Date: 2009-07-15
From: Mt Algo Lean-to, CONNECTICUT! 

To: Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-to, CT 
Miles today: 7.3

Cell goodOG notes We woke up a little later because we had to go into Kent,CT to buy food. We knew the stores wouldn't open until at least 9:00am and it was only 3/4 mile from where we were. When we did arrive in town the outfitter wasn't open at 9 so we went and had breakfast instead. Yup, another big breakfast today.We expected to be in town a little over an hour but ended up staying over three hours. With the late start we didn't end up going as far as we had hoped. We will now arrive in Great Barrington, Mass, too late to get our box on Saturday. We've decided to zero there Sunday and move on Monday after the Post Office opens. We're the only ones here at the site right now, but we expect there will be others. A few people we saw in town said they were coming here and, like us, probably got a later start than expected. We're comfortable in our tent right now at 7:55pm...a little past winter hiker midnight. With the insects out this is the nicest place to be.Today while we were eating breakfast a couple of tractor trailers carrying race cars (Indy type) went by. The road we were on goes to the Lyme Rock Race Track. We'll be hiking past there and we get a view of it at one point. I would love to see these cars on the track and get a picture of it. I'll let you know if I'm successful tomorrow.That's all I can think of for now, goodnight.C6 notesOur locations now call the shelters "Lean-tos." That's what's in the guide book we use for our information. They are no different from the shelters, just a different name. But...it looks as if perhaps the names of them is changing to "shelter," too, because there are new signs and the signs and shelter logs refer to these as "shelters." It's confusing. It would be clearer if they were all called shelters along the entire AT...maybe that's what they're trying to do. I'm surprised we are the only people here so far, but being so late in the day I doubt we'll see many (if any) more folk here tonight. I wonder if some folks miss this shelter because the sign for it on the AT doesn't say shelter...the sign points the the "Stewart Hollow Campsites." I didn't think it was the sign for the shelter. I'm glad OG is familiar with this area and knew it was the shelter location.The terrain today was mixed. Parts of the trail was very nice - wide, clear, fairly level paths. But we did some rock climbing, too. The descent was a challenge with how steep it was on huge boulders and rock faces. We were next to a huge rock face and wondered if anyone does rock climbing there. Around that same time we were hearing kids' voices. When we got to where the kids were, they told us they had been rock climbing (a different rock face from the one we were next to). At the road there was a YMCA van, so we're assuming they are from a YMCA camp.Today was a nice day. We enjoyed seeing some of our hiking friends in Kent (McBride,Leif E, Goof, Mr. Buffalo Man, Sunnuke, Tenzing, and Feather Foot). It's so much fun to see folks over and over and know we have so much in common from what we've been doing over the past few months.As OG wrote, it's hiker midnight now (darkness is approaching quickly), and I'm tired as well, so good night for tonight.Old Goat & Check Six