Mile 1,398.2
Elevation 1,224 feet
Miles Hiked 13.2
Tuxedo Motel was hosting a movie shoot today, so I had to clear out by 8:00 AM. I tried to get a taxi and then an Uber to drive me back the two miles to the trailhead, but they both wanted $20. I started walking. Hitchhiking is illegal in New York, but I stuck my thumb out anyway and got a ride.
The first part of the hike was another straight up affair – and I do mean straight up. Then I came to the “lemon squeeze.” This is a very narrow passage among large boulders on the trail. You have to take off your backpack to get through. I took mine off and carried it chest high as I moved between the rocks. Finally, on the left was a ledge. I hoisted the backpack over my head and placed it on the ledge, and then I moved forward to clear the boulders.
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- The Lemon Squeeze
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- The rest of the Lemon Squeeze
I was feeling pretty proud of myself until I looked ahead. Now I had to climb up a rock ledge and there was no way I could do it with my backpack on. I took it off again and dug through the contents for paracord. The only way I was going to get up the ledge was climb it without my backpack and then drag the backpack up with the paracord. I successfully completed the maneuver, put the backpack on and was on my way again.
The rest of the day was uneventful until I came upon a deer chewing on a tree. He didn’t budge an inch as I moved past him with about 10 feet between us.
The end of the day I was supposed to stop at a shelter, but it was one-half mile off the trail. Instead I decided to stealth camp just off the trail. There’s nowhere to hang my food bags, so they’re in my tent, which is risky, but I don’t have a choice.
