Day 2/April 2 -- it was all about the RPH Shelter

Miles hiked: 11.4

Starting location: Ridge about 1.6 miles north of S Highland Road

Ending location: RPH Shelter in Hopewell Junction, New York

Elevation gain: 2,087'

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea where I would stop for the day. But after a phone call with Colette, who told me that high winds and much colder temperatures were on the way, I decided to open up the Guthook app and take a look at the options.

The only reasonable choice was to get to the RPH shelter, which would yield a hike of just over 11 miles; any thoughts of going to the next shelter were dismissed when the app said it was another nine miles--way too many miles for Day 2.

One of the wet lowlands that I passed through was a riot of green, these thorn bushes rule!

After I passed Route 301 and entered Fahnestock State Park, I eventually came to this section of the AT. I was just blown away by all the work that had gone into creating that embankment, which was at least 20' in its highest section. That took a lot of man hours, for sure. I recognized it as some sort of quarry or mining road, but it was only later that I was told that it was a road used by oxen to carry the iron ore out to another unloading location. 

Much of Putnam County was rich in minerals, especially iron ore. Here's a good article if you'd like to read more. I'm certainly happy to walk on these historic trails.

When I got to the RPH Shelter, there was a large crew of volunteers working around, and in, the shelter. It was their official shelter opening day. The inside was being swept, the bunk beds wiped down with Lysol and the nearby grounds were being cleared of invasive vines. 

And there was a thru hiker there--Handmade. He was taking a Zero to help clear the vines and brush, after having spent the night before with one of the volunteers. He started about 30 miles north of Waynesboro, Virginia and it had taken him 41 days to get to Hopewell Junction. Handmade, the name, he told me came from the fact that he made his own pack. Ah, nice, I figured it was probably a lightweight pack, since he also said he had done 18 miles the day before. In a later conversation, I was curious how much his pack weighed and was floored to hear that it was about 40-50 pounds, depending on how much water and food he had. WTF? 

So I asked what he made the pack from and he said it was real Old Skool--wood! He had a lot of clothing, two knives, one a Bowie, etc.--it all added up. Really, and you can do 18 miles a day? He fessed up that he was averaging about 12-13 mile. So, that's what a strapping 24-year-old can do, and survive on the AT. LOL

Handmade, on the right, talking with another volunteer at the RPH Shelter, which, btw, has one of the cleanest, at least for now, privies on the AT and sports this nice tribute plague inside it:

And the obligatory mileage marker sign:

Route from my Suunto.