Date: 2014-07-06
From: Winthurri Shelter

To: Happy Hill Shelter
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: few clouds

Great group last night. All nice people I enjoy a lot. About nine you could hear two different groups of fireworks. Sad I missed them. But I was also really tired from the quick long hike so wasted little time falling asleep. One of the last ones up so one of the last to leave. The trail is really nice and well kept. There's a lot of up and down today that I'm not looking forward to but there's also a deli towards the end of the day and I can get some ice cream! Started the downhill out of camp and HEY there bear number eleven! We both were not paying attention and I walked a little too close for comfort. He ran immediately. I mentioned it before but dig how nonchalant it all is now. Ho hum another one. Down at the bottom of the hill Survivorman catches up with me and we get to hike together for a while. He's got a great little schedule that shows how to hike the rest at fifteen average a day with some zeros and finish on August 9 so I'm confident I'm right on target. Hiking up the other side I see a group of trail maintainers ahead. They pull out all the stops and yell out to "Step aside! There's a thru-hiker ahead!"   Sweet. The lady up front bows when I get there. Then I got swarmed with questions. It was really nice. Survivorman got the same treatment. They told me there was trail magic ahead so I made it to a stream to find a bucket of Sprite. Refreshing but a little warm. It's a sunny hot day BTW. Well appreciated. Stopped and had a snack and moved up the next hill. I think I blew my legs out a little yesterday in the mad dash to avoid night hiking. They're really not having it today. Not good as I'm only about eight miles in to a twenty mile day. I'm a good climber though. I just focus on the top and keep moving. I left Survivorman at some point and made it to the summit where it was big open flowery fields full of raspberries that were just beginning to ripen. They've got it good up north with the fruit crops. Back in the forest I discovered all these tubes with valves hanging between trees. Took me a minute but realized it's for the maple syrup. Yumm! Can't wait for more French toast. Not far down the hill I saw another cooler! This one was full of cookies and bags with the makings for s'mores in each one. They were marked "Only a few s'more miles!" Cute. And true! Less than 500. I left the s'mores though. It's hot. That chocolate would be a soupy mess. Here though is where the day did not agree with me. It got very hot out in the woods. It's usually ok but out in the open it's blazing. You had to leave the woods and hike through West Hartford. About a mile. The sweat is pouring off but around the corner is the Village Market where the ice cream is. I'm getting a milk shake and soda I think. But wait...what?! Closed?! On a Sunday afternoon?! Ugh. Why? I'm really disappointed. I found out it's closed permanently but must have been after the guide was published. I also found out after the fact that there's a family near who rings a bell to get your attention and invites you over for a soda and I missed that too! Not a good afternoon. I just decided to move on and get to shelter and relax. The hike was endless. There are streams not shown in the guide that make you think you're closer than you are. When you find out you aren't it's so demoralizing. Just went on and on. Eventually you always get there though and it's a nice shelter with plenty of tent spots and a good very cold stream and a nice new privy. Gray Squirrel and Flossie are here and Inflammable has already built a little fire to ward off the mosquitos so all is not unhappy at Happy Hill. Big news now - passing into New Hampshire first thing in the morning. Mind blown.