Part 3: New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts & Vermont
Wild turkey with chicks. The adult made sure all the chicks had scattered and were safe, then casually walked off the trail to let me pass by.
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The AT through New Jersey was not as rough as in Pennsylvania.
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I detoured .3 mile off the AT to get a meal at the Wit's End Tavern in Unionville NY.
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June 26, Day 65 Camped near the top of Pochuck Mountain
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Bog bridges and boardwalks were common in NJ where the trail crossed swampy terrain.
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A Northern Water Snake. The markings are similar to a Copperhead, but I knew it was not a pit viper. I saw no Copperheads or Rattlesnakes during my entire hike, but I wonder how many I walked past without seeing them?
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My early morning companions, even in New Jersey and New York
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During one those New York end-of-July heat waves: 96 degrees with the heat index making it over 100 degrees F. Stay hydrated and watch for signs of heat exhaustion.
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Starting the ascent of Bear Mountain in New York. The trail on Bear Mountain is one of the original sections of AT.
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There were good views of the Hudson River from the summit of Bear Mountain
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The dainty white flowers of Pipsissewa
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The magnificent Dover Oak, estimated to be over 300 years old and with a girth (4 feet off the ground) of over 20 feet
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July 1, Day 70 Near the Ten Mile River in Connecticut. I placed my umbrella over my pack to keep the pack dry while pitching camp.
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In Connecticut, mile 1473.7
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Near the Housatonic River in CT I came to another team of volunteers. Here they are moving large rocks into place to make steps across a natural drainage. The trail crews I met along the way were always having a good time, laughing and joking together as they worked.
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On July 3, Day 72, I hiked off the trail .4 mile to the pretty town of Salisbury, Connecticut. I had another resupply box waiting for me at the post office. This time, though, I arrived in town on a Saturday evening, after the post office had closed for the holiday weekend. I decided I was due for a day off the trail. I hadn't taken a full rest day (a "zero" day) for almost two months.
Two days before, I had booked a private room for two nights at Vanessa Breton's hostel. Vanessa helped me out by retrieving my resupply box from the post office before they had closed for the weekend. I would lose a day of hiking by staying two nights, but my body really needed the rest. A clean and quiet room with a comfortable bed. A hot bath in Epsom salts, lots of good food from the nearby market, clean clothes, clean gear, new shoes, and a full day of rest. This was heaven.
The Bluebead Lilies had already bloomed, but the shiny blue berries were just as beautiful.
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In Massachusetts there were lots of these bog boards over muddy sections of trail. When wet with rain, the boards were slippery and I had to step carefully.
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July 8, Day 77 I hiked half a day with "Mama-san." Here, we are arriving in the trail town of Dalton, MA.
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Mama-san was planning on stopping at the next shelter, Mark Noepel Shelter, but I was keen on summiting Mt. Greylock that afternoon. It was a long haul and very wet, raining off and on as it had been all morning, and of course the trail was running with water, once again. I tried my best to stay avoid it, stepping from rock to rock to root to rock etc, but it was hopeless. My feet had been wet all day. I was about 2 miles from the summit, and I finally gave up trying to stay out of the water. It slopped over the top of my shoes as I sloshed right up the trail. It was so much faster going, and easier than trying to avoid the big puddles and the gushing stream pouring down the trail. Just slop on through and keep moving fast.
Without any water bars, the trail can become a gushing creek during heavy rain. Wet, muddy shoes and socks were the norm through most of Massachusetts and Vermont.
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Bascom Lodge, at the summit of Mt. Greylock (3,491 ft) in Massachusetts
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The last mile to the summit of Greylock seemed to take a long time. Plus I was in the swirling clouds with a stiff and cold wind blowing. Suddenly Bascom Lodge appeared in the mist. I made it! It was 6 pm. I wanted to go inside to rest and dry out and warm up, but the door was locked. Odd, because I could see people inside. I was disappointed. I decided to keep going, but the visibility was so poor that I could barely see the signs, which way to go. It was like being on top of Mt. Washington: cold, zero visibility, and the wind howling. Finally I found the trail going past the tall tower of the war memorial.
Still near the summit of Mt. Greylock, the AT went past the Thunderbolt Shelter. The door was unlocked, so I went inside and it was empty. No hikers. It was dry, and warm enough, out of the weather. Oh man, jackpot! Then I saw the sign that said Emergency Use Only. Warming Hut. No Overnighters. I definitely needed to warm up, so I removed all my wet clothes and put all my warm dry clothes on, 5 layers. I took off my wet socks to let my feet dry out for a short while, then put on warm, dry socks. But I was still cold. I began to consider this an "emergency." I wrapped myself in my quilt. And then a lodge employee walked in. He was friendly and said that he didn't mind me staying there that night, but it wasn't particularly safe, due to the nearby road. He recommended the bunkhouse at the lodge as a safer option. And he explained that there are 3 entrances into Bascom Lodge and usually at least one door is kept unlocked for the guests.
He showed me the unlocked door, I went in and paid my $35 for a bunk with clean sheets and pillow and a shower with towel and soap. The price included coffee, tea and a muffin in the morning, starting at 8 am. I knew I would be long gone by 8 am, so I asked for my cup of tea tonight, instead.
I wasn't too thrilled about sleeping in the bunkhouse, but I was even less thrilled about hiking on in the cold, wet dark. There was one motorcyclist and 6 other hikers. All the bottom bunks were taken. I had to choose the best top bunk (the one with the safest ladder), and I felt sorry for the young hiker directly below me. I apologized to him, but he just smiled, shrugged, and went back to his phone. I didn't know it then, but I would meet up with this hiker, Woody, on the summit of Katahdin, 6 weeks later.
It all worked out in the end, and I was clean and dry and warm. During the night, the rain came down in torrents, like a hurricane in Papeete or Fatu Hiva. Absolutely pouring, with the conifers whipping back and forth in the wind. I hoped it would stop by morning.
July 13, Day 82 Climbing Bromley Mountain in Vermont, mile 1,656
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I had not seen blue sky for several days, so this view from Baker Peak in Vermont's Green Mountains was most welcome
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Home sweet home. Crawling into the Spitfire at the end of a long day of hiking was the best feeling in the world.
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Welcome to Hanover, New Hampshire! July 19, Day 88
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The AT goes right through the town of Hanover. Past coffee shops, cafes, art boutiques, a post office, and a large grocery co-op. I had a resupply box waiting for me at the post office. This time I arrived early in the morning, before the po was open. So I went to a convenience store to dry out, warm up, coffee and donuts, and food for the next leg of the hike.
The sorting of my resupply box - determining what I needed to carry with me and what I wanted to send home - took a bit longer because I had received a thicker quilt, some more warm clothes, extra socks, new shoes, and the plethora of some items: foot care, camera chip and battery, water filter cartridge, and so on. By the time I had finished, the rain had quit.
I continued walking through town with my heavily loaded pack, made one last stop at the grocery co-op for fresh produce, fresh bagels and cheese, juice and yogurt, then proceeded on, along the muddy trail and through the still-dripping woods. So much for clean, dry shoes. But the resupply had gone well, and I was off the trail for just 3 hours. Another milestone was behind me. The White Mountains of New Hampshire were next.
