Date: 2018-06-06
From: Pawling NY

To: Mt Algo Shelter
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: broken clouds

The morning in the hotel began with us packing our bags before breakfast. We managed to take up the entire room with our gear hanging out to dry. My tent fly was hanging from the closet to the blow dryer along with sleeping bags draped over lamps and stuff sacks off of arm chairs. It's a sight! Just ask my parents!We made it down to breakfast and they served us before 7 luckily! Coffee, juice, a waffle, bagels, toast and a banana filled me up then we went back upstairs to head out. The trail was 30 minutes away but the drive took us along small back roads and through towns with funky names like Fishkill. Eventually we made it! At the trailhead we had left off at, a flip flopper named No Doubt and a few section hikers were there. We offered them my mom's homemade muffins and No Doubt took up the offer. He kept coming back for more and must have loved them! It's hard not to love my mom's cooking! The section hikers didn't want any food. They must not have hiker hunger yet haha. I think my parents liked seeing the big tree at the trailhead too.I said a temporary goodbye to them as Two Clicks hiked on. The weather was beautiful. Temps probably in the 60s or 70s and overcast skies. Great hiking weather. My parents were going to meet us roughly 10 miles in to give us lunch. They were also going to run to an outfitter somewhat nearby to grab me new insoles for my shoes. Unfortunately the other ones we got sent from Amazon were the wrong size. After selecting a size, the order was then placed for a different size that was smaller. I got a refund though so no big deal!The hiking was beautiful through the rest of NY. Rolling hills and a nice ridge walk. A few miles before our lunch meetup, Two Clicks and I took a break at a shelter then crossed the border into CT 0.6miles north. The Gateway to New England! As the sign says.We met my parents in a parking lot off CT RT 55 where they had gotten my insoles, bought us turkey sandwiches from Subway and stuffed us full of homemade food! What an awesome time! They were our personal trail angels (or trail magicians as my dad liked to say) and I can't thank them enough. Two Clicks thanked them and hiked ahead as we wrapped up lunch. Luckily though, No Doubt was passing by and we were able to feed him too! He was extremely grateful and again, loved the muffins! We left a few things at the trailhead for other hikers with a note to pack out trash but honestly the trail around us is pretty quiet I imagine only one or two more AT hikers will pass it in the next day or so.After saying goodbye to my parents and thanking them for being the best people in the world, they drove off. They ended up passing me a few times on the road as I hiked to the trail. Luckily for me I have one direction to walk where they have to figure out the GPS. It was funny though! Crazy to think that in their time driving home I would only end up walking 11 miles north. Depressing to think about but seeing how far I have walked makes me feel a little better.Now the rest of the day was tough. Connecticut really welcomes us well! Some steep climbs made me feel great and I actually really enjoyed it under the overcast skies. I had some nice views from exposed rocks and I'm looking forward to passing the Housatonic river tomorrow. I swear I have a super power of smelling day hikers. It's probably only because I smell so bad and have gotten use to the smells around me but I could smell a couple today. Just their fresh laundry and clean hair/body. I'm not kidding, at times I smell them before seeing them! I made it to the shelter around 430 which was great timing for a late start and an hour break. I'm so pumped to be in CT and it really feels like I'm closer to home. I chatted with a few flip Floppers, No Doubt, and Two Clicks while eating as much food as I could to cut pack weight then headed to bed. didn't even lay down before slicing my toe open a bit and bleeding pretty good. Whatever! Builds character. Anyway, I really enjoyed the hiking today and the weather and loved to see my parents! Thank you guys for everything! I think Two Clicks and I are really looking forward to zeroing in Westfield on Saturday once we hit MA. As for now, we get to enjoy the small northwest section of CT!P.S: thanks for following still Skip! I think it's fun to look at the GPS tracks and see how far I've gone! I'll have to post a picture of it for others to see! Got my new stove now and back to cooking! That bear ate well but also ate all my multi vitamins and I bet that didn't sit well!