Date: 2014-08-05
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Bearded Woods One-of-a-Kind Bunk and Dine
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up at 5:30, it was cold and I was comfy so I layed there for awhile. I got my food bag and most of my stuff and put them in my tent. I would be safe there from the mosquitoes. I ate my breakfast and put my wet clothes back on. Nothing dries overnight and since they are wet when you take them off they will be just as wet when you put them back on in the morning. It has been like this since Memorial Day and will probably last until Labor Day. We are hoping to hike 15 miles to Salisbury, pick up ouir mail drops, resupply, and hike back out. We might also just go to a hostel from there and get showers, laundry, and some home cooking. Viking gave No Rush and I each a nice muffin before we left that he had packed in last night. That should help with the first couple of miles. The miles were very slow this morning. When we got to the road we called the hostel and checked to see if they had beds tonight. Hudson said he could pick us up at noon so we hiked to the next town, Falls Village. We crossed the Housatonic and hiked on the other side of the river today. It was a nice river walk and was owned by the power plant. Falls Village is a nice little town but we had no options for lunch. One place is only open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The other place is an Inn and only serves dinner. We did take a break and got some cold drinks while we waited on our ride. Hudson picked us up and I recognized him from Trail Journals. He was probably the first hiker on the trail this year, starting in February. This place is amazing, the whole downstairs is for hikers and can handle 8 people. They have two showers and a nice living room to relax. They take your laundry and tell you just to relax. Just the little things like a place for hiker poles and boots and a laundry bag on your bunk for dirty clothes.The have a large screened in dining area with drinks and snacks that are cheap. They even fed us lunch for free and made us root beer floats. I was able to get my passport stamped for Connecticut. I have every state that I have hiked in but West Virginia. My journals are once again all caught up and we had an incredible Italian dinner. Salad, bread, sausage, ravioli, and ice cream with pastries for desert. Every one sat around and talked about there hikes and Hudson told us about all of the snow,ice, and cold weather that he hiked in. He said he didn't experience Spring until Vermont. He will go back to New Hampshire in September and finish his hike after the hiking season is over at the hostel. Hudson and Big Lu you have a great place! It is pouring outside so that makes it even better that we are comfortable and away from the bugs for one night. It will be hard to leave here in the morning, espescially if the breakfast is as good as dinner was. If there was a hostel this nice every 100 miles on the trail it would be great motivation for hikers to keep going north.I'm sure Atlas, Shea, Bud, T-Rex, Aroo, No Rush, Puzzle, and Cactus have all enjoyed their time here just as I have. One more journal and its lights out for me.