Date: 2003-08-22
From: Wiley Shelter

To: Kent, Conn.
Miles today: 12.7

Yesterday was an unexpectedly tough day for me and a torrid one for the 'Chafe Master'. It was much more humid than of late. A little over a mile on from Wiley Shelter we crossed the state line into Connecticut. In New England at last! Almost immediately the terrain became more rugged. By late morning, 'Chafe' was tiring. "I feel like I'm back in Georgia," he lamented, and it was clear he was a lot weaker than he had thought. We plugged on through the day, taking several breaks, but by the time we crossed into Connecticut a second time (somewhere we had reentered New York but I don't know where exactly), he was toiling badly. I was getting tired myself and the athletic stud of two days ago was a distant memory. We were on the part of the Trail that passes through the Schaghticoke Indian reservation, but we could care less by this stage and Schaghticoke Mountain and Indian Rocks will be remembered by us both as a painful and exhausting blur. I felt guilty at putting 'Chafe' through this, and knew I should have planned the day more cautiously. He didn't deserve this. The last climb was Mt. Algo. We coaxed each other through that, and finally came out at the trailhead on Conn.341 about 5.30pm. Destination the small town of Kent less than a mile away. That wasn't far and I was ready to walk, but 'Chafe' flopped to the ground. Even a gun to the head wouldn't have persuaded him to take another step. He was exhausted. I started thumbing, but fortune smiled on us from the other direction as two vans pulled up from town and unloaded a large group of young people. They were college students about to go hiking as part of their Freshers week activities. I thought about 'Thistle' who would be starting her own university life in a few weeks. Would she choose to go hiking in her Freshers week? Not likely. One of the drivers offered us a ride back into town and so here we are in Kent. The hostel run by the Episcopal Church here is closed so we have checked into the Fife n'Drum Inn near the railroad on the edge of town. Kent has a typical New England spick and span look to it. But it is compact and has an unusual number of stores and amenities for its size. Most of them are crowded along US7 which is the main street, and everything is easily reached on foot. All the things a hiker looks for are here, including library and an outfitters store. Hiker-perfect. There is a lot else besides - small galleries selling prints and water colours, antiques stores, craft shops, etc. The tourist dollar is plainly quite impportant to this town. The Fife n'Drum Inn is owned by Dolph Traymon, a pianist and arranger who in his heyday supported the likes of Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra. In his eighties now, he still plays in the restaurant most nights. We are zeroing in Kent today which wasn't planned, but 'Chafe' needs it, and I'm certainly glad of it. One day of Connecticut has certainly kicked my ass, as our American cousins would say, it's been very heavy and humid today and I've been grateful not to be walking in that. Also, I've been making arrangements to leave the Trail, only a week away! We met two NOBO's this morning, 'Mudbutt' and 'Bumpkin', who also arrived in town last night. 'Mudbutt' left for home in Atlanta this morning, for a week only she hopes, to help with the family's violin-making and repair business. Her mother is nursing a broken foot and it's back-to-school time over here, their busiest time of the year. 'Mudbutt' and 'Bumpkin' have been hiking together since their first night on the Trail in Georgia, so you could say splitting up now is a bit of a wrench for them. 'Bumpkin' has moved in with 'Chafe' and me tonight, and will hike with us for the next week until 'Mudbutt' rejoins the Trail hopefully at Great Barrington. Early this evening we were out on the street to enjoy a parade. A vintage car procession led the way ahead of the main attraction - the volunteer fire departments of all the surrounding counties in Connecticut and New York. All filled out with a pipe band, several brass bands and a fife and drum corps. Thunder rumbled, it rained briefly, but not enough to spoil the show.      With all the excitement, I forgot to do my grocery shopping. One more task before we set off tomorrow.