Date: 2017-08-14
From: Tony's Deli

To: Schaghticoke Campsite
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

In case you were wondering: trains are loud. All the time. Especially when you're trying to sleep.I got about 5 or 6 hours total. We were all up around 6:30 - packing, getting delicious bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches from the deli, and hit the trail by 8. Ten Steps drove me back up the road to the trail head (no one wants to do an extra 0.5 when you're already in for a long day) and I was off.The dew was sparkling on the grass of the two (maybe it was 3) cow pastures at the top of the day. There were makeshift ladders for hikers to climb up and over the fences. I wish I'd taken a picture with my phone, but I guess you're just going to have to wait. Thankfully the SOBOs I'd met yesterday were talking about this piece, so I kept my pant legs zipped on thru the morning. (You know, that whole tick thing) Some really great views and a pretty mellow start that even included a trail magic rubbermaid container of gallons of water for hikers. (Thankfully, I'd gotten my water from the spigot at the deli)After the pastures, it was back into the woods. And suddenly I was surrounded by gnats. What felt like a swarm. Constantly. For the majority of the next 4 miles. When I stopped for my morning snack at the next shelter up the trail, they left briefly. As I was deciding what to eat (2 packets of blueberries and cream oatmeal and a pie bar), a middle aged man came off the trail, also northbound. After exchanging the normal pleasantries, he said "Man, how about those gnats, huh?" Glad to know it wasn't just me. Flip (the man) and I chatted while eating our snacks - he's still testing out gear on short trips and hoping to do the trail in 2 chunks over the next 2 summers. I convinced him to look into getting a hammock and he took off to meet his wife who was picking him up at the next road.The next chunk of the day was pretty easy - mostly flat or downs. And my first dip into CT. Ten Mile River runs along the trail for a bit and looks awesome. There's a newer shelter near the river where I stopped for lunch (a pita pocket with a packet of lemon pepper tuna and a Cliff bar). As I continued to fend off gnats, eat my food, and scan the visitor log book, I started getting the sense that I was in a place that could easily be the beginning of a bad horror movie.-The clouds were dark and looming overhead as we zoom in on a lone hiker. The girl hears a branch snap in the distance and looks up from her lunch. Creepy underscore music happens here and we see eyes flash in the woods behind the cabin-You get the idea. It had a kind of Blair Witch feeling to it. Too bad really - otherwise a very nice spot. Moving on, CT in general started to have that feeling. Lots of strangely bent trees, spots that have caught on fire, and general creepiness. Hard to explain. Not sure if I will have many photos. I was still being pursued by a swarm of gnats.The trail goes over the NY/CT line a few times. My goal was to get myself squarely in CT before stopping for the day. This involved a mountain. The Schaghticoke Mountain - named for the Native Americans who also have a reservation encompassing said mountain. It is a long, slow, upward trek. Especially when you're starting it around 3:30pm. The views from the top were worth it, but my legs are not happy about the day.A couple miles past the final switch into CT is the Schaghticoke Campsite. It's small, uphill about 0.2, following a very active stream. There are only 4 tent sites but they're all decent sized. It's me and a few people who I don't believe are AT hikers. The best thing about spots like this is it takes some doing to get here. Thus allieviating my other general fear of serial killers. However, most tent sites in CT have bear boxes due to black bear sightings. And this activates my fear of bears. Mostly because the signage on a bear box boils down to "Put all your things here in that smell edible. Check all your things. Choose wisely. Do not screw up." I guess you win some, you lose some.Sleep now, into Kent tomorrow on an almost zero day - real food, rest, and reevaluating where I want to stop over the next few days.Until next time...