Date: 2016-08-02
From: Nuckear Lake

To: Massachuusetts border
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

Boy what a few days does to changing everything...especially a few days of rain!!! When I last updated I mentioned the heat. Since then Connecticut (and most of the east coast) has been slammed with rain. The rain did two things: 1) drained my energy and 2) really cooled things off.I was in Kent Connecticut on Saturday. I had to race in to get a care package from a friend. The bulk of the box contained a giant roll of toilet paper and some cans of Wolf Brand Chili. Haha, everybody is a joker Andrew! Kent, Connecticut is home of the $7 beer at "the tavern" as well as the $175 a night "weekend in rate". I seriously think cargo shorts might be illegal wear in this place..despite it being an uppity place, people were very friendly. The point is, as I was drinking a $7 beer (which a very nice patron bought me) it started to rain...heavily.   I waited amount the rain and was given a ride back to the trail by a couple who were eating at the tavern. My plan was to save money by hiking in the misty woods and set up my tent quickly. All went to plan and that's a good thing since the bottom then dropped out and it rained all night. I am packing what I believe is the best tent for the AT... Despite that, after an all night deluge, stuff gets damp.In the morning I packed my wet stuff and started out. There was not a lot of north bounded but I did see Moose Dancer. All morning I kept seeing an occasional southbounder (I also saw several in Kent).The day was overcast and at 3:30 I found myself at a camp with a pavilion. I fell asleep and was awoken at 4:30 by Lt. Dan. Lt. Dan is a nice 20 something year old kid who looks EXACTLY like Lt. Dan in Forest Gump. Then Heavy D rolled in. He is a colorful character that I have only briefly met prior. Heavy D brought in to camp with him a forecast of more rain at 5:00. I was not having it and I was bound to go 7 more miles to the next shelter. Off I went and the rain started.I made it to the shelter at dark. It was the wettest and nastiest I felt during the entire hike. The only good news was it was not cold.In the shelter was Fremont, Thanks A lot and a southbounder girl ... Let's call her Scared of Mice because she was. Before I could crawl into the shelter another odd southbounder came hiking up and dove into the shelter soaking wet. After a brief one way conversation about shelter etiquette and thinking about the dry people inside the shelter, we settled down for the evening. The rain pounded the metal roof for two hours and then it settled down. Being crammed in a shelter full of wet hikers is not joyous especially when one is afraid of shelter nice and wakes everyone up everytime she heard or saw one. The reality is there were a lot of Vermin amongst us... It's part of the journey.In the morning I was the last one to clear out. All of my things were soaked from the walk on the rain the night before. I don't mean damp, but soaked. I put on wet sox and boots, shorts and shirt. I did not realize then that that crappy night of sleep and the wet clothes would soon drain me of all energy.I hiked to Falls Village and I was hoping for something hot from a deli or something. The best Falls Village could offer was a package store the sold beer, liquor, sodas and Gatorade. They did not have even one stick of beef jerky in the place! I bought a Gatorade and a Yohoo and walked across the street and found shelter under the inn's porch (closed on Monday) since the dreaded rain was back again.I drank the drinks and ate a pack of tuna and concluded I needed to get off the trail and dry out. So I found Maria Mcabe's number in AWOL's guide and called her. Maria turned 87 that day, but that did not stop her from doing what she has been doing for the last 17 years... Putting up hikers for $35 a night. For your $35 you get a shower, clean bed, breakfast (2 eggs and a banana, a shot of OJ, a bagel or a muffin). Since it was Maria's 87th bday I also got to go to dinner with her (Chinese) and the other hikers that were staying with her which was, Chatterbox (he was quiet), Moon Fire (a girl from Germany) and Flashlight (a thru hiker from 1999 doing from Harper's to Katadin this year). Maria's friend Jim was kind enough to pick up the tab. The dinner was good, but ran way to long and I was fearful I was about to do a face plant into what was left of my Happy Family meal from the Chef's Special menu. We agreed to do resupply in the morning (thank god). Maria was happy as well and we raced back to her house and all sat with her and watched the exciting season finally of The Bachlorette). I did not last long, but outlasted Moon Fire and Chatterbox before exhaustion finally landed me into bed.I woke up late this morning. It was overcast and it looked like more rain. Jim was kind enough to shuttle Flashlight and I to the laundromat which was of the highest of priorities. While we did laundry we ate at a pizza place next store. I crushed a salad and a foot long steak and cheese. It was good!!!After that we relaxed at Maria's house, the entire time I was hoping for sun so my pack and tent would dry. My plan was to hike out at 4 if the rain looked like it was passing. Moose Dancer showed up (he was staying tonight) and we convinced Jon to shuttle us to the store for a quick resupply. After resupply I quickly packed. Jim was going to the trail head to do a day hike and agreed to take me. The forecasted rain seemed unlikely and I said goodbye to Maria and the others.I only hiked 7 miles today, but crossed the 1,500 mile mark as well as I climbed Bear Mountain (the highest point in Connecticut). I ended the day just over the border into Massachusetts!At the top of Bear Mountain it was chilly. The elevation is 2,316 ( the highest we have been in a while I believe). The three days of rain really cooled things off and as I type this from my tent it's actually very chilly. Before I left Maria's Flashlight shared with me the forecast for this week... It's not supposed to get over 85 or so. In a weeks time I will be through Massachusetts and into Vermont! Have I seen the last of the blazing temperatures that three days ago seemed like they were never going to end? Only time will tell, but I am going to start my list of cold weather items to have Kelly send back to me right before New Hampshire.