Bear Mt. NY to Salisbury CT, April 2017, a week on the AT

Back on the AT after 1 1/2 years. Last year was all about cyclo-touring, 5000 miles over 4 months, Washington, Oregon, Illinois to Ontario, then UK and Netherlands. Very nice trip.
Figured I was due for a trail refresher, so picked up where I left off 2 years ago to have surgery, knocking off an "easy" stretch of the AT. Easy if in hiking shape, not so much for me starting out with up and down NY. Two warm and wet days brought out the black flies and I pulled a tick off my last morning. Otherwise just right, though this 5 ft black snake was a surprise.

And Wiley Shelter had this nice amenity, the Dover Plains Little Library, courtesy of the real Dover Plains public library.

Ended in Salisbury with a nice big salad and great beer at the White Hart Inn, and stayed with the indomitable Maria McCabe, 81 year old Italian war bride, twice widowed and since then mothering AT hikers for the last 19 years.

And then back to the reality of hanging with my 5 month old grandson Peter Montgomery-Baecher.