Date: 2014-07-05
From: Morgan Stewart

To: 10 mile river shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

In which there could be so many titles for this entry and I can't put a single one into words.The trail always provides just when something is needed. That has been my experience today. The temperature last night was awesome for sleeping. It was a little chilly and I feel asleep to "bombs bursting in air". Fireworks went on for quite a while, longer than people talking. I was so toasty in my quilt, just wish I could say I slept like a baby but sleep was fitful.It was sunny, dry and cool out this morning. Wonderful and a welcome change from the rainy weather. It was one of those mornings when all feels right with the world. I felt happy and ready for today, which means walking into another state, Connecticut. Another state done! I love how fast these past three states have clicked by. Feels like I am accomplishing something now. NY not only ended with a swampy board walk but also with some awesome trail magic!I was hitting a wall and was going to stop at the next shelter for a break and to make a phone call if I could get a signal. Well I never got to do that. What I did instead was more fabulous. I was hiking down the hill to the shelter. I hear someone saying "here comes a hiker". Then I hear "come have a seat, we have food ready for you". What? Are they talking to me? Am I hearing things? I was a little in shock and disbelief. Dumbfounded, I followed instructions. I took off my pack and had a seat at the picnic table. There I was served a HUGE, thick burger and bun with the fixings with a sprite to wash it down. Incredible doesn't even begin to describe how wonderful this was! That was followed by ice cream, a drumstick vanilla ice cream cone.Even more incredible than the food was the people serving it, Pat and Gloria. They live in Conn. where you can't have fires so they came to the last shelter in NY to make a fire and grill burgers for hikers! They are also the parents of Seminole who is hiking the CDT this year and who I briefly met at the beginning of my hike in Georgia. He was hiking the AT getting his trail legs ready before doing the CDT. Then he is going to finish the AT SOBO after completing the CDT. How awesome is that? Amazing.My food supplying was dwindling quickly and I was trying to make it a few more days before a resupply. This trail magic helped. Then I was also given a few clif bars. So amazing how things always work out. There were five of us who hiked on to the next shelter along the Housatonic river which was really flowing after all the rain. Stark and his dad are here and Twist and Little Bird. It's so good to see old faces and new ones. Mike and Wingnut eventually made it in at dusk.I also enjoyed a very nice lunch break in a cow field earlier. I was disappointed that the hot dog stand was not set up by the train tracks into NYC however, it all worked out in the long run today. I'd rather eat a burger than a hot dog any day of the week.The river is raging right now and the birds are still chirping both providing great white noise. It's going to be another cool nite. I'm happy to be in my tent with my feet propped up. My feet are burning and throbbing, my hip is a little sore and my left knee a bit swollen. I'm ready for bed! It's been another great day!