Back to Boulder

On July 5, I arose up early as usual. While eating breakfast, it occurred to me that I might be able to get on a 12:35 pm flight from Newark to Denver rather than the 5:50 pm flight if I got going right away. I called Southwest Airlines and changed my ticket to the earlier flight. Motivation! It didn’t take long for me to pack up and walk back to the Appalachian Market at US Highway 9. I called two cab companies to get a 2.5-mile ride to the North Metro train station at Peekskill, but neither company answered the phone. Now what? Hitchhiking is illegal in New York, but asking people who have parked their cars for rides is not. I asked a man coming out of the market if he could give me a lift to the train station, but he was going in the opposite direction. Another guy drove up to the market in his pickup truck and parked. I asked him and he agreed. Bill knew all about the Appalachian Trail and was happy to help me. We had a delightful conversation on the way to the station. The express train arrived in 45 minutes and an hour later deposited me at Grand Central station. I was impressed at the number of New Yorkers who climbed the long set of stairs to street level rather than riding the escalator. Lots of people and noise. I could hardly hear myself think. After getting directions, I walked west and south toward the spot where the pickup spot for the Newark airport. Needless to say, midtown Manhattan, especially Times Square, provided a stark contrast to the AT. The bus picked me up at the appointed spot and inched along through Manhattan. In an hour, I arrived at the Newark airport and checked in. The plane left on time and arrived in Denver early. I got home about 4:30 pm. A wonderfully uneventful trip that could not have gone any smoother.