Aug 5th, Bivouac east of Corbett, NY

Aug 5 Bivouac

When I got up this morning the humidity was so thick, that just unzipping the tent door caused me to start sweating. When I got outside the tent, there was a heavy and very warm fog. Breaking camp in the damp fog, I found it a little difficult to breath. The last 200 yes of road before I arrived at the pavilion in the center of the community, I was saturated with sweat and shuffling my feet from exhaustion (I think I was in an over heated condition, there was no evaporation to cool me off). When I got to the pavilion, I wrung out my shirt, sat on a bench, drank water and ate some food. The sun was out so I started putting gear out to dry. I could tell that there was activity going on in the little community center so I went in to get some water. I was greeted by a group of adults who were doing various activities. I announced myself as the "happy hiker", Garth Fisher from Janesville, WI. A lady came over to me, and took me to the kitchen and let me fill up my water bottles. I learned that it was a day program for adults in the area. I told her I was a social worker in my other world and I recognized the population she was working with. She said it was a federal program, when I asked to use the phone to call Gina and let her know where I was, and that they had to account for every call. She asked if I had a calling card. Up to that point, I had not thought about needing a calling care, was not even sure they were still used, they are clearly useful in the dead zones like the one I am in. She let me use her calling card to call Gina. I wanted some one to know where I was on the map. Later when I went in for more water, I was given peanut butter and cheese crackers to add to my lunch. While I was drying things out several storms passed through. I lost about 3 hours of hiking time, but I stayed dry and regained my energy. I reached a point where I determined that I would wait tell 12:30 and then start hiking no matter the weather. I started about 12:15. There were no more showers or thunderstorms. The first part of the FLT out of town was a 6-mile road walk, with a split in the road at half way. Due to the early morning fatigue, the first part of the road walk was difficult. I came to the split in the road, had white blazes to say I was going the right direction. I continued to walk for what seemed like forever. There were no white blazes. I began to wonder if I had missed a turn off. After a little while longer, I began to despair that I really had missed a turn off and might have to back track. My water was getting low and I knew that I had to start the mountains tomorrow. I kept on walking but felt uneasy inside due to the lack of reassuring white blazes. One becomes somewhat dependent on the blazes. At a low mental state, I heard a funny sound behind me. I turned around and there was an older man in a battery powered Raschall motorized chair/cart. When he got up to me, I asked him about the trailhead, which he said was about 1/2 mile ahead -- or so. We talked about bears and "dog-yotes" and the temperature. He was going up the road to check on a house and see if someone was there this evening. He then left me in his Raschall dust. I continued to hike but felt psychologically better. On his way back, he said there was no one at the house and he was headed back to his house. I found the trailhead, hiked back into the forest and came to a bridge over a creek and found nice location to camp. I filtered 4 liters and washed up in the creek. Spooked a deer that made the usual deer warning call. As I write this, I chide myself for my worry -- whatever one might one to say it, trail magic or luck or what ever – today’s experience leads me to say I feel watched over on this solitary journey.