Total Miles: 801.9
A thunderstorm was passing overhead when I woke up this morning. The bright city skyline that lit up the sky last night was concealed by an overcast sky. The storm passed quickly, but I was still reluctant to leave because I could still hear thunder all around. The weather forecast wasn't looking the greatest either with a guarantee of thunderstorms for a good part of the day. I considered zeroing on West Mountain, but with no water supply it wouldn't have been the best decision.
Shortly after heading out on to the trail, I passed a group of very friendly day hikers. They were talking about whether or not they would see a thru hiker today, and I was the first one they came across. The day hikers are usually so happy and help make the not so good days a little better by giving a different perspective. I stopped at the first brook, which was barely flowing, to fill up on water. Water is getting more and more difficult to find. Before climbing Black Mountain, I had to cross Palisades Parkway, a 4 lane highway with an AT register in the middle section. It was a tricky crossing, and I think I was holding my breath and hoping for the best as I bolted across. There weren't really any views from Black Mountain, and I tried to make my way down quickly to the next shelter since it felt like another storm was moving in.
I decided to stop for lunch at the next shelter. I was contemplating staying there since I was really struggling today. It seemed like every climb was almost impossible as I trudged slowly along. It can probably be contributed to the heat from yesterday. Today is cooler but still humid. A few section hikers timed their lunch stop at the shelter too just before another thunderstorm passed by, so we all sat and talked while we waited it out. I decided to continue on to Fingerboard Shelter a few more miles away, hoping to beat the next storm. I was feeling a little bit more energized after eating lunch. It would make for a short day, but I didn't feel like taking more of a chance than that. I made it there fairly quickly, and it was still pretty early in the day. Free Range, a section hiker, and Chicory, another SOBO, are staying here as well. I timed my arrival well because it started to pour and thunder maybe 45 minutes after I got there. I was happy to be covered and dry. Another storm is passing through, and this one brought all kinds of wind. It's blowing all the trees around, and I can feel some rain drops being blown into the shelter. Sometimes I forget that some of these shelters have been standing for at least 80 years, and I really don't have to worry about their stability in a bad storm.
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