Camping Again at Fingerboard Shelter

Lake Tiorati to Fingerboard Shelter via the A.T.

I took advantage of some fine autumn weather on October 21-22 to take a day off and go camping in Harriman State Park.  I’d invited a confrere to join me, but he wasn’t free.

Given the cool temperatures, I wanted to use a shelter with a fireplace, and given the forecast for rain overnite, I eliminated 2 possible choices (because they’ve had leaks)—Bald Rocks and Tom Jones shelters.  That left Big Hill, Fingerboard, and Stockbridge as options.  I chose Fingerboard because it’s a very good shelter, I’ve used it often, it’s not a long hike, there would be firewood fairly close by, Big Hill is likely to have more visitors, and Stockbridge’s elevation makes getting wood up to it more difficult.

I left New Rochelle at 1:15 p.m. and reached the Tiorati parking lot at 2:20.  There were about a dozen cars there already, and some people were picnicking, some day hikers returning.  A connecting trail of .3 mile, gradually going uphill, brings one up to the Appalachian Trail, which for this stretch runs together with the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail.  The AT-RD ascends more steeply up to a ridge that overlooks the lake. 

Up there I met another group of day hikers heading back to the parking lot and passed a middle-aged gent catching his breath.  He, too, was heading to the Fingerboard shelter—which takes its name from Fingerboard Mountain, the ridge that the trail follows.  So I’d have company.

From the connecting trail to the shelter is just over a mile. 

The shelter is maybe 50' down the eastern slope of the ridge (down in elevation, but a longer hike of several hundred feet where one has to step carefully over rocks that could be slippery and tree roots).  I reached the shelter at 3:20 and found it clean and empty—and with no firewood left behind by previous users.  A new sign posted on a rafter inside records the elevation as 1,312'; the ridge elevation, of course, is higher.  The elevation in the parking lot is 1,122'.

1st task was to email confreres and others of my safe arrival.  Then Daytime Prayer.  My fellow hiker arrived, and we both settled in on opposite sides.  His name is Chris, and he’s from Ewing, N.J.  He’s a veteran hiker, and on this jaunt he was going from the Bear Mt. summit to the N.J. border.  He’d spent the previous nite at the Brien Memorial shelter above Silvermine Lake—6½ miles from his start, 5½ miles to Fingerboard.  His next stop would be the Wildcat shelter west of Rte 17, 14 miles from Fingerboard.  We talked a little bit about hiking and gear.

I trudged up to the ridge about 5 times to hunt up firewood and haul it back to the shelter.  Some of it required cutting, and both Chris and I did some of that with my folding Sven saw (very handy and easy to carry in my pack).  We finished with more than enuf wood for the nite’s fire (and for morning, too, if desired).  I did some spiritual reading and some Smithsonian.

Meanwhile, several more hikers showed up, all doing parts of the AT.  (So much for being concerned about the number of visitors that Big Hill might have.)  A couple of them were smokers, and we didn’t invite them to share the shelter.  One had a friendly dog with him.  These folks pitched tents and made nice campsites in the vicinity. 

One older gent, trail name Sunny Jim, pitched about 20' behind the shelter and popped in to visit with us.  He was doing the entire AT, having hiked from Georgia to Harpers Ferry, then gone up to Maine to hike south—“just 366 miles more” from Fingerboard to Harpers Ferry.  He records his trek on YouTube, briefly mentioning his visit to Fingerboard.  Both hikers talked about water supply, which has been scarce.  Of course I advised them that they’d find plenty of water at Island Pond (2¾ miles).

Sunny Jim and Chris

I prepared supper around 5:00 p.m.—ramen noodles with canned chicken breast, Crystal Lite, and dried apricots.  Then Evening Prayer.  Chris went up to the ridge to look at the sunset (which was about 6:00) and take pictures.  I went up a little later to do the same.  Both of us had hung our food on the bear bag cables near the top of the ridge.  Our neighbors didn’t use the bear bag cables but hung their food the old-fashioned way, slinging a rope over tree limbs.  Then I made nice fire, which some of our neighbors came to admire.  A little fire enhances the camping atmosphere as well as taking some of the chill out of the air.

Not that it got really cold.  The forecast was for a low of about 44º overnite.  I was warm and snug in my sleeping bag, which I got into at 8:45 after reading and tending the fire for awhile.  But I never got comfortable on the hard wood floor, despite having 2 sleeping pads under me.  I tossed and turned all nite.  (Snoring indicated that Chris slept well.)

Rain began around midnite and lasted for a couple of hours—not that I looked at a watch, specifically.  Sure was good to have a roof overhead and not to be concerned about having a wet tent in the morning!  And it was good to know that the rain stopped well before dawn and the forecast was for sunshine.

Chris got up at dawn, having a long hike ahead of him.  Not that he left quickly.  I got up at 6:50, which still was before the sun appeared.  We ate our breakfasts—granola, coffee, mixed nuts, and apricots in my case.  I had dried strawberries to mix with the granola but forgot to use them.  It was a little chilly, but not enuf that I wanted to make a new fire.  (We left a nice stash of wood for the next campers.)  The sun came out brightly, but there was a cold wind blowing.

The view from inside the shelter

Sunny Jim wasn’t in a hurry either, partly because he hoped his tent would dry out a little (he also was heading to Wildcat shelter); he stopped in and was very chatty.  I forewarned both men about Agony Grind.  When “Jim” asked my occupation, I told him I’m a priest, and he asked what I thought of Pope Leo and went on to talk about priests he’s known in some parishes.  He seemed to think it was cool that a priest would go out camping.  He and Chris shared more hiking stories.

Chris got going about 8:30; Sunny Jim lingered till 9:15, still talkative (and not bad company by any means).  The other hikers stayed quite a bit longer. 

I said Mass on the stone table adjacent to the shelter; that was set up, apparently, by the crew who did a major repair of the shelter roof about 8 years ago.  Then Readings and Morning Prayer and a big cup of hot tea.  I read Smithsonian for awhile, then rested atop my 2 pads and sleeping bag.  Around 11:00 I started packing up and ate lunch (PB & J sandwich, trail mix, Crystal Lite).  I had quite a bit of water left over; I packed more than a gallon.  If I’d had to douse fire embers, I guess what was left would’ve been useful.

I headed back up to the AT a little after noon and was back at the car just after 1:00 p.m.  I met only one day hiker along the trail.  At the parking lot there were a few cars, a few picnickers, and a park maintenance truck.  Pretty quiet for a bright, sunny day, a wonderful day for hiking.

Photos: https://link.shutterfly.com/f1DoG3gkIXb