Day 27 (Sept 9)

Sad little breakfast at Days Inn, and we're off. The trail out of town goes right through the parking lot of the Econolodge, which actually looks quite nice. We resist the temptation to check out their breakfast spread and head uphill into the woods.

Here's an artsy little trail register box...

What wonderful surprises await us inside? Mice, bats, giant spiders, scary earwigs, killer mold?

Nope, this one's just got a regular log book. What a relief! I'm pretty insistent that we always sign into these logs, and try to leave helpful tips for anyone hiking in the opposite direction... like "Stay at the Econolodge, not the Days Inn" or "Be careful, the next register box is full of mice!" And I always check back through the recent entries to see if any likeminded hikers have left similar tips. The Daves from Ithaca have signed in, but they didn't have anything useful to say it seems.

Our packs are heavy with Hornell provisions, but luckily we have a short and easy day planned. Then this:

Drat, another landowner dispute no doubt. It looks brand new, and it must be or the Daves would have mentioned it, right? Not wanting to further endanger our precious easements, we have no choice but to take a 3+ mile road walk detour. It feels unfriendly, but it's slightly scenic I guess:

Those apples are signs advertising "LAIN'S CIDER MILL" up the hill. It looks a bit like a junk yard:

Apparently it's actually a going concern, but not yet open for the autumn pressing season. No cider for us.

When we finally trudge back up to the trail, we're very curious to see the nature of the closure that we'll be feeling in our knees all night. Turns out it's not a landowner dispute at all, just some work being done on a bridge where the trail crosses the Cunningham Creek:

The bridge isn't even "out", it's just being resurfaced, so we certainly could have crossed along the edge. We might have had to wait for the work crew to leave for the evening, if they didn't let us across... or we could have easily forded the creek; it's about twenty feet wide and an inch deep. Regardless, the detour feels really silly.

Oh well. Here's our home for the night, a shelter in Burt Hill State Forest. No rain to dodge tonight, but we're too tired and grumpy to mess with the tent. Easy day, my eye!