot rock.

The entry to the squeeze

The lemon squeeze from the top looking back to the entry. The walls are 8' to 6 ' tall and slippery with moisture. The log I used is just to the top right.

Each hour is a struggle today with the high humidity. The rock climbing is slowing me down to where I only am doing about 1.5 mph. The miles go by slowly, but I feel I can still make my goal.

A bit of a different forest

Grasses are a nice touch

The trail uses these slabs of rock frequently.

A pretty trail shot

As I get closer to Bear Mountain I can see the Hudson River. Across a vallley I can see the tower on Bear Mountain, it looks so far away.

The Hudson River

I finally am at the last climb for the day up Bear Mountain. The trail is nice with improvements like rock steps that make the climb so much easier. I reach the park and it is closed so there no one is here. But alas the tower is locked. There are a vending machines that sell Gatorade, so I drink my fill. The rain has been threatening all day. I've had my pack cover on 3 times. Now the rain is coming and I've got to get setup to stay dry. Just in time I'm in my tent and the rain starts.