Day 110 - 19th July - Wawayanda Shelter to Greenwood Lake - 10 miles

We climb to a ridge which is really rocky - there are huge slabs and ribs and it is difficult to find the trail markers. Digby is like a mountain goat and takes the lead so I just have to concentrate on staying upright. We cross the border and enter New York State from New Jersey. We have now walked 1356.8 miles of the AT. Less than 1000 miles to go.

We follow the rocky ribs for about 5 miles- it is slow going. We stop for lunch on a small flat spot on the ridge. I don't have my glasses on, and a shadow moves on the side of the rib. At first I think it is a hiker who has lost the trail and I watch the shadow to see who it is. Over the top of the rib lumbers a bear - a big bear! Digby is too involved in spreading peanut butter on his tortilla. The bear comes towards us - the distance is closing to less than 10 metres. The bear still hasn't seen us and Digby hasn't seen the bear.  I jump up and yell and wave my arms and yell and wave my arms. The bear finally gets the message and turns away from us to head back down the trail we had just followed. Another hiker.... Another surprise.....This is the closest bear encounter we have on the whole trail. Sorry folks - no pictures, no time!

We arrive at the road crossing with Sourdough who has decided to join us and stay at Anton's on the Lake. We visit the icecreamery and wait for our ride. The ice creamery is a farm owned by the one family since 1702 - it is now the 10th generation running it. Pretty scary.

Trish arrives to pick us up - she turns out to be Australian and married a US army Vietnam Vet. She went to high school near where Digby grew up and her family had a big vegetable garden near my parents home.

To celebrate Digby's birthday we buy 2 bottles of wine from the pub and have drinks on the lawn with Sourdough, followed by dinner at a restaurant which turns out to be a 'yachties' hang out.

Note the black dog cut out - to scare the geese to stop them pooing on the lawn!