Date: 2015-07-02
From: Native Landscapes Garden Center

To: Kent, CT
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: light rain

After a night of trains and trucks and Jeopardy and Rock Boat moaning in misery about trains and trucks, I woke up EARLY AGAIN to more complains about trains and trucks. I wanted to sleep until 6, but no such luck. I was actually so exhausted that I slept pretty well. Just not enough. Gertrude was nearly all packed up by the time my watch alarm went off. I filled up a water bottle at the kindly-provided spigot (thanks a million to Native Landscapes) and was on my way, through soggy fields, the dew on the grass soaking through my boots and making my wonderfully clean, dry socks gross within minutes. A huge bummer.The last miles of New York kind of sucked, honestly. I was glad to hike through the fields while it was still cool out, but my feet were SO WET. I signed the trail register "Thank you!" to the local organization responsible for trail maintenance (something like the Pawling Fish and Game Club??), but then after the next two miles was HORRIBLY REGRETTING this comment. It was so overgrown! And so muddy! I felt like I was fighting my way through a rainforest, like I was playing Jumanji.AND THEN, I crossed Hoyt Road, and was greeted by the wonderful sign: WELCOME TO CONNECTICUTGATEWAY TO NEW ENGLANDI had no idea that CT was the gateway to New England. What an enlightening morning. Anyway, I was PSYCHED. Home at last! Too bad the trail ended up crossing back into NY for a short stretch before I finally got to say goodbye to one more state for good (now, I have hiked through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Still to go are Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine).My homeland welcomed me warmly. I took a picture and ate a protein bar to celebrate. It was cookie dough flavored, and quite excellent. Then I continued on, TOTALLY enjoying the hike of Connecticut. It is so pretty. Maybe it was just a mental thing, but it seemed even better than New York. Much prettier. Much less miserable for my feet (although some stretches at the end of today were kind of horrible). Shortly afterwards, I reached another road, where I found SOG camped. "Hey, Connecticut girl!" he greeted as I called, "Hey, welcome to our home state!" I talked (and by talked, I mean that I listened to SOG talk) for nearly an HOUR. He is also getting off the trail for the holiday weekend to visit home. I heard a lot about veterans affairs (some of which was interesting), and how he hiked the trail last year, and this and that and I don't even remember any more.Before we parted, SOG gifted me with a Mountain House macaroni and cheese meal, and green beans. If CLIF bars are like gold, Mountain House meals are like platinum. Thru-hikers often joke that one of the ways you can tell if someone is a day hiker or section hiker is if they carry Mountain House or Backpacker's Pantry meals. They are ridiculously, prohibitively expensive. It costs enough to quit or take time off of a job to hike, let alone to pay $6 for a dinner every night... which is why most people eat ramen, Pasta Sides, and instant mashed potatoes. Disgusting but cheap and filling. I very patiently listened to SOG, and thanked him thoroughly for the excellent meal, then seized my opportunity to escape (I mean, continue north). He's a good guy, I really like him. But you know I have a social limit.Around 10:30, a mile or two past the CT line, I passed a hammock, which I assumed was Treebeard. I don't understand how he hikes so late into the night (or why) and why he sleeps so late. His sleep schedule seems so bizarre to me. Actually, Treebeard in general seems bizarre to me (did I mention that his fingernails are painted?). I love the people that keep my trail life interesting and entertaining.I stopped for lunch at Ten Mile River Shelter, which looks out over a nice grassy field of ferns. It has a hand pump for water, but like several other water sources around here, it has tested positive for coliform bacteria, so it got an extra vigorous stir with the SteriPen. As I was finishing my lunch, Miles arrived. He always seems crash his way in dramatically. He is a fast hiker, so usually seems to be almost out of breath as he tosses down his pack.Oliver arrived next, then Po' Boy. As I was departing down the blue blaze trail back to the AT, I passed Rock Boat and Jeopardy as well. Jeopardy always seems to be slightly lost or behind, and everyone else seems to have trouble keeping track of him. "Where's Jeopardy?" and "Is Jeopardy dead?" and "Jeopardy's dead." were phrases oft heard repeated over the last couple days.Strolling along Ten Mile River was wonderful. It was incredibly scenic. There's something about the places that capture all of your senses that make them so memorable. Here, I got to see the sunlight through the trees, reflecting back into the sky, and feel the cool breeze coming off of the water, and hear the rush of the current. What a beautiful day for a hike!The climb up Schaghticoke Mountain wasn't too bad, though I was tired even though I had just eaten lunch. I have been so tired lately. I never get enough sleep, especially with all the late-night talking that has been going on this week, keeping me up. I miss stealth camping. Yesterday, after reading about Yellow Bird's Lyme, I started panicking. In the morning, I felt so weak and tired and lethargic. "What if I have Lyme, too?!" I thought. "Maybe I should go to the clinic this weekend. It's a good thing I got insurance. Maybe if they catch it early I'll be okay."But then I had my mid-morning snack and felt 100% better.I have definitely been eating too much this week. I don't know if it's the heat that's making me hungry, or what, but I have been STARVING. It's really gross. Mom keeps telling me, "Once the wedding is over, you don't have to worry about it!". In other words, after Jeralyn gets married, it's okay if Red Panda gets terribly obese from overeating M&Ms on the trail every day. Mom has great confidence in me that I will be able to lose whatever weight I gain after I summit Katahdin. I am not so confident. I am pretty sure I have developed a lifelong addiction to chocolate that can never be overcome.Anyway, the rest of the hike was GREAT until the last 3 miles or so. I don't know what it is about the last 3 miles. They are always hard, even if the terrain is easy. Must be another mental thing. Although today it was definitely physical, too, because there were a couple of horrible, steep climbs and descents. I didn't enjoy that part. But I eventually made it to Mt. Algo Shelter, which was actually also in a very pretty spot, with a very nice water source. And it was only 0.3 miles from my final destination: Route 341. Upon my arrival, I called my dad to see where he was ("I'm in Winsted, I'll head that way right now!"). Then, estimating that it would take him nearly an hour to get there, I decided it was due time for a snack. So I had three (see what I mean about having an eating problem?). I also decided to try to be courteous, and cleaned myself up a little and changed into my town clothes/pajamas so that my poor father wouldn't have to deal with my hiker stink for the drive home. Did I mention how great my family is? My daddy picked me up from the trail today so that I could sleep in my own amazing bed.As I was lifting Gertrude into the back of my Dad's truck, Treebeard descended to the road. He apparently had an unpleasant encounter with the rest of the guys from last night, who made a harsh statement about his odd sleeping patterns. And, speak of the devil (or rather, speak of the evil-smelling hiker), Miles appeared. Awkward.Dad showed me some of the granola bars he bought for the trail magic picnic, and I gave some to Treebeard. Miles declined the offered gift.I apologized that we couldn't give them a lift into town. I can barely fit in Dad's truck (NOT because I am bulky, but because he lives out of it. It's packed tighter than Gertrude).So, Dad and I went to BJs (which is like COSTCO) and picked up some trail food and picnic goods (including a box of 48 Snickers bars - his idea, not mine). Then he brought me to my car, which hasn't been driven since it was used to drop me back off on the trail after visiting Candace (poor car!). In the back seat, I found my cooler, still full of the food I asked him to throw away a month ago after I decided it was too heavy to pack in... said cooler has since been filled with water and about half a gallon of bleach.And then, I arrived home. And what did I find at home? I can't even begin to describe.My Aunt Debby, who isn't even a blood relative (not that that means anything anyway), had dropped off some goods for the picnic this morning, because she won't actually be able to attend.And oh my god, the woman is my hero. I was actually starting to panic for a while that we might not have enough to provide for hikers. I keep spreading the word, and am hoping we'll get a good crowd (who knows, though).Now, all of my worries have been put to rest. Half of the living room floor was covered. Toilet paper, granola bars, hot chocolate, instant coffee, Pasta Sides, tuna packets, ramen, mac and cheese... you name it, it was there. The amazing woman took the list of things I suggested people bring to the picnic for hikers to take with them, and she tried to buy some of EVERYTHING.I nearly cried. And you know what? I still have so many other friends and family members who are contributing even more. This is going to be the best. picnic. ever.I am SO incredibly thankful for the support system of friends and family that are working to make not only my hike, but the hikes of all of my friends and trailmates an amazing success. I couldn't ask for anything more magical. I am so excited for Sunday. ALSO: about my journaling method, before I forget. I have an AT&T Go Phone, which mom and Dan kindly let me attach to their phone plan upon my return from Korea (it's cheaper that way). I was originally going to get the cheapest phone option possible, knowing that I was bound to wreck the thing over the course of the hike, but somehow I let the salesman talk me into getting a smartphone. I dropped it and cracked the screen at Fontana Dam. And then I dropped it and cracked it some more sometime around the halfway mark. It still works, though. Hopefully it lasts the last third of the trail.When I started the trail, I was typing my journal entries on my tablet (to reserve my phone battery for calls), but I sent it home from Waynesboro (I think?) after I bought an external battery pack from Kroger. I decided it was worth a try to just type on my phone, because it's so much faster. So I use the phone and an external battery pack, which I charge whenever I go into town. Somehow I haven't had the problem of totally running out of battery yet, though I have come close (I had to skip posting for a few days at one point, my phone was so dead).Unfortunately, I have been having trouble charging my phone lately. I am still not totally sure what the issue is, but I suspect that there is something wrong with the connection between the phone and the charging cord. It is kind of a nightmare. I really do NOT want to have to buy a new phone. Journal entries might end up being very short soon if I can't figure out what the heck is going on.Tonight, though, I am HOME, which means I can type on a real computer, which is about 600 times more efficient. I love it! Now, I am going to go use a REAL bathroom and sleep in my own bed!