'Trail angels' support Appalachian through-hikers

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Every summer, they trek through New York on their way from Georgia to Maine — a scruffy bunch whose determination to hike the entire Appalachian Trail finds them pushing through the Hudson Valley in July and August.

For many, the roughly 2,189-mile trip is the culmination of a dream. Others aren’t sure why they’re doing it. But most know they couldn’t manage the hike without the support of people they encounter along the way. Some local families who live near the trail fill coolers with refreshments and leave them out for hikers.

“We call them trail angels,” said Jim Haggett, chairman of the Dutchess-Putnam Appalachian Trail Management Committee. “It’s sort of serendipitous if you find one of these things. They’re not written up in the guidebooks, and they may not be there from day to day, or week to week, or year to year.”

In Pawling, Pete Muroski’s generosity is more predictable. For years, he’s welcomed hikers to Native Landscapes and Garden Center — the Appalachian Trail goes right through the center’s property — where he offers food, electrical outlets, fresh water, mail drop-off and outdoor showers.

“It’s a humbling experience, we enjoy their company and they’ve got some interesting and great stories,” Muroski said.

Many of the hikers also have a unique odor.

“I’ve learned over the years that, when we were hunter-gatherers, one of the things that kept us going was our horrible stink,” he said. “Some of these guys come through here and it’s ‘Holy cow!’ ”

Muroski drives hikers into town to do their laundry and watches their backpacks when they take side trips to Manhattan on the Metro-North train that departs from the Appalachian Trail station just outside.

“They’re from all walks of life: attorneys, doctors, mechanics, anybody who’s looking to find themselves along the trail and get into nature,” he said. “When I ask, ‘What are you guys looking for at this stage of your journey?’ the number one answer is a greasy cheeseburger and a Coke.”

At the Trailside Museums & Zoo at Bear Mountain State Park — the site of the lowest elevation on the entire Appalachian Trail (124 feet above sea level) — director Ed McGowan often directs hikers to the Bear Mountain Bridge Motel, a popular spot for a meal and a night’s stay.

Many hikers like to linger at the zoo, he said, spending time walking the grounds and visiting with the bears.

For Dennis Newton, a recently retired Army chaplain doing the Warrior Hike “Walk off the War” program — designed for combat veterans transitioning from military service — the zoo’s magnificent stone steps offered a welcome break from the narrowness of much of the trail. Newton, a California native, said the hike can be tough on the body. He lost 15 pounds the first month.

“I come into town and eat like a crazed person,’’ said Newton. “I had two breakfasts the other morning — four doughnuts at the doughnut shop, and I’m not talking the little ones — and then I walked about 2 miles to a café and had a real breakfast.”

He and the other Warrior Hikers were hosted all over the region, including in Pawling, where the Brewster chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution provided lunch and a local Girl Scout troop made dessert.

Hikers traveling through Pawling also find plenty of food about a half-mile off the trail at Tony’s Deli on Route 22, open daily from 3:30 a.m. to midnight. Popular sandwiches for trail walkers include the Italian combo on a wedge and the Philly cheese steak, no matter how hot it is outside, said Nicholas DeLango, the owner’s son.

In Garrison, hikers gravitate to the Appalachian Market, a gas station and restaurant directly across the road from the trail. Manager Rick Caccavale said hikers often come to the market after camping at Graymoor, a Franciscan monastery where there’s a pavilion, a clothesline and outdoor showers they're all welcome to use.

Caccavale, who has a chef on staff, offers pizza, other hot food, sandwiches, a bathroom, electrical outlets to charge cellphones and water spigots where hikers can fill up their jugs.

“You hear their stories — it was snowing when they left in February and they’re so thankful they can get a meal,’’ he said.

The market is so well known that parents send care packages to arrive there, and sometimes telephone Caccavale asking if he’s seen their children yet. He always relays their messages.

“I tell them: ‘Make sure you get a hold of your mother. She’s worried to death, she hasn’t heard from you. You’re out in these woods a lot. There’s nobody out there.’ ”

Many hikers who attempt the entire trail don’t know what’s motivating them, said Stancy DuHamel, co-chair of the Harlem Valley Appalachian Trail Community, which helped host the Warrior Hikers.

“I think the experience can be so challenging, so difficult, that on many days they wonder what they’re doing,” she said.

One hiker she drove into Pawling told her he wanted to quit several times, but ended up sticking it out.

“It takes a lot of stamina, which is why a smaller percentage finish than start,” she said.

Haggett, whose job takes him out near the trail on a regular basis, said he and his team often lead emergency responders to hikers in trouble.

Recently, they found an older hiker who’d been camping for weeks in a tent a half-mile off the road in Garrison, said Haggett. He was dehydrated and malnourished, and was taken to Putnam Hospital Center for treatment.

“Speaking with this fellow, it became obvious he was in physical distress, and that’s when we called 911 and got help for him,’’ he said.

But those who finish the trail are also grateful to the people who support them on the trek. Last summer, Caccavale worried about a young hiker who stopped in at the Appalachian Market on her travels north.

“She would do 22 to 26 miles a day, and by herself, not with anybody,” said Caccavle. “I said to her, ‘Please, when you get to Maine, would you let me know you made it?’ ”

She sent him a postcard in September.