July 3, 1981 -Mohican Shelter to Gren Anderson Shelter-
I left shelter at 6:15 a.m. and walked 19 miles to Gren Anderson Shelter. It is a big and nice shelter
and has good water. Pete is here and Mark from Buffalo who I met for the first time in Port Clinton
Penn., Buddy and also two weekenders going south. It was nice walking today. We stopped at the
Worthington Bakery and I ate one pint ice cream, two Pepsis, one doe nut, one brownie. Yum, Yum.
We will go for 18 tomorrow.
July 4, 1981 -Gren Anderson Shelter to High Point Shelter-
Boom, boom!!! Independence Day. Left Gren Anderson Shelter at 6:30 a.m. It looks like rain. Two
miles after leaving it rained the rest of the day. I stopped at Mashipacong Shelter for lunch. This
shelter had a new roof but no floor. Still raining as I left. I passed pump for the water supply for
shelter on the way out. I walked with Pete Peterson all day. I made it into New Jersey 23 at 2:00 p.m.
Pete's dad was going to pick him up here and go to his uncle’s house for the evening. They gave me
a ride into Port Jervis N.Y. The hostel that was in town was no longer in operation. I met Buddy and
John from Cincinnati. in town. We walked back out of town and did our laundry. (everything was
wet!) I ate twice and we three bought a cab to take us back up to the trail. It cost all three of us
$6.00. We make it to High Point Shelter. Still raining. Ate more junk food and went to bed.
July 5, 1981 -High Point Shelter to one mile south of Barret Road camp-
I left High Point Shelter at 8:00 a.m. There will be a lot of road walking today. I got to Unionville N.Y.
after six miles of road walking and stopped at store in the middle of town. I ate one quart of butter
pecan ice cream and a Pepsi. John and Buddy came by soon after. I walked around corner and put
a forwarding address card in the mailbox outside the post office. I will pick my next mail up in
Montgomery N.Y. I left Unionville at noon and continued on the road. The next few hours would see
me fight off six dogs with my walking stick, hitting three of them. I really got one good! He just would
not leave me alone and the owner would not call him off so I nailed him with all my might with my
broom handle. He then commenced to get as far away from me as possible. I showed him who was
boss! This whole area is full of mean dogs. I stopped at a road crossing near Vernon N.J. and a man
gave me a ride into and out of town. I went into town to buy a few groceries. Pete, John, Buddy and
Mark were there when I got back. We went up Wayawanda Mountain. I was steep for one mile. Nice
view! A man set up his hang glider and we watched him take off on the spot. I got a good picture of
the run off the mountain. We all walked some more to a point one mile south of Barret Road. We all
set up our tents, Buddy, John, Mark and I.
July 6, 1981 - Barret Road camp to Roger’s Cottage-
Left camp at an early 7:30 a.m. Mark left with me. At Warwick N.Y. crossing we immediately got a
ride into grocery store three miles away. I am really lucking out on rides lately. Mark and I pigged out
at store and walked ourselves to the road where even another quick ride was in store for us. Two
very good looking girls picked us up and gave us a ride back to the trail. They were going to go
swimming and they were both wearing bikinis. I almost died from looking! We got into Roger's
Cottage at 4:30 p.m. This is a private home opened to the hikers free of charge. We ate a very
small supper. Roger gripped that we the hikers all came at once and we should have spaced it out to
stay with him. It was a nice place but Roger was as queer as a three dollar bill. He did not leave a
good impression on me to say the least.
July 7, 1981 - Roger’s Cottage to Ardin Mountain camp-
Left Roger's cottage late after skimpy breakfast. One piece French toast, one doe nut and a cup of
coffee. The guy was cheep! Made awful time in hot weather. mid 90's. At W. Monbash Road Pete
and I got a ride with lady to a store where we got ice cream and coke for all back at the trail. This is
where the club by the name of N.E.M.R.I.C.G. came to be Notorious East Monbash Road Ice Cream
Gang. Pete Peterson made this up and he wrote about it in almost every shelter all the way to
Katahdin. Members are as follows. Frank McGuire, Buddy Alexander, John Neimen, Pete Peterson,
Mark from Buffalo, Mike Rowlands. At old Orange Turnpike we had to walk ½ mile to get water from
good spring (½ mile out of our way.) On the way back up the hill to trail an ice-cream truck came by
and we f1agged it down! Yum, Yum! Walked up Ardin Mountain to a point ½ mile up from road and
ate supper and set up camp. I had Mac and cheese and tuna for supper with a Raman noodle also,
and a can of sardines. There is a lot of garbage around here. A varmint screamed in the middle of
the night and really sounded weird. We watched a perfect sunset up on mountain. I busted my ass
today when I fell down good coming down mountain. There was nothing hurt but my pride.
July 8, 1981 -Ardin Mountain camp to William Brian Memorial Shelter-
Left campsite at 6:00 a.m. Hiked to N.Y. 17 at Arden, after coming down Agony Grind. A real pain in
the ass! 600 feet drop off of the mountain. Pete P. and John from Cinn., Bubby and I walked over
hill to the left one mile to the local post office. Frank M. was with us too. At this point we split up and
went different directions. Pete and I went back the way we had come with the post master since there
was nothing but a post office in this little town. The others went the other direction. Pete and I
stopped at a real nice New York style dinner. I got an omelet and doe nut and milk. After breakfast
we got a quick ride back up mountain to trail. At this point it is about 95º. I crossed the New York
Turnpike and five miles later Pete and I went swimming in a very nice lake. This is a public
swimming area free to the public. There were a lot of people here because of the hot weather.
There were a lot of good looking girls here too. After swim Pete and I walked to William Brian
Memorial Shelter. This shelter had just had a new floor put in it the day before. It had a very nice
boxed spring also. This shelter is made out of very big stone. The stones ave. 200 pounds and the
one stone across the back of the shelter are as big as a car. It is still very hot. (96º) On to Greymore
Monastery tomorrow!
July 9, 1981 - William Brian Memorial Shelter to Greymore Monastery-
Left shelter at 5:30 a.m. Hot! Walked hard to Bear Mountain. Very nice view! Started off the
mountain into Ft. Clinton Museum. Walked right through the middle of the zoo. Saw bobcat,
rattlesnakes, owls, beavers, bear, and etc. Immediately after park and zoo I crossed the Hudson
river. Walked up steep hill and us Anthony's Nose, then into Greymore Monastery. (this place has
treatment like kings) I had my own room with hot showers or bath tub if I liked. We had prime rib for
supper with all the trimmings! FREE! Breakfast was French toast with beef bacon, milk, coffee,
orange juice, toast. All one person could ever ask for was here. If we needed anything they got it for
us if they could. Wow, did I eat. The monastery is tops on my list of places to stay on the A.T.
July 10, 1981 -Greymore Monastery to Fahnstock State Park camp-
I left Greymore Monastery without being converted to Catechism at 8:00 a.m., after a swell time.
Hiked mostly on road until 2:30 p.m. and camped out at Fahnstock State park with Frank M. and Pete
P. This place also had free showers and free campsites for through hikers on the A.T. It had a very
nice swimming area. We had a good time!! 12 miles for today. (9:00)mosquitoes are very bad here.
July 11, 1981 - Fahnstock State Park camp to Farmers Mill Shelter-
Left state park at 7:00 a.m. I met Pete Peterson an hour later, coming toward me I had hiked out in
the wrong direction and had to backtrack. Hiked to Farmers Mill shelter by 11:30 a.m. (9 miles) At
New York route 52 I bought some zucchini squash and ate some of it. Pete Peterson bought some
blueberries and we ate them also. We hitched into Connie’s restaurant with a drunk crazy man and
ate there and bought some food from the grocery there. I ate the tuna platter with a coke for my
meal. I hiked on into the one horse town of Ho1mes and bought one quart of Coke. I made it to
Murrow Park at 8:15 p.m. There were free lodging in pavilion and free hot showers and swimming.
Very nice. I took an evening swim. This is the town of Pawling New York.
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