Date: 2012-06-19
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter

To: Mt Algo Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: overcast clouds

19 June.  21 miles to Mt Algo Shelter.              6/19/12  "Today we hiked 21 miles. It was very easy. After a few miles we met a nice man on the board walk, and he offered us for him to drive us to the deli. So we went and had DELICIOUS  BACON SANDWICHES!!!!!!! Then after 12 miles we went swimming. APROX. a few miles we saw A TIMBER RATTLE SNAKE!!!! It was the most ugly, mean, aggressive, and big  snake ever!!! We got by it and took 20 mins to take pictures. Our effort meter is at zero.  We weren't in a rush."                        ¢Sunshine:-)  This was an interesting day!  Not epic, but certainly not the usual AT monotony.  At least you won't have to fight back sleep today while reading my entry.  First, we love CT. The trail seemed to go from jagged little rocks to smooth soft forest duff immediately after crossing the state line.  We saw some interesting trail magic today.  You know your hiker trash when you read the entire package of Gravy Train to verify that it is in fact dog food.  There was a deli .6 down the road today, but we resolved to not waste time on the extra milage.  We were still in NY and remember hitching is illegal there.  However, there was a kind man that offered us a ride to the place while he ate a tantalizing sandwich from said deli.  We're week, so we rolled the dice of not having a return ride and excitedly hopped in his car.  We can not deny or confirm how we returned to the trail, but suffice to say we were heading north once again with smiles and full belies.  I CAN say there was maryotchi music involved.  Beacon was delightfully surprised when we came up from behind him bearing food.  He didn't know we left the trail while in front of him earlier.    There was a beautiful sandy beach that Sunshine and I stopped at for a swim.  It felt good to cool off on a muggy day.  (Beacon just now as I type, adjusted his Sleep Number bed to 7.  Sunshine said she's stuck with a 1)  We heard a rattler right next to Sunshine this afternoon.  She screamed, ran forward and stopped at a safe distance. Now, here's the problem, we never actually saw it at this point.  We are now 50 feet apart and there is a hidden Rattle Snake between us.  What do you do, right?  Leaving the trail into heavier cover seemed risky at best.  We scanned the side of the trail but couldn't find it. I began to take one slow step at a time looking cautiously down trail in front of me while Sunshine watched for any movement as I approached.  After a few steps, I saw the most terrifying serpent I had ever encountered.  It was a 5 foot Timber Rattler and for some reason they look more evil than the rattlers I've seen in the desert and No. Cal.  It was coiled and ready to strike 3 feet off the trail.  It refused to move an inch.  At least now I could safely walk around it.  We left a note warning Beacon on the trail just before it.  3 miles later some south bounders warned us of another rattler in our last mile of the day.  I tell you this, it was our slowest mile ever.  We did see 4 Garder Snakes, but no more rattlers.  When Beacon arrived to camp, he said he saw the second one just off the trail,  but not the one by our note (which he picked up, (the note not the snake, ha, ha.)  and returned it to us).Beacon loves his town trappings just a bit more than we can afford so we taught him a little "town tagging" tonight.  You go into town get a few treats, take care of business (PO, laundry, groceries, ect) and get out.  This saves you a costly motel bill and breakfast. We set up camp here at 5:30 pm, hiked .3 to the road, hitched .9 to town (it is nice and legal in CT), consumed ice cream and soda while doing laundry, and returned to camp by 8:00pm!  Done!