Date: 2009-08-03
From: Salisbury, CT

To: Sages Ravine Brook Campsite
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: clear sky

It was slow moving out of Salisbury today- very slow! The winds were blowing hard and the "afternoon" chance of rain turned into morning showers. Luckily Stewball, Otter and us were packed up and out of the camp spot before the sprinkles started to fall. Bark and I had discussed leaving town early, but with the gray clouds overhead our time got pushed back as did everyone's. We decided to hit the local coffeehouse and hang out a little bit to see if the rain would let up.Bark was pretty excited about seeing the inside of the nation's firt public library, and since it did not open until 1:00pm and the rain was still pouring, we took our time eating lunch. While the four of us ate, we kept our packs tucked away inside of an ATM booth just in eye shot. We still had a little over an hour before the library opened and we thought it would look kind of strange to hang out between the automatic doors of the market. To our relief Johnnycake's Bookstore was right behind us and open for business. I expected a normal bookstore with current selections and maybe a magazine or two, but this store was full of antique and rare collectible books. It was really interesting and a great stop- where else could I read about proper dining etiquette from 1906? I might have bought that 1st edition copy had it not been so heavy At a quarter to one we ran back to the ATM booth, strapped on our packs and headed for the library. Still raining outside we were thankful to be indoors and not hiking up the wet mountain. We had still made no final decision of when to leave town. We all had a turn on the computers and read a few magazines while we watched it rain buckets outside. Goose and Chewy walked in a little later and said they were taking a zero at the local hostel. With no sign of clear skies we knew we had to make a move or else we would be stuck in Salisbury for another night. I think I caught Bark off guard when I made the cut-off time for 3 o'clock- I just felt ready to go and to get some miles in for the day, staying was no longer an option. The four of us agreed that we needed to get moving, so a little before 3, under the entry way to the library, we organized a few things and walked out into the rain. Then about a half mile down the road something wonderful happened...the rain stopped! Storms! and showers were expected all day so we weren't too hopeful that it would stay dry, but the longer we hiked the more confident we became. New England has brought with it some longer climbs than what out legs have been used to through the mid-Atlantic region. Today was only a brief look at what is to come. We made it successfully up the "Lion's Head" and soon after took a break at a close by shelter before heading up Bear Mountain. Finally a mountain over 2,000 feet! With great conversation and some good jokes it almost felt effortless (let me emphasize "almost"). Stewball decided to crash at the shelter before Bear Mountain, but Otter and Bark and me were too excited to get to the other side. Why? Because the other side of the mountain included crossing the Connecticut/ Massachusetts border.It was close to 7pm by the time we reached the summit and then sat for a while watching a huge storm front blow right overhead- incredible! Our day was not over though, we still had a little over a mile before crossing into MA, our 11th state. As we made our way down the steep descent, we were more than pleased with the blue skies overhead. We finally made it to an identifiable point on the trail and were able to say we had made it to Mass. It wasn't long before we hit our campsite for the night, ate some english muffin sandwiches of cheese and peperroni and hit the hay. We are excited to be here and feeling as though our second wind has arrived. I am constantly thankful for continued safety and we pray for sure-footedness as we press on through the changing landascape. Tomorrow will be our first full day in a new state, surely new things to see.