**Facebook Post 101117 at 4:35PM**
Kent, CT (Mile 722.5)
**Facebook Post 101117 at 8:50PM**
I woke up today, a little over a week after I had gotten back on trail, near a stream. It was cold out and I attempted to tear myself out from underneath my warm down-quilt so I could venture out of my tent and into the darkness at 6:00AM for a pee and to start packing it up. I had been waking up late the last couple days due to lady issues and the increase in rain, but hey, it happens.
The struggle to get moving is pretty much routine at this point, except recently. A change has taken place. I have begun to travel with partners. I’d say traveling with others can sometimes lead to delays, and I won’t say that I haven’t spent a morning or two waiting for everybody to get packed up, but once on the road, we as a team, have been kicking butt.
The two lady hikers I now am acquainted with keep a good pace, and it’s nice to have some company for the brutal days and long nights. Plus, they travel with a very cute dog named Blue. Who, by the way, is an excellent bear deterrent.
About two days into getting back on trail, I joined up with my two new friends who also happen to be traveling south, Erin and Taylor. They flip flopped from McAfee Knob in Virginia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, and started south. I had met them previously, first while passing through Hanover, VT, where we were all shopping at the same grocery store for resupply, ending up outside near the trash around the same time. I asked them if they knew where the rec center was. They didn’t, and after brief conversation, we parted ways.
Later, I ran in to them a second time at the Dunkin Donuts in Cheshire, MA. They were sitting outside snacking and relaxing with their dog. As I left, I noticed hikers so I gave them a wave, but didn’t realize I had met them before. Pushing on into the woods I forgot all about the threesome until I took a break. Taylor, Erin and Blue, the dog, hiked on up and ended hanging out with me while I snacked on fruit chews. After some chat and laughs, it seemed natural that we hike on together, and have been hiking together now for just under a week.
The girls are behind schedule, as am I, so we have been motivating each other to increase miles, chasing the sun. Pretty soon the chilly air and random showers will be turning into full blown snow. Since they are from Texas and I’m from Florida, I don’t think any of us are prepared for that. Although, since beginning our hike together the weather has been kind overall. Rain happens, but in generally insignificant amounts, and the cold has been mild, if even enjoyable. I’d say our only issue is the frequent tick check breaks we have to take for Blue their dog.
It’s been bad. Through MA there were quite a few of those little blood suckers. I even found one crawling on my arm at one point, and another on a pants leg, but CT… CT has been the worst. In fact, as I write this blog, the girls are going over the dog with a fine tooth comb. Last night there were at least 75 on him, and they spent an hour prior going to bed just picking them off him. This morning seems to be a repeat, almost an equal amount of them everywhere on that poor dog. It makes for delays in our schedule, but it also reminds me to check myself. To spite this, we have still been hitting the trail hard.
Today we are walking into Kent for resupply, but the goal is to move into Greenwood Lake, NY, by Sunday evening. It will be hard hiking since surprisingly enough CT is pretty hilly and has been reminding us all of a little Southern Maine with its rocks and climbs. I’d say, even still, we have all been sailing through it pretty flawlessly so far. We constantly remind each other this isn’t the worst we’ve seen and we just keep going.
Like typical hikers, we each have an individual pace, but manage to stay together in the long run. The ladies have even taken to my lack of hitching and riding in cars, and we all walk into resupply together.
It’s funny, I would imagine hooking up with a hiking partner who doesn’t accept rides into and out of towns would be a pain in the butt, but I’m guessing they are more open to the idea because they have a dog and that puts restrictions on where we can stay or eat, someone has to stay with him if we shop, etc.. So I guess that might make them kind of a pain in the ass hiking partners too, but somehow to spite all our issues it works anyway, and we manage to move right past whatever comes up and still hike like bad asses. I love it. Nice job ladies!
My friend Fox is well behind us at this point, but it turns out she too may skip a section and come and join us in NY. I’m still waiting for confirmation from her end. It’s not always the easiest to coordinate a meet-up when you are walking mega miles every day. Half the time, you have no idea where you will be and when. If she says it’s a go though, the more, the merrier.
She’s been having issues traveling solo and has come across a few less than savory male hikers. As the bubble thins, there emerge hustlers, the homeless, thieves and psychotics who pretty much live off the trail full time. When the bubble is in full swing, they tend to blend in, but when it’s not, chances are you might find yourself alone with someone at a shelter or campsite that might not be all that safe to hang with. I myself, haven’t had any issues this year, or in general, but you hear stories passed around campsites and from hikers who have had unhappy encounters.
So, we invited her to hook up with us. I hope she does. I think it may be safer at this point. Hiking with us, she can at least have my company until Boiling Springs, and Taylor and Erin’s until McAfee Knob. Safety in numbers! And besides it would be like we were an all female hiking machine!!!!… Be afraid. Be very afraid. LOL
4:45PM Start Day 53 (101117)
•4:45PM In Kent, CT
•6:15PM CT Rte. 341 (Mile 722.5)
•6:45PM Mt. Algo Shelter
(Mile 722.8) Sleep
•4:00AM Wake up, pack
•6:20AM On trail
•10:05AM (Mile 728.5)
•12:00PM Ten Mile River Shelter
(Mile 731.2)
•1:00PM (Mile 732.2)
•2:30PM Deuel Hollow Brook (Mile 734.7)
•4:45PM (Estimate) Pastures (Mile 742.5)
4:45PM End Of Day 53
APPROX 20 Miles
(Add 1.3 miles from Grocer to trail head)
