Date: 2009-07-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 33.0

Dear readers,Guess what? It's raining. Bet ya couldn't figure that one out... However, I'm happy to say we have had two days of BEAUTIFUL weather since leaving Kent. Two days of sunshine feels like such a luxury, when I don't think it should... Luckily, we were in Salisbury, CT when the storm hit and are waiting it out from the library. Why can't we do this during every storm? Later this afternoon we cross into Massachusetts! Yup, 10 states down, 4 more to go. Exciting stuff! I know CT and MA will feel like a blur when all is said and done. I'm simply waiting for Vermont. Mosquitoes continue to be brutal. Yesterday was the day that effectiveness trumped fashion and I pulled out the bug head net once arriving at the shelter. They were swarming! People have made fun of me for it before, but yesterday... they were jealous. Oh, and to top off the fashion trend, I was wearing my raincoat, too. I'm pretty sure it's the one layer of clothing I still have that they can't bite through. I reapplied my 30% DEET about 6 times yesterday. It seems only effective for a few hours. I bought that stuff in an aerosol can. It's heavy and takes up space, but it's effective in spraying my entire body evenly. Also, I picked up a small 2 oz. bottle of 98% DEET at REI in Hartford, CT. I really don't like using stuff with such high DEET concentration so I only pull that out when it gets REALLY bad, and even so, I only put it on my arms and legs. I don't wanna put that stuff on my clothes or near my face. We've been seeking solace from the bugs in our tents as soon as we arrive at camp. I almost didn't want to get out of it to cook dinner. A babywipe sponge bath is necessary before crawling into my sleeping bag at the end of each day to clean off layers of caked-on bug spray. Yeah, it's gross.Last night, without there being any planning involved we randomly had a Goonies reunion at Limestone Springs shelter! Saint, WindUp, and Rusticus were all there after spending some zeros with Hermes' family while we were in Hartford. Hermes was spending another day at home but should be catching up today. It's funny how our paths all continue to cross despite taking different zeros/town stops. Unfortunately, I think we'll be diverging from each other for good when Saint and WindUp head home to Boston for 4-5 days this weekend, taking some other hiking buddies with them. We also met back up with Loon and Plunger and Mr. Right the first night outta town! They had been zeroing at a lakehouse with Loon's family over the weekend and low and behold, everyone hopped back on the trail on Sunday. Sunday night was full of socializing with friends after weekends off trail. And to think, we thought we'd be amongst a whole new batch of thru-hikers after taking nearly 72 hours off! It seemed to be a popular weekend for the good-ol' double zero!Gangsta and I did some mileage calculations and it looks like we have a tentative summit date for around August 25/26-ish. CRAAAZY. And now I'm trying to forget about August and simply live in the present, taking each day as it comes and looking ahead only to mini-goals, not the looming big "K". These are the goals I am currently trying to keep my focus on this week: -Crossing in MA, later today! (my mind has been racing ahead to the future, I often forget I'm not in MA yet!)-Crossing mile 1500 tomorrow!-Dalton,MA and the hostel, the "Birdcage", (it's not listed in the guidebooks!) by the weekend! -Vermont border... but that's getting a little too far ahead of myself.I am debating what to put on my third, and hopefully final, pair of shoes I'm breaking in (still no blisters!). I feel a need to write a mantra that reminds me to live in the moment, rather than something that makes me think of Katahdin. I think of that mountain enough without having to be reminded of it every time I look down at my shoes! I'll keep ya posted and am open to suggestions.We will soon be encountering Southbounders which will be fun! I wonder if they think most NOBOs come across as arrogant and better than them b/c we have so many more miles under our belts? I will do my best to not come across that way and hopefully they will be excellent resources for us as far as places to stay or eat as we go north! That is how we heard about the Bird Cage hostel - the first SOBOS, Trailer and Hitch, we encountered a few weeks ago told us about it.A friend asked me if the trail was what I expected it to be. It's a broad question and difficult to answer, but I spent some time thinking about it while hiking the next day. It's easier to answer when rephrased "Is there anything about the trail that you didn't expect?" To that, I easily came up with the response "yes, the outpouring of emotional support and encouragement and trail magic from total strangers who are following my journey on trailjournals." It continues to amaze me every day, each time I check my email, bump into somebody on the trail who recognizes me, or receive a letter, care package, or offer of hospitality from TJ readers. When at a post-office to pick up a mail drop, I find that the majority of things waiting for me are from people I don't know. Many strangers are following my journey more closely than close friends or family. It's been wonderful and has certainly restored my faith in the kindness of strangers. I do my best to acknowledge and respond to everybody I hear from...Alright, the rain has passed, but James is telling Gangsta that there's another system on its way. I guess better get outta here and hopefully get to camp before more rain comes. MASSACHUSETTS TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!! Happy Trails,Wags