Date: 2003-08-25
From: Belter's Campsite

To: Salisbury, Conn.
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

start Belters Campsitedestination Salisbury,Conn.The guys had checked their data books last night and found that there was a place just off of the road in Falls Village that served a great breakfast. Our plan then had been to hike into town and eat then get back on the trail. Upon checking again, it was closed during the first part of the week, so we cooked ourselves and headed up the trail. After awhile we came up on a telephone pole with an announcement that indeed the restaurant was open, so off we went to eat again. We walked into the town of Falls Village only to find that the Mountain View Cafe was way on the other side of town. So we opted to go to the pizza place down the road. We found that it was closed for remodeling. As we are standing there on the porch contemplating what to do a guy in a station wagon drives up and inquires of the workman out front when the place would open again. He shruggs his shoulders. I turn to the driver and ask him if he would give us a ride. He looks at me real funny, then asks where we want to go. To the Mountain View Cafe I told him. Sure enough he gives us a ride. As Chafe said, what else could he do? Tell us no? I told the guys over our meal that it was up to them to get us a ride back to the trail since I had gotten the ride to the cafe. We walked all the way back to the trail after we ate. Sometims the trail just goes too close to a town not to take advantage of it's offerings. Chafe and Carnethy Bob both needed to go into town for food. And Salisbury was just a big enoug town and close enough to the trail to make it convenient. I am not one to waste a good trip into town, so before they knew it, I had talked them into hiking into town and staying at Maria's Hostel for the night. As we were all standing in the road in a neighborhood digging for the directions to the hostel, a woman comes out of her house and asks us if we are looking for her. We are if you are Maria, I said. She says she has a room with a double bed and a room with a two twin beds. I tell her I cannot sleep with either of these guys. I do have some modesty left. She says I can have one of the twin beds. The other one is already spoken for, but she ays I will be safe because it is a hiker and he is 81 years old! We all look at each other and bust out laughing. It has got to be Cimarron! The teacher from my past! Maria gets a big kick out of that story and an even bigger kick when she takes us and drops us off and pick Cimarron up from the Chinese Restaurant! More laughs and joking, along with threats of calling his wife back in Florida. We eat our fill of Chinese food and call Maria for a ride back to our homr for the night. We are clean, well fed and happy. Maria is what I would call a peppery lady. A quick smile and sense of humor enhanced by her deep German accent. She has a love for hikers that is evident, but she tolerates no funny stuff, and expects people to respect her rules which are few. I found out that the Salisbury Rotary meets in town tomorrow at noon, soI call and wrangle a few minutes on the program. I am also offered to be picked up. I think I can walk the three blocks from Maria's. I need to go to a meeting. I am discouraged by the lack of sponsors I have had or not had recently. Maybe I am just addicted to meetings, be it Rotary or Twelve Steps or whatever....no, I just need some encouragement and some fellowship with sane people! total miles 11.2