Date: 2015-07-07
From: Kent, CT

To: 1,490.1 campsite, CT
Miles today: 23.0

I finally had my tent set up and was relaxed for the evening close to ~12:00am last night. I would fall asleep within minutes and wake up just before ~8:00am innthe same position, having not woke or moved overnight. Easily the best night of sleep I've had, though I could've used more. Safari waa up and on the trail close to half an hour before me, but I would catch him soon after crossing over Caleb's Peak and beginning down St. John's Ledges, a series of rocks that had to be maneuvered through as we descending steeply towards the Housatonic River below.Most of today would be spent hiking alone through countless ups and downs, but we were awarded a ~5 mile stretch of flat, easy going as we meandered along the quick-flowing Housatonic. Safari finally spotted a small sandy beach area and we breaked for lunch. He went for a quick swim, but after watching him take a while to adjust to the temperature of the water, I knew the day would be over by the time I got in myself. I downed a pack of pepperoni, 2 Slim Jim's, 2 sticks of cheese, and a pack of M&M's. Yoohoo caught up and joined us for the tail end of our break. After we returned to hiking and began our ~500ft climb up Silver Hill and out of the river valley, Yoohoo dropped off and I'd find out later he had taken a nap.Today was a tough day not only for me, but the 3 other hikers I spoke with today. We all suffered from just general fatigue. Yes, it was hot and humid, but we've had that for a while now. Yes it was a lot of ups and downs, but we've had that too. Either it was a day where we were simply all in a funk, or we all found out just how unconditioned we've become to climbing mountains after spending hundreds of miles on relatively flat terrain. We couldn't seem to keep down enough water - Safari alone had over 7 liters today. I, on the other hand, maybe had 2-3. A couple miles later I experienced my first of 3 rounds of trail magic on the day.The first came at CT 4 where, though relatively wiped out, I still managed to score a bit of water, a few pieces of chocolate, and an orange. Despite this break, Safari and I breaked again soon after we reached Hatch Brook. A hiker named Auto Draft (named for his bad luck with his fantasy football drafts,) and I chatted a bit and I found out he's a Packers fan as well. I thought it was pretty neat to be in the middle of the woods in Connecticut and having 3 Packer fans enjoying a drink together.I soon continued on and wouldn't see Safari again until West Cornwall Road where trail magic #2 was waiting. Here I enjoyed an apple, a few carrots, and a bag of trail mix. With thunder gradually rumbling louder, my plan was to reach Line Swamp Brooke Shelter and miss out on the rain if need be. The shelter sat a mile from the road and as I climbed up the initial, steep climb, the thunder only grew closer. When I reached the summit and had a view towards the west, I noticed the thin gray mask over a mountain in the near distance - rain was coming. No sooner than I threw my pack cover on did the sky open up. I began jogging and was able to reach Pine Swamp Brook Shelter in the first ~5 minutes of the rain that'd last the better part of an hour.Held up at the shelter I had no plans of staying in, I finished my dinner early in order to knock off a piece of this evening's to-do list. Both Yoohoo and Auto Draft joined during this time and would remain there for the evening as Safari and I set off again. I'd ultimately not see Safari again as he pulled off to camp at some point in the past ~3 miles, but I'm sure we'll bump into one another tomorrow. I continued until it was dark and then threw on my headlamp. The last couple miles would be spent watching my every step as I slowly made my way down the mountain over wet rocks and foggy skies. I eventually popped out at a road with a sign stating the normal road/bridge is under construction and I was to follow the signs of a detour.The night grew darker, thus making it more difficult to judge the surroundings around me. I eventually caught trail magic #3 as I passed along the grounds of the Trinity Episcopal Church. A series of 3 containers held sodas, snacks, and toiletries. I grabbed a couple of cracker packs for tomorrow, a few bandaids, and 3 sodas - 2 Coke's for tomorrow, plus a Sprite that I enjoyed on the spot. I filled out a trail register they provided, and then said screw it and hiked just off the road into what I think is an open field. I'm hoping the land belongs to the church and they're not too angry if they find me camping in the morning. After a long, tiring day, it's worth it versus continuing on in hopes of finding the next campsite in the blackness of dark.It'll soon be 12:00am, but at least I can say my day is done. Time to wrap this up. Tomorrow brings mile 1,500.Here's to trail magic x3, an extra pair of dry socks despite everything else being soaked with sweat, and the surprise I'll find when I awake and see where I've camped for the night.