Reaching the Long Path's End

Livin' it up on High Point in John Boyd Thacher State Park

The Capital District of the Long Path was easy on us, gently guiding us toward the end of our long and challenging journey along this rugged trail. It was as if the trail were saying...you've worked hard, take a break now. We hiked along country roads through rolling farm fields dotted with round hay bales and the occasional John Deere. Cross-country ski trails, woods roads, and snowmobile paths were largely our route. Even if these sometimes led us over steep hills or unnamed knobs that seemed more deserving of being called a mountain...the hiking was still free of large boulders or ankle-twisting rocks, instead we tread upon grass and leaves along wide tracts.

Countryside in Scoharie County

However we did still have one good climb up Vroman's Nose, an escarpment with bare cliffs at its summit that looks over the sweet town of Middleburgh. Our climb was short but one of the most vertical we had along the entire trail and as we sweat it out we reminded ourselves that there would be few of these to come in our near future. Once on top, we were rewarded for our efforts with the most stunning pastoral scene on which we had yet laid eyes.

View from Vroman's Nose

Walking the summit of Vroman's Nose

From the top of this ledge, the trail then followed the cliff-side down for a good bit before dropping us back into the woods and eventually back onto the road leading us into Middleburgh. Middleburgh was our last trail town and so we lived it up! We caught the county bus to Cobleskill, after a friendly librarian gave us the run-down, and got a room at the Rodeway Inn, which had perfect placement with Price Chopper, Pizza Hut, a laundromat, and even an auto-parts store (where we could get our camp fuel), within 1/10 of a mile. We thought we had died and gone to hiker heaven as we feasted with a celebratory meal at Pizza Hut and then hit the grocery for some pastries the size of our heads. However in the morning when we cruised back into Middleburgh, we got the real treat...the people of Middleburgh. Twice we found ourselves sitting on a bench in town whiling away the early afternoon and I cannot tell you how many towns people approached us saying things like, "Are you hiking the Long Path? Well I just think that is the most wonderful thing!" and "I wish you all the luck on the rest of your journey!" and "You're almost there, congratulations!" People shared stories of other hikers in their lives who had accomplished incredible feats and of their own time on the trail. And people knew about the Long Path here. We had a lovely and incredibly affordable lunch at Mona's Cafe in town and marveled at how everyone seemed to know and like each other.

An evening at Cotton Hill Lean-to

When we had finally hoofed it out of town, uphill of course, we hiked a short 6.5 miles heading towards into Cotton Hill State Forest...but even on the trail itself the magic of Middleburgh persisted. A hand-pump that we had depended on for water was, when we found it, rusted and broken and obviously good for pumping no more than leaves and dirt. We eyed a nearby pond that had a mansion-sized beaver lodge sitting in its center. We decided to hoof it down the road to hopefully knock on a stranger's door and ask for some water that wouldn't leave us with less-than-pleasant memories of the trail and had walked no more than 500 feet when a man in a jeep went rolling by. He then slammed on his brakes and backed up, just to chat with us. We casually shared our situation with him and asked if he had any suggestions on where to get water to which he replied, "Yea, my spigot. Hop in!" And so back we went to this friendly resident's home - we never did learn his name - where we were able to fill up with clean water for the night. Thanks to this man we were able to enjoy one of our nicest nights on the trail at the Cotton Hill lean-to. As you can see, Scott even built our first fire of the trail here! Thru-hikers don't normally take the time for such pleasantries in the evening.

Apples gone wild

After Cotton Hill, we headed for Partridge Run State Forest following trail and country road. It was along this rural corridor that we began taking advantage of those apple trees left to grow craggy and lonesome but still producing bushels of fruit. Scott plucked first and I followed suit, as we made it the goal of the day to find the juiciest, reddest, most deelish apples we could find...we ate a lotta apples and admittedly even filled our packs with a few, which would make a tasty addition to oatmeal in our last few mornings.

View of pond along trail - there was a lovely Adirondack style bench here in which we luxuriously relaxed

Inside Partridge Run, we walked leaf covered gravel woods roads lined with White and Gray Birch trees, their leaves now a golden yellow. We followed grassy ski trails that were home to many a civilized plant such as Dandelion, Mugwort, Cinquefoil and Strawberry, and walked through groves of Norway Spruce and Red Pine forests... it was like a patchwork of nature, each square altered by human hands and each uniquely beautiful.

Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) - an herb with many medicinal uses but also was considered an amulet of protection for travelers...good for the hikers to know!

Not only did this patchwork persist as we hiked through Gifford Hollow and then Cole Hill State Forest but a surprising thread of beauty was the roads that wound through. Along one road we caught a glimpse of the Blackhead Range before us - this did seem a lil odd as it seemed like it should be behind us! We walked mouths agape, almost stumbling into the path of a car more than once, as we gazed upon this mountain range that we now knew so well having summited all of its peaks.

Roadwalking with a view of the Catskills

On our last evening we hoofed it down to Fox Creek where we thought we might find a good place to put a tent for the night but found nothing but pricker bushes, blackberry brambles, and "no trespassing signs." We knew if we went much further we would be hitting the roadwalk that approaches John Boyd Thacher State Park with even less opportunities for putting up a tent...however we hiked on. In short order we crossed a road and started up a green corridor of trail alongside a restored farm house. Scott and I mumbled to each other...maybe this guy will put us up... and continued to head for Stage Road at the other end of this green tunnel. We popped out in a driveway and saw a man heading for his mailbox. We hesitated for a moment, simply wanting to say hi to this man who was generous enough to allow the trail to go through his property but when he didn't seem to see us, we started to walk on. Suddenly we heard, "Well hello! You two are part of a very small group!"

Chatting with Mike Wilsee along Stage Rd

Meet trail angel and trail creator, Mike Wilsee. He is 92 years old and although he cleared the way for new trail throughout Albany County, did not start hiking until he was 67 years old. He is a Long Path volunteer and advocate in every sense of the word and he knows his neighbors. We witnessed while standing and chatting with him for almost an hour in his driveway that those who ran or biked or drove by all waved hi to Mr. Wilsee. Because of these relationships, he was able to open the minds of local residents to allow the Long Path to travel through these residents' forests, yards, and farmfields. And on this night...he offered to us a campsite in his cornfields...that is after we declined a night's stay in the master bedroom! He said he knew just the place for us to put our tent and was he right! We had a view of the cliffs from which he had come and the fields in the valley surrounding us. That night the moon rose full just as it had the very first night we were on the trail and we felt grateful for the all the forms of grace this trail provides. Thank you Mike Wilsee!

Sunset view from tent-site in Mike Wilsee's farm field

We awoke in the morning to a rooster crowing and sun rising behind us over the cornfields. It was hard to get moving knowing that these would be our last miles on the trail as we were headed for John Boyd Thacher State Park. The day began with easy miles on road and when we walked the snaking trail into the darkness of the woods inside Thacher...it started to rain. We lamented rain on our last day but it was still a wonder to hike. We revelled in watching the raindrops fall heavy off of the crimson colored leaves and walked wide level trail, comfortable in all of our warm clothing that we know longer had to worry about keeping dry for yet another night out on the trail.

Looking towards the Mohawk River from the edge of the Helderberg Escarpment

The Helderberg Escarpment

Nearing the Visitor's Center we were graced with far-reaching views of Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts, Mt. Killington in Vermont, and best of all, the Adirondacks on the horizon. The Helderberg escarpment was like a half moon cupping the valley below. We could tell where the Mohawk River was by the thick strip of fog that hung just above a deep crease in the land. We followed the cliff's edge until we reached the visitor's center that was far more grand than we had anticipated.

At John Boyd Thacher State Park Visitor Center

Here we found two floors with a spacious layout offering information about the park's geology all in the comfort of heat, running water, and I kid you not...leather couches. We considered lunching inside but instead opted for Adirondack style chairs that we had spied outside upon first entering. It just didn't seem right to spend a portion of our last hours on the trail inside. We were each gifted a handful of chocolate candies by the sweet woman working there and ate them giddily with our coffee that we brewed up in our campstove outside in the gravel. We felt like a king and queen in our chairs that were like thrones with actual backs to lean against. Here we studied our first map that gave us a glimpse of the northern terminus of the trail...4 short miles away.

A fissure in John Boyd Thacher State Park

After a good long break the rain had fortunately let up, and so we hit the trail. It wasn't long before we stumbled across a feature this park is known for...its fissures. The ground is made up of porous limestone that due to weather and time has split into fragments divided by deep fissures. We felt like children trying our best not to step off trail and fall into "the lava" below. I eyed the Lycopodium, Cinquefoil, and Partridgeberries that lined these fissures and also encircled seemingly bottomless sinkholes. It was a strange, appropriately otherworldly forest in which to be concluding our trip.

Atop High Point

Just one mile from the end we reached High Point - an open vista along the edge of the escarpment. Here, we each gingerly took a seat and simply sat in silence for a few minutes. This would be our last vista. We were no longer gazing out at the mountains over which we would hike in the coming days...although perhaps sometime in the coming years. The NJ/NY Trail Conference is working on extending the trail into the Adirondacks and about another 50 miles are indeed blazed up to the Saratoga County line...however it is not yet trail. We held each other with eyes welling up at just how far we had come, not only on the trail but as a couple. We had so many people say to us, "If you can make it through 30 days on the trail together, I imagine you can make it through anything!" And that was exactly how we felt. Not every moment was easy but really it wasn't all that hard either. We figured out the trail together every step of the way.

Near the end of the trail at High Point in John Boyd Thacher State Park

Just one mile later...we emerged from the woods of John Boyd Thacher and into a gravel parking lot along Old Stage Road. We hooted and hollered and kissed...we had done it!! We sat and offered up some tobacco to the Trail Gods in thanks. Just five minutes later, my father rolled up in his pick-up truck to greet us...with a lil gift in hand. After learning a couple weeks previous that there was no sign at the end of the trail marking its northern terminus...we decided that just wouldn't do. We considered a number of mediums but then had the brilliant idea to ask the 'rents to bring a wooden board and some paint. Well, they decided that wouldn't do either...and so crafted the sign for us at home, covering it with a coat of shellac and all! Thank you Mom and Dad! My father got out his hammer and with the help of a few long nails, affixed that sign just where it belonged. Before hopping in the truck to head home, I had to take a look down the road where the aqua blazes continued...it felt strangely good to see those blazes...like our journey was not actually coming to an end but would continue on...

Scott and I at the northern terminus of the Long Path in John Boyd Thacher State Park

Thank you to all who followed along with us on our hike, offered kind words, a bite to eat, a fill-up on water, a mail-drop, etc....any assistance big or small is appreciated on the trail. One thing I learned a long time ago about long-distance hiking is that it may be an act of independence and strength but it is by no means a feat accomplished without the help of others and I wouldn't want it to be!

Now that we are home...the processing of the long trek continues...please stay tuned to the blog for a post about our greater reflections on the trail!