6/26/06 Monday: Pawling, NY to Ten Mile River Campsite (12.5mi)

PICTURES:
1. 1536: Kinda mucky round these parts.
2. 1539: Train station with service to NYC..woohoo
3. 1824: Really nice maps and broshures greet all entering Connecticut
4. 1830: Nice trails too.
5. 1833: Another milestone..

I rose early to try to completely catch up all the blog entries but fell a little short with 4 days of pics to go... Jackie rose and we enjoyed a great breakfast and this Marriot Courtyard... We had such a wonderful stay, so relaxing and fullfilling... a much needed break... I'm so proud of Jackie, flying into the Newark Airport, renting the car and driving 100+ miles north to visit with me... It was quite an ordeal for her and one I wont soon forget... After breakfast we relaxed around the suite and in their flower garden... It had rained most of the weekend and I confided in Jackie that this was a perfect getaway... Getting away from the rain... We got a late check out at 1330 and dragged all our stuff out to the car for the drive back to Pawling... It took us about an hour to get back to the trail head, marked with the familiar white blaze and this time also with the largest oak tree on the AT... We took some pics and will post them later...
Well, I had a couple of great days off, but now its back to business... I kissed and hugged Jackie goodbye and with her off to Newark, on a different and apparently much better route, I took off on an ambitious afternoon of walking... I set my sights on a campground 12.5mi away... That would require at least a 2.5mi average pace until my arrival hopefully no later than 2100 which is about the time one has to dawn their head lamps and start walking by light in the dark... There wasnt much to see on this section, no scenic vistas or unusual things... so it was easy to keep up the pace... I didnt stop until my arrival at the shelter, just .1mi from the campsite at 2000 where I had dinner with the other occupants there... Once dinner was over, I opted to camp in my tent, instead of in the almost packed shelter... I continued on down to the campground where I found the water source, a well, and pitched my tent in an idylic spot by the creek... I had a wonderful nights sleep and woke early enough to pack before a light rain set in...