8/10/10: Trumansburg-Moscow, NY

Monday night’s deluge gave way to Tuesday’s sun and its accompanying humidity! For most of the morning, I organized, repacked, and lingered in the woods trying to recall how to function out of a backpack and contemplating my route north. I could either follow the more scenic, but rural/touristy, road along the shores of Lake Cayuga, or turn west toward Trumansburg and Route 96.

Wanting a library (and to avoid tourists), I decided on the latter. With that, I crossed the road to the campground for water--much,to the chagrin of some of the paying campers--and was off.

It was a mile or so to the Taughannock Falls upper vista point, all uphill--nearly killing me, but the views made it worth it. As I finally began descending down hill and towards Trumansburg, I noticed that I hadn't noticed the shoes; they seemed to be functioning quite well with no sign of heel-blisters nor any other discomfort besides sweat. If I was going to walk more, as planned, avoiding blisters was critical!

A few miles to the west lies Route 96 where I turned north into Trumansburg, a quiet, quaint, typical little upstate New York town. After a quick break at an ice cream shop, I found the library, uploaded pictures and checked e-mail.

Unfortunately, on the other side of town I began to feel the familiar signs of an embryonic heel blister! I had forgotten to put antiperspirant on that problematic left heel that morning- hoping it would help prevent these- and now I was left to simply pray it wouldn't worsen. Thanks to a well-placed Dollar General outside of town, I picked up some V8 and canned food, set up shop on a picnic table, and spent the next couple of hours writing, drying my feet and the Origami, and cursing humidity!

I debated hitching but food, rest, and the antiperspirant trick helped! I walked a few more miles until Ed picked me up--unsolicited--on the other side of a tiny unmapped town just as I began considering looking for a place to camp. He attended college in Ithaca, stayed at what he described as a "communal" house, and was now on his way home to Rochester. He and I talked about civilization, and Net Neutrality's likely demise at the hand of Google & Verizon. It reminded and reinforced to me that as a general rule, there is absolutely nothing of higher importance and priority to the people inhabiting this planet than wealth.

45-minutes later, Ed literally dropped me off at the New York Thruway; a truck stop at I-90 and Route 14 near Waterloo. I found a place to camp in a woods close to the Thruway and elected to wait until Wednesday to decide rather to hitch the toll road (illegal) or continue north along Route 14. I knew that I wanted no part of Syracuse. In fact, I was willing to go all the way around it if I needed to!

Setting up my little camp was MUCH more efficient this time, despite the fact I needed to be much more stealthy. The repeated packing/ unpacking/ organizing had beaten me back into my routine... and I was happy for it! Packing in the living room is fun, but I always end up figuring out the best way to organize by doing it! There’s a lesson or a proverb in there somewhere...

8/9/10: Ithaca & Taughannock Falls, NY

Although I'd spent only two of the previous nine weeks at home, Monday morning's all too familiar comedy-of-errors was a stark reminder that my pack had been little more than an extravagant suitcase since late-March!

That was about to change.

As I showered, methodically packed and re-packed, and finally walked out of Buttermilk Falls State Park toward Ithaca's mysteries, I expected to be cursing my own stupid, out-of-practice "mistakes" as much as anything! Thinking back to Santa Barbara '08, I chuckled knowing it was sure to continue for a short time then thankfully pass!

Aside from the limited information Alex had given me, I had no idea what to expect of Ithaca. She had told me about Cornell, the waterfalls dotting the area, and Lake Cayuga, one of the Finger Lakes, whose southern shore was on the northwest edge of the city. She also described what she saw as an ignored and lingering racial/economic segregation; something she found intolerable.

Alex assured me the night before that she'd call me early Monday afternoon and show me around a bit of Ithaca. I hoped, but doubted, she would so was quite surprised to hear from her shortly after 1 when we decided we'd meet at the library.

I'd spent the morning trying to decide between heading north along Lake Cayuga toward Lake Ontario then Vermont, or east to Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame, then thru the Adirondack's and into Vermont. I had no inclination either way, so I resolved to let Alex secretly decide. Wherever I ended up that day, that would be my nudge & inspiration. Sounds like a song.

As I walked north toward the downtown library, a navigational error-that-wasn't led to an extra two or three mile walk. It wasn't the only time in New York that a failure to ask directions would cost me, but part of the "plan" (ha!) for New York-Maine was to get on to the back roads and walk more,  so I enjoyed this and quickly realized how much healthier I was.

Did you know walking's easier without smoking? Go figure.

Once I finally got downtown, I realized that what little of Ithaca I'd seen reminded me a bit of Asheville, NC.

Alex suggested Taughannock Falls State Park, which is on the western shore of Lake Cayuga and would launch me north. After a mile-long walk along the stone river bed, we were at the Falls watching Milkshake entertain the masses, and eventually on our way back for our final goodbyes.

I remembered telling myself when I was trying to decide between the bus and Craigslist that the deciding factor was that I'd meet more interesting people. Indeed I had, and I was glad for it. I really enjoyed Alex!

Taughannock Falls

 

Taughannock Falls

It began to pour just after Alex returned to Ithaca and, since it was already after 6, I found a nest on a hill by the campground adjacent to the park and resolved to get a jump on Tuesday.

My apparent idiocy continued to toy with me. It took way too long to set up with me forgetting where I'd put things then, when found, I commenced with my special brand of maddening silliness such as covering them up so as to immediately "lose" them again!  "Everything in its place, dumbass!"

I was thrilled to be beneath the Origami, but I was sweaty, clammy, wet and beyond frustrated with myself. I knew it would get better, but that wasn't top of mind that first night hearing what sounded like Noah's Flood outside!