The day's hike was largely uneventful. I met a mom backpacking with her 10-year-old son, Noah. Good for her for getting such a young kid out in the backcountry! And good for him for wanting to go out! =)
Although I started the trail in Connecticut, the trail did wander back into New York for about two miles before returning to Connecticut again.
I officially passed the 2/3rd mark of the entire trail. Two-thirds done! One-third left to hike! The end was getting ever closer....
The trail was a rough one for most of the day with lots of rocky ups and downs, but late in the day the trail followed an utterly flat 4 to 5 miles alongside the Housatonic River. The walking was nice and easy, but gnats came out in force along that section and even with my quick pace, they proved to be a nuisance so I pulled out my head net to wear. Problem solved!
Most hikers near me on the trail got off to resupply in the town of Kent, but I carried enough supplies to get me completely through Connecticut and halfway through Massachusetts so I got ahead of everyone I knew who was nearby.
At the end of the day, I set up camp at the Silver Hill campsite with two French Canadians who were thru-hiking the trail and two girls who were spending a week on the trail. Not very crowded! There was no shelter here so I cowboy camped at a nice overlook near a swing bench. Weather forecasts predicted a slight chance of rain during the night. If that happened, I figured, I'd move my camp to be under the pavilion nearby.
There was a small view from the campsite overlooking a meadow which fireflies lit up all night. Very nice! =) The water source came from a pump that made the water look brown. Worst water I've ever seen from a pump and I just didn't use it at all. I had carried in enough water that I felt I could wait until I got to the next good water source.
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| Silver Hill Campsite |
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| The best part of this campsite was this bench on a swing! =) |
1 comment:
I lived in Kent for 2 years! used to run up and down the trail by Bulls Bridge. I would always invite thru hikers for dinner/shower but they always had plans for pizza and ice cream in town..its a bummer they rerouted much of the AT in CT over the years, you don't go down the Giant's Staircase anymore, right before you get into town.
california bluefrog
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