Date: 2018-10-12
From: The Hemlocks Shelter

To: Limestone Spring Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up to other hikers stirring. It was really dark in the loft so I had no idea it was getting light and I hadn¢t really slept much since the section hiker puked all night. I packed up and went down to eat breakfast with BeesKnees and Golden Girl. They actually make a hot breakfast so I did have my coffee then. Both of them are flipfloppers and are ready to be done. Once again it¢s suppose to rain tomorrow night so we all plan on sleeping in a shelter tomorrow night. Kind of scary for me but they tell me the untreated water bug is contagious. The only 2 nights the whole trip that I¢ve slept in a shelter are the last 2 nights and both times someone was sick - Ug!   It¢s hard putting on my wet socks and shoes since it¢s a cold morning but I finally get moving. My feet are numb the first half mile but then warm up. It was a great cold and sunny hiking day except for the places that were still saturated. We had beautiful views all day hiking on top of mountains and on the sides. MA is beautiful though the leaves are not as colorful yet. We also had some more challenging rock climbs which were fun. I had to help Rusty twice which is the first time in a while.  Our welcome to CT was a cold fording across a rushing stream. I carried Rusty across since the water was shin deep and moving fast. CT had some beautiful views too. I stopped at the Riga shelter for a snack and the view CT countryside was beautiful. I was tempted to stay there since we both were tired but did continue to the next shelter because of the predicted rain tomorrow. Its definitely better to do a longer today in the sun and a shorter one tomorrow in the predicted rain. Since I have a mail drop at a hotel on the 711 mile mark and am staying there Sun, I¢ll have a 10 mile day tomorrow then a 5 mile one Sun. (From MA - NJ you are required to stay in designated campsites so I do plan on staying in them.). If I get to the hotel early enough, I have time to do laundry, resupply, eat healthy food and still rest in one night. I like zero days but realize I need to plan more around weather now. It is hard to do though because I do have and need mail drops for Rusty¢s food and medicine. I also enjoy getting them since I send healthier backpacking dinners then what you can find in groceries stores. I do enjoy my Ramon bombs though.  Right before the shelter we walk into a field with a stunning view, Rands view, and see a couple that have set up a nice camera to photograph sunset. I start to take a pic of Rusty and he offers to take one of us and I happily agree. BeesKnees and Golden Girl come out then so join us for a pic then head to the shelter. I talk to the couple for awhile. I would like to wait there to see the sunset but do not want to get to the shelter at dark so start walking too. Unfortunately for me the shelter is too crowded for Rusty so I set my tent up. I¢m a bit irritated since the shelter is a half mile off the AT and I¢m tenting anyway. So basically I walked an extra mile and still might have to pack up in the cold rain. I do enjoy eating dinner with everyone though and really do prefer sleeping in my tent.