Date: 2005-07-23
From: Caesar Brook Campsite

To: Sages Ravine Campsite
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: few clouds

Mr. Clean Jr. tried to wake us early this morning, and for once on this hike I was eager to get up and start walking. Bug on the other hand woke up with a headache and what seemed to be the beginnings of a migraine. We told Clean to go on ahead and if we didn't catch him before, we would meet him at the designated campsite.I tossed and turned for at least an hour and a half, and finally Bug was ready to get up and try to hike. He had taken some medicine earlier in the morning and it had started to kick in a bit. I didn't want to rush him to much because I know all to well how bad migraines can be!He tried to pace himself slower this morning (I managed to get him in the lead), but by the time we reached the shelter over 3 miles away, only an hour had passed. The terrain was great through here and the views were lovely too as we passed Rand's View and Giant's Thumbprint...a huge rock formation that looks like a big thumb.At 12:45 we reached Lower Cobble Road and had a difficult time finding the trail. According to the companion, the trail turned before the cemetary when in all actuality it turned afterwards. After figuring it all out, we stopped for lunch on a bench across from the cemetary. The park bench was located on the grounds of an assisted-living facility. Now, this place looked really nice and well-kept. We saw older folks coming and going, both in their cars and on foot. I think these facilities are great, and in fact, Bug and I have talked of wanting to go to live in one when we are too old to completely care for ourselves.Mind you, I am not speaking of nursing homes. I like the idea of being able to still have a space of my own to take care of and being able to do things for myself and staying active. In my mind, it is also important that people be active in their peer groups. Now that I have totally gone off on a tangent...I thought it was sad that this beautiful facility would be placed directly across from the cemetary. Who wants to be reminded daily that their days on earth are numbered? Certainly not me. I don't know, maybe as one gets closer to that stage in life they begin to think differently about such things.Anyway, it certainly gave me something to think about as we made our way up to Lions Head Mountain.There were lots of day hikers out today, so I am guessing this is a really popular spot. Our afternoon went well, although not as fast hiking as the morning. I anticipated the climb up to Bear Mountain being a bear, but surprisingly enough it was well graded. As we reached the top, there was a nice breeze there to greet us and a beautiful view from the top. Millipede had told us yesterday, that this had to be the best view on the AT in CT and I think he very well may be right. We recieved a panoramic view with beautiful mountains, lakes, and farms below.The climb down was ferocious and very steep, but from what I understand, we should get used to it. This is supposed to be what it is like in New Hampshire and Maine. Bug and I ran into a couple of southbounders as we were descending. We asked if they had seen a bald guy in his early 40s, since we had yet to catch Clean, Jr. They hadn't seen him, and we feared that he may haave hiked ahead since it was so early and we had not arrived.Finally, we got here to Sages Ravine. This is a beautiful place with a lovely stream. Also, we just arrived into Massachusetts, the 11th of 14 states we will hike through on the AT. We "wooed" to see if Mr. Clean, Jr. was here, and we soon heard him respond. So now we are all set up on our tent pad. We have eaten our dinner of mac and cheese, and are each in our tents, to avoid the voracious appetites of the monster mosquitoes here. Bug is laying here finishing up his latest James Patterson book, and I am going to wrap up this journal so that Bug can then finish his one of very few journal entries. 'til next time!