Day 139
Start: Salisbury, CT
End: The Hemlocks Shelter
Miles Hiked: 13.0
Miles on AT: 1520.0
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My stay at Maria’s Place in Salisbury was good. Maria had been hosting hikers in her house for years and had sadly passed away in June. Her grandson was keeping the tradition alive and hosting hikers in the midst of everything. I was sorry to not have been able to meet Maria, but I’m glad I learned about what a fixture she was for AT hikers in CT.
Everyone got an early start this morning. I was the last out of the house at around 8:45, and I made my way to the grocery store for a light resupply and breakfast before heading out. I decided to be fancy this time and pack out cheese, salami, and break so that I could make sandwiches for lunch.
After my breakfast sandwich (bacon, egg, and cheese), I hopped back on trail. I learned my lesson from yesterday; I was going to take it slow and easy today. I didn’t care how many miles I hiked, I just needed slow, steady progress.
The trail was still relatively easy in this section. I had a gentle climb to start my day, nothing too strenuous. It felt like a weekend because there were a bunch of day hikers out and about. At least 10 people were hanging out and a nice view spot, and I saw even more on the trail.
Wanting to avoid the crowd, I kept on moving. The air was chilly today; I had to put on my puffy as I ate lunch at one of the shelters. I guess it was getting closer to that time of year. I wasn’t ready for cold weather to return!
My idea of packing out sandwich supplies worked perfectly. I had a tasty, calorie-filled lunch that really hit the spot. I spotted Eggz and Bacon’s shelter log entry in the logbook and it put a smile on my face.
Back on trail, it was time for me to tackle the highest peak in CT. Okay, it sounds daunting, but there aren’t any tall mountains in CT, so it really wasn’t that bad. The climb up was very gradual, allowing me to keep my promise of taking it slow and steady.
After I descended, it was time to cross another milestone: Massachusetts! Yes, I reached the end of CT in seemingly no time and entered MA. And, wow, what beautiful trail. It took us along a gorgeous creek that was full of swimming holes that would have been perfect to jump into if the weather was warmer. Plus, the crowning jewel was climbing up Mt. Race and viewing seemingly all of MA below me.
At this point, the sun had come out and warmed up the air a bit. I took the opportunity to sit in the sun and enjoy a peach I had packed out. The sun was warm on my face and the peach was sweet on my tongue. Who could ask for more?
But, I couldn’t stay up there forever. I needed to get to the shelter. I had one more climb, and then I was there. 2 hikers from Maria’s were also camping at the shelter tonight, so I was no longer alone. They were taking it even easier than I was, doing between 10 and 15 miles a day. I felt reassured that I wouldn’t be alone when I summited Katahdin; there were other slowpokes like me!
And that’s day 139.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.