Saturday I got back on the trail for the first time in a month.  I was off because of various reasons, but I haven't hiked in almost a month.  I was supposed to go on a hike up Fir, Big Indian, Eagle, and Balsam, with a 630 start time.... but I read the event wrong, I was Sunday not Saturday.  So, I went to the Spruceton tailhead instead and was going to do a longer hike of Westkill, SW Hunter, Hunter, and Rusk.  The trail up the stream was a forest road and I got the first mile or so done in no time.  Then you come to an intersection, and after that the trail was relentless.  I was able to maintain a 1 mph up, but it was slow going.  Near the top of the peak I came across a fresh pile of bear scat.

The views from on top were lovely, but hazy.  I then hiked down and I could just feel it in my feet and legs.  My body was saying that I had reached its limit for the day.  I got down to the bridge and rested a little bit but my body didn't want to go back up another mountain.  So, I hiked the mile back out to the car and called it a day and drove home.  When I got home I realized that it was the right call.... I was stiff from the drive home and had trouble walking into the house.  A shower helped, and sleep helped, but my whole lower body is sore and stiff.

This makes 14/33 of the Catskill 35.  Hopefully next weekend I'll get another 3 knocked off.