Day 23 (Sept 5)

Hot morning on the trail, skirting the edges of corn and clover. Deb finally finds some raspberries!

We meet the local trail maintainer Dave, scouting for problem areas that are in need of a puncheon or a mow. He sighs a bit about the tough job of trying to keep the trail open over so much private property, trying to keep both the landowners and the hikers happy. The biggest source of trouble, he says, is off-leash dogs that run off the trail and raise heck with local pets and livestock. There are trail reroutes every year, some from landowners getting fed up with inconsiderate hikers, some to make room for new fields or new barns, and some due to land being sold to new owners who don't want the trail on their property. These reroutes are a lot of work. Dave is tired, but he says a new younger guy will be taking over his patch soon. Thanks for all your hard work, Dave! And good luck, new guy!

A few sweaty hours later we arrive at our Airbnb, where the innovations of 21st-century social internet commerce have finally intruded into our once-simple hiking routine. So this is the reward for all the fussing about cell signals and battery life; is it worth it?

Well it's pretty nice, a sort of deluxe hunting cabin. It's completely off-the-grid, with solar power available for lighting (though Deb prefers the oil lamps) and cell phone charging. It's got hot water... so nice to shower! And a decent kitchen. We've been carrying around a box of macaroni and a hunk of cheese since Portageville, and in skilled hands it becomes an elegant pasta dish, a good approximation of cacio e pepe:

Our host Dave (a different Dave) was kind enough to procure a bottle of Bully Hill wine for us! This is an auspicious choice on his part since we'll be hiking through Bully Hill State Forest very soon. The wine's not made there though; it's from Keuka Lake, a little further east. Anyway, it was a great dinner. Dave was also able to lend a charging cable for my phone, so I can take advantage of the solar charger. Thanks, Dave!

So yeah, I'm glad this place is here, and I'm glad we found it. Well-cleaned and well-fed, we do a little reading by lamplight and settle into one of the many beds for a soft quiet night.