Goodbye PA...For Now

There were a couple, thankfully short-lived spells of rain in the night, and stronger winds than I would have liked, but the tent held through and I stayed dry. I even slept a little. Come waking a little before 5am I felt like a coiled spring in need of action, and shortly there after I was rapidly getting everything together to get all cleaned up by sunrise (though I had forgotten how bright it gets even before the sun actually clears the horizon), before anyone should bother me. I don't think they would have now looking back, but having never stealth camped before, I think I was understandably nervous, especially with the cold reception I got from the man I talked to in town. I got out and on my way a little after 6, with likely no one the wiser I was ever there (save the man who suggested it).

In the chilly, windy morning, I made my way North to the border. Of course, the damn wind was blowing out of the North all day, making a day I thought would be easy a fair bit tougher. I crossed the border at Lawrenceville unceremoniously from one street to the next, and was then in upstate New York. It was a pretty day, but not a pretty day that begged for pictures, if you know what I mean. The scenery was consistently lovely, hills, woods, rivers, but not captivating. Despite the winds, especially with my early start, it was a rather simple day. It was largely flat with a couple big climbs, the first dropping me down at a harrowing 35mph on a windy, bumpy road, followed at the end of the day by a big climb up to my host's. Google is annoying me as it twice today tried to set me on commercial traffic roads on which I am expressly forbidden. But on a whole, it steered me well.

I realized after arriving early, around 3:30, that I made a foolish mistake. Ithaca is a valley and my host lives up the hill in the suburbs. Considering I want to see the beautiful scenery Ithaca has to offer, I should have explored first, come here after, and then been able to make a clean break for Syracuse tomorrow. But I didn't do that. And I am not missing out on Ithaca. So tomorrow I'm going back down the hill, getting my fill of the town, and then heading right back up again to leave. It still shouldn't make it too hard of a day (especially as there aren't supposed to be heavy winds). And I have plenty of time to rest up tonight, especially considering my host is sick and largely leaving me to my own, so I can get out early tomorrow.