Date: 2018-09-02
From: South of Salisbury, CT

To: Caesar Brook
Miles today: 17.4

I usually have a song for each day but seldom mention it. Yesterday, the first day of September, it's mandatory I play yearly "September Morn" but I forgot to write it in the journal entry. So, that's the song for September 1st: "September Morn. We danced until the night became a brand new day..." I'll tell you today's song in a minute. On the trail at 6:51. I had a great start to hiking today because the trail stayed pretty contour until Prospect Mountain. I had no water for coffee this morning only Powerade. So, I got water along the way and made coffee at Prospect Mountain while sitting on a rock outcrop. About 15 trail runners came up the mountain walking going north. They stopped at the view near me to take selfies. I happened to ask if they ran Escarpment Race in New York. Practically every one did. I mentioned I ran it for 20+ years before I hurt my knee. They threw out familiar names I knew: Ben Nephew, Rick Fargo...yes, I knew those guys. We talked a bit. I said I miss running Escarpment, the "Run in the Sky." One guy said "But look what you're doing now. You're still going!" I thank him for that comment. They all took off running and I felt sad. There's where my song for today came in. "Those were the days my friend. We thought they'd never end. We'd sing and dance forever and always..." Off down the mountain, through some fields, by the hydro dam, and to the Toymaker, a restaurant. Another Sobo, Habib, came in behind me. We never met. We ordered breakfast and sat at a table talking. I ordered the hash brown platter. For $9 I got a big plate of potatoes, scrambled eggs, two large sausage patties, toast and coffee. It was superbly luscious. After breakfast we both headed out separately. He does bigger miles than I do so probably won't see him again. Back on the trail through park-like woods, across the Housatonic River then up the mountain. The trail wound through the woods for a few hours then dropped steeply to West Cornwall Road. After that it went back up, through a boulder field, then down to a stream. I met a couple there who asked how far it was to Caesar Brook Campsite. Unfortunately I had to tell them that was where I was headed and they passed it a mile and a half ago. They headed back south. I passed by them at a place with about 100 rock steps. At 6:40 I came to Caesar Brook. After crossing and checking out the campsites, I backtracked across the creek and set up camp. 20 minutes later the couple I turned back came in. I told them I felt so bad for them especially having to go back up those steps. I said sometime at home you can laugh about it. The guy said someone's never going to let him forget it and she smiled. I took a hot bottle shower and got in the tent. I heard Barred Owls again. They must be following me. Also today, I saw my first deer, a button buck 15 feet away from me and it didn't run. The only other big game animal I've seen is the teen moose in Maine. I saw a black squirrel two days ago which was interesting. Bed time. Forest critters singing away loudly. Beautiful night Those were the days my friend. We'd thought they'd never end...