Date: 2016-06-19
From: Wiley Shelter, NY

To: Schaghticoke Mtn. Campsite
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: clear sky

1463.5Schaghticoke Mtn. CampsiteWe had second day of amazing trail magic of various kinds. The day started out with us thinking we were just going to do the four miles between Wiley Shelter and Ten Mile Shelter, leaving 8.3 for Monday. After we started and Bob started singing a hymn, I realized that we might have taken Iceman up on his offer to shuttle us if we had thought to ask him to shuttle us to a church service. This didn't happen. At the first road we came to after Wiley Shelter there was trail magic in the form of bottled water, and some bananas. We really enjoyed those bananas.Just a little farther on the trail we found another cache of trail magic. This time it was all sorts of hostess treats and bags of chips plus an ice chest full of sodas. We each had a soda. I chose root beer. We each had a small bag of chips. We also took a honeybun each for tomorrow's breakfast. This was wonderful magic. It was done by Crock N Roll's parents. There was enough for more hikers than would possibly come by, 20-30. Very generous.Layer down the trail "Crock N Roll" passed us( though we didn't know it was him at the time). He told us there would be more magic at Schaghticoke Rd. Later two more GA hikers went by and told us that "Crock N Roll's parents would be having more trail magic for hikers at Schaghticoke Rd. We asked how they knew this and identified Crock N Roll for us and mentioned BBQ. We studied our map and guide and decided we could make it to the Schaghticoke Camp Ground, a goal we had not considered before. We met lots of great people who were day hiking near the Housatonic River.   They were interested in hearing about our hike and talked of wanting to do the same someday. The AT runs alongside or within view of the shore of that river for quite awhile. It was beautiful and noisey with water rushing over rocks. I loved it! Bob took a picture for me. We crossed that river on a high bridge. One of the people we talked to was named Walter. He wanted to take our picture and we let him. He wanted our journal information and Bob wrote it down for him. He told Bob he wanted to treat us to lunch and gave him money and directions to a nearby restaurant just down the trail. Bob tried to refuse but in the end accepted. That turned out to be our Father's Day lunch magic. Another man, trail name I knew I would remember gave Bob a cold coke from his pack and told us where an ice chest of cokes and beer was waiting for through hikers. I took a water from it when we got there. Another man told us about his thru-hike in 2005. He said his name was "Brother BUZZ". He said his son did it with him and his trail name was Lightning.   Later after we ate at the Bull's Bridge Inn, a CT-ATC volunteer offered to give us a ride to a road close to the next shelter. I didn't want to miss the trail before that road so we refused. The trail was difficult mostly just because it was climb,climb, climb but there were a couple of rocky ledge areas that were a bit of a challenge, though nothing like much of what we have done before without a problem. BUT today it was a problem. Maybe it was because the difficult part was after we ate too much lunch. Maybe it was because we were tired and concerned about making it to camp before dark. Anyway at one spot Bob's foot was caught a second too long in a crevice on the way down a rocky face. If he had fallen it would have meant a face plant on the rocky descent. It was quite a scare. Not 10 minutes later I had a similar scare and near fall. Tonight we sleep safe and blessed in our hammocks on the top of a hill. The moon is very bright. Tomorrow we have a 3 mile trail rather than an 8.3 trail. The descent down to Kent, CT was reported to us to be the steepest and most difficult yet for us flip -flop hikers so we are a bit concerned. We continue to hope for a couple of recovery days off.