Bear Mountain, NY to North Adams, MA

Day 2, Sunday, August 29

Graymoor Friary to Shenandoah Campsite, 18.8 miles

Today was one of the toughest days I’ve had on the AT. I planned too many miles on the second day of this trip, in part because there are no shelters between Graymoor and RPH Shelter. But almost 19 miles on my second day is too much. On top of that I got lost and walked another mile or so out of the way.

Today’s temperatures were a little cooler than yesterday, but still warm. The trail wasn’t overly difficult, plenty of ups and downs, but when you aren’t in shape, it feels worse than it really is. I was out of gas when I stopped for water at the Dennytown Road crossing a little after noon. I rested for thirty minutes and drank plenty of water. After a nice break I shouldered my pack and headed off in the direction of white blazes.

Except they apparently weren’t the correct white blazes. They looked just like the normal 2x6 white blazes I’ve been following for 1,400 miles so I don’t know what I missed. By the time I had walked a mile, I was doubting them. Still don’t know what they were, but obviously they weren’t the right blazes. I had to hike over 2.5 miles along another highway to get back to the trail. Not a good afternoon! When I finally crossed the AT again, I still had seven miles to the shelter and it was already 2:30 PM. I hiked for thirty minutes and rested for fifteen minutes on and off the rest of the afternoon.

I ran out of water on Shenandoah Mountain but from there it was only three miles downhill to RPH Shelter. I never made it. I stopped at the Shenandoah Tenting Site about a mile above the shelter for water and decided to spend the night.

It’s now after 7PM. I’ve cleaned up, washed out my clothes, and thrown my sleeping bag over the top of one of the picnic tables under the awning beside the cabin. Home! There is a well beside the shed where I got water. I drank two quarts before I read the note in the journal advising that water should be treated. Hope that’s not a mistake!

There is a nice breeze blowing through the site up here on the mountain side. It’s much cooler than last night. I know I’ll sleep well tonight. A deer walks into the clearing, sees me and hightails it, snorting shrilly to warn anything else in the area. It’s dark by 8PM.