Finishing Connecticut

Day 103 Kent, CT To Cornwall Bridge, CT — AT Daily Miles 12.6; AT Total Miles 1484.5

Another scorching day in the 90s. It’s hard to drink enough water on days like this when you’re sweating so much from carrying your backpack up and down hills. Even the level river walks were drenching. At least I had decided to make it a short day and get into a motel where I could get a shower and do laundry. That was light at the end of the tunnel.

The best scenery of the day was again the hiking along the Housatonic River. It was so tempting to jump in, but I knew I’d have a shower waiting for me. There were even a couple of field walks sprinkled in for good measure.

In no time I was in Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut, and immediately went to the liquor store! That may sound strange but the local liquor store gives each hiker a 25 ounce beer for signing their logbook. Of course I couldn’t let that go to waste. It was the perfect combination with my burrito from the local market. I bought a second beer for good measure.

I plan for the next three days is for relatively short 15 mile days due to the extreme heat and the forecasted thunderstorms. If I average 15 miles per day for the next eight days that will put me in the perfect position to rent a car and drive home to Columbus Ohio. This time I’m gonna stay for a full week! I sure hope I still want to come back on the trail, after such a lovely visit.

Housatonic River walking

Easy field walking

Day 104 Cornwall Bridge To Falls Village – AT Daily Miles 14.2; AT Total Miles 1498.7

I woke up after a good nights sleep in the motel room feeling pretty good. A shower and clean clothes means so much. The burrito and a couple beers didn’t hurt either! So nice to get out of the heat only for a night. I need to do 15 miles a day for the next eight days to get to my car rental location on time. Sounded very easy when I made the plan it’s been so hard to get in high mileage when the heat index is 100.

Today it seemed like the entire hiking was uphill. The 25 pound pack with such a high temperature made me feel like I was moving in slow motion. I was drenched with sweat. I think 14 or 15 miles is actually a challenge for me considering how hot it is. I think it’ll be a little bit better tomorrow which I’m looking forward to.

I decided to hike into a little community called Falls Village where a former through hiker lets us camp in his backyard. So I got set up and headed immediately to the nearest pub. Here I had a few beers, dinner and waited till the temperature went down before I head back to my tent. My mother didn’t raise a stupid kid lol. Tomorrow will be at tent camp night after that night and then a motel again.

Debut of bug net

Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut

Serene Connecticut view

Day 105 Falls Village To Riga Shelter – AT Daily Miles 11.8; AT Total Miles 1510.5

Today was quite an adventure. It started innocently enough with me, going back to the Inn to use their Wi-Fi while I waited for the café to open for my second breakfast. I also did some home chores via cell phone like shopping for a new HVAC system for my condo which is quite expensive. Why do these things always happen when you’re away?

Early on I met up with Double Pack. It was the first time on trail that someone recognized me from blogging here. He is a LASHer and a really nice guy. I found out we had a lot in common in our personal lives and it was great to get to talk to him for a few minutes. I wish him well.

I got going again but then soon figured out I no longer had my iPhone. I knew I had left it somewhere in the past 2 miles of trail. I was assisted by a really nice fellow hiker named Slide Rule who let me borrow his phone. In the end, I found my phone but with the 2 miles back and the return 2 miles that added 4 miles to my day. I really need to be more careful.

So in the end, I only got credit for a little bit over 11 miles even though I did over 15 actual hiking miles! That leaves me about an 18 mile day tomorrow to get into Great Barrington Massachusetts. That won’t be easy. But I did it to myself. With not so good weather expected,  will be a challenge.

Good dude Slide Rule

Poor camera work with Double Pack

1,500 miles!

Day 106 Riga Shelter To Great Barrington, MA – AT Daily Miles 17.5; AT Total Miles 1528.0

I was able to get out of the camp early as I knew I had a fairly long day ahead of me. Plus with my disaster yesterday I now need to average 18 miles a day to get to Bennington Vermont from my rental car on time. It was much cooler this morning, which made it nice, and gave me hope for a good day.

Early on I had a ravine that reminded me of some hiking back home and that was really nice. In the early afternoon though, there were really steep climbs up a couple of mountains and I was drenched again with sweat. The day heated back up into the 80s and lately that’s also meant afternoon thunderstorms. Those came around 3 PM and I was forced to stop on the side of a really steep descent down the mountain. That slowed me down for sure and I had to be really careful moving forward. Those rocks get really slippery!

I was able to get to the end of the day though by 5 PM and call my shuttle driver to get into Great Barrington, Massachusetts. I’ll get a shower and resupply which is the normal thing I do. I need to average 18 miles a day through the next five days to get to my pick up point for my rental car and enjoy a much anticipated visit back home.

God’s rays

Above the clouds

Great Barrington, MA

Day 107 Great Barrington To Shaker Tent Site AT Daily Miles 17.7 —  AT Total Miles 1545.7

The stay in Great Barrington, Massachusetts was too short but was at least productive. I had to get to an early start and get on the trail. Rain was in the forecast for the evening and I needed to get in almost 18 miles plus beat that bad weather. There were even possible tornadoes in the weather forecast. Not good.

My shuttle showed up on time and I was off to the trail and eager to get going. The day overall was very hot but not terribly difficult so I was able to make good time. I got to my campsite by 5 PM with the rain forecast for 6 PM. It was a little early though because as I was finishing my dinner at 5:45 it started pouring. Into the tent I went for the night.

Tomorrow will be another 17 to 18 miles. The weather is supposed to only be in the 70s so maybe that will make a difference. I plan to get another early start. If I can keep it up for the next four days I will be in Bennington, Vermont on time. If I fall behind, I could always hike a little bit on the day I am supposed to rent my car if I really needed to but I prefer not to. We’ll see what happens.

Beaver dam

Bogs and mosquitos

Pastoral scene