Date: 2010-08-10
From: CT 55 hiker parking lot

To: Kent
Miles today: 11.2

8/10 2CT 55 hiker parking lot to Kent11.2 miles plus about a mile to KentMotelI woke at five this morning and couldn't fall back asleep. I was excited about my last day of slackpacking on what looked to be more difficult terrain. And I was anxious about our plan to stash my gear in Kent for my later pickup. I gave up on trying to sleep and got packed up. Frannie made me oatmeal (at my request) for breakfast. I'd like to reiterate what a great cook she is. Everything she made was fantastic and healthy. She definitely has a knack for and love of cooking. I was so happy and lucky, on so many levels, to meet and spend time with and of course be helped by Chris and Frannie. Thanks, both of you. I enjoyed being part of your lives for a few days. And thanks also to Peter Kimball, who made it happen. And Peter, thanks for the ride to the outfitter! I'm extra glad we went after seeing the selection at the outfitter here in Kent. After hugs and pictures, Chris dropped me off for the last time. I carried my most essential and hard to replace equipment - meds and chargers. Everything else got bundled up and dropped off in Kent for my arrival in the evening.  So I was able to enjoy one last day with a light pack. The hiking was not as hard as the profile made it seem, luckily. Maybe that's the slackpack talking. I bopped along, sweating profusely and wearing my headnet due to the many many gnats and mosquitos. It was intensely humid. It rained a little. Not enough to require raingear. Just enough to create a sauna like environment and slick up the rocks some. My clothing was soaked, but not from rain. I started hoping my pants were still opaque despite their sogginess. My pants kept sliding down my heinie, despite my efforts to tuck the tops of them under my backpack's hipbelt. Fortunately not many people walked up behind me today. It felt so good to hike, despite the heat.  I shall be interested to see just how hard the hiking feels when I resume with full backpack weight. I hope the bigger hills continue to be no big deal. Hah!  Like that will happen. My heart and lungs won't know what hit them. Shortly before I arrived in town I disturbed a timber rattler. I was excited to see my first rattlesnake on the trail. He looked pretty bloated but well camoflaged. I never would have seen him if he hadn't rattled. He was a couple feet off the trail, stretched out in leaves. I got an indistinct, blurry picture. I didn't want to disturb him more for a better one so people will have to take my word for it. Arriving in town, I stopped by the outfitter. Selection was poor. All I purchased was a coke from their machine. I moved on, looking for a restaurant. Nothing much caught my eye so I walked on to the Fife and Drum. They are closed on Tuesday, but by prior arrangement they left me a key. My stuff was right where Chris left it. Yay!  For dinner I walked to the Shanghai. Nobody else was eating there so I got to talk a lot with the friendly husband and wife team. She said they didn't have good English but funny how we had a fine time anyway. We talked a little about the trail, then I got her to show me pictures of her kids and nephews. In fact we talked so long that I missed the closing time for the grocery. Woops!  I had meant to buy some breakfast food. Perhaps I'll see what the town can provide in the way of breakfast. Someone must serve it.