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[at-l] well...I guess this is it...



For some reason some folx want I should send a 'trip report' for my 
little hike in CT. Wasn't much happened worth reporting, though. Here's 
what I can remember of it...

I left my house around 7:15 p.m. on Sunday Dec 12. Went over to my good 
buddy's Scooter's house to watch 'The Simpsons' and 'Arrested 
Development'. After 'AD', I drove off into the rainy/snowy night. 
Somewhere on the far side of Ohio (that'd be the east side), I pulled 
over for a little nap. This was sometime around 3 in the a.m. I 
slept/rested on and off for a couple of hours. I was sleeping/resting in 
the cab of my truck under a sleeping bag and two guitars. When I decided 
the sleeping/resting was over, I tried to stretch out and sit up 
straight. In the process, I spilled some cold coffee on my sleeping bag. 
I cussed. It smelled kinda good...but, I still cussed.

I got up and hit the highway again. Snow flakes were a bit bigger now 
than before the sleep/rest. I pushed on. I was headed to Peekskill, NY 
where I was meeting a man named Rocky. He is the stage manager for 
Mellencamp and BonJovi when both aren't working at the same time. He had 
purchased a 1958 Harley Davidson Hummer and I was delivering it to his 
warehouse for him. (Isn't this interesting?!?)  I crossed the AT at DWG 
and then I went up Bear Mtn. when I got there...the tower road was 
closed, though. I then crossed the Bear Mt. Bridge. That was nice. I 
made it to Rocky's warehouse before him and got to talking to the guy 
who has the storage facility next to Rocky's. He was the local 
distributor of Snyders of Hanover pretzels. When I told him I was going 
hiking, he said two things. One thing he said was "I hope you've got 
plenty of drugs and whiskey." I did have plenty...even though that was 
none. He also said "You like pretzels?" I didn't have plenty of 
pretzels...cuz,  I love Snyders of Hanover pretzels. He gave me two bags 
of sourdough pretzels...assuming I'd have the munchies after all that 
dope I was gonna smoke and I'd want something to wash down with the 
whiskey I was gonna drink. So be it.

After the transaction of giving Rocky his motorcycle and some chit-chat 
and all, I headed out again. It was about 5:30 in the p.m. on Monday. 
 From Peekskill I was headed to New Milford, CT. This is where Andy and 
Liz live. Andy is John's lead guitar player (thus the guitars in my 
truck) and Liz is generally some level of tour management. They're good 
folx who live in a house that was originally constructed in 1741. I'd 
have thought they could afford a newer place.

I got to Andy and Liz's about 7:00ish. We had a scrumptuous dinner of 
chicken cooked in some sort of 'home-rotiserie' device. It was mighty 
fine. After many hours of chat and MNF watching, I retired to bed. The 
hope and intent was to rise the next morning and have Liz drop me off at 
Hoyt Rd...where the AT crosses the NY-CT line the southernmost time. 
 From there, I'd hike to Mt. Algo S. However, when I awoke Tuesday 
morning, it felt like my ex-mother-in-law was standing on my head. I had 
a crushing, pounding headache. And, my stomach wasn't feeling none too 
goodly neither. Andy and Liz are both smokers and I think sitting at the 
table the night before with the two of them smoking was the culprit 
causing my headache.

So, back to bed I went...and, stayed all day. Andy bought me soup 
(Progresso Chciken noodle...) which was sweet of him. (I tole you 
they're good folk) I slept most of the night (Tues) and woke Wednesday 
feeling much better...but, body-sore. I decided I needed to get out into 
the fresh air and see how I felt. So, I had Liz Drop me off at hwy 341 
just out of Kent...which is about 10 miles from their house. As I headed 
across the sun-drenched pasture, still crunching with frozenness, it 
felt good to be breathing again. It was 10:25.

I made nice time. The weather was perfect...sunny, little wind...24 
degrees. It was all much prettier than I remembered it being. Maybe 
because of the crispness and the views with the leaves being down. I saw 
lots of dux as I walked the river walk. I saw an interesting thing just 
north of Stewart Hollow Brook Lean-to (I checked this time, Cake...you 
weren't there  :)   there were upside-down icicles. There was a log 
across a strongly-flowing brook. Water was splashing up from various 
places and hitting this log. The part of the icicles that was attached 
to the log was the narrowist part...the bottom the widest. I said "Mrs. 
Calabash". 

Not much happened...I saw an owl of some sort. Probably a barred. I was 
disappointed at Caleb's Peak to see a sign positioned for northbounders 
to see...but, none for southbounders. One thing I DO like about CT AT is 
that it is welly signed. (Which reminds me....on most of this hike, 
there were frequently these little white, metal disks...about 2" across 
and circular...with little red hearts painted on them...nailed to trees. 
Does anybody know what that was about?) (Anyone here, I mean). I saw a 
man walking a dog.

When I got to Hwy 4, that goes into Cornwall Bridge, there was an 
older-than-me couple going for a quick walk before dark. It was 3:00 or 
so and dusk wasn't far off. I crossed 4 and went down to Guinea (?) 
Brook. This creek is about 15' wide and is supposed to be a rock hop. 
That is nearly impossible when the rox you are supposed to hop on are 
ice-covered. And, they were. So, I walked up stream a few hundred 
feet...did I mention the brooks were all flowing and water was 
plentiful?...they were. ..and, couldn't find a good place to cross. So, 
downstream I went. I found a pair of logs that were laying across the 
stream in such a way that I could cross them. They were ice-covered, 
too...and, about 15' above the brook. So, I crawled...carefully...across 
one log to the other, then to the other bank. 20 minutes to go 20 feet. 
By now, the sun was well into the trees, and nearly down to the 
mountain. I picked up the pace a little and pushed on. There were lots 
of beautiful stream crossing and the air was getting cold.

I got to Caesar Road Campsite and quickly set up my tent (Eureka 
Solitaire) and started dinner. I got in my bag while my Trangia SLOWLY 
cooked whatever I was having for dinner that night. (I think it was a 
Lipton)I looked at my watch...it was dark outside...it was 4:32. Dark at 
4:32!!!  (13.6 miles in six hours)

 So, I ate dinner (which is a horrible chore in a solitaire when it's 
cold out. ) I listened to the radio for a while and found out it was 
about 5 degrees in Salsbury...probably less where I was. Friends...it 
was cold. But, I was wonderfully warm in my ol' Campmor -10 down bag. 
Never a chill that I recall...other than when I was leaning out the 
door, on one elbow, trying to cook and eat...(in case you are wondering, 
it is MUCH easier to cook in a shelter when it's cold cold than it is to 
cook in a tent.) I still had an enjoyable evening that night.

 I woke up early and was actually hiking before the sun came up (THAT is 
a rarity). I took a quick break at Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to and 
reminicsed about my stay there on my thru-hike. I checked out the privy, 
but made no deposit. There was a sleeping bag in the shelter. I thought 
that was odd.

The day was beautiful again. Clearish and COLD. A mile or so north of 
the shelter there was a beaver dam damming a culvert. Water was running 
across a forest service road. I didn't see a beaver, though. (I guess I 
jumped to a conclusion that the dam was constructed by a beaver. I'm 
sorry about that.) I pushed on...again seemingly making good time. I 
felt really good except for something weird in the back of my left knee. 
I couldn't/can't remember doing anything to it...but, it felt like a 
pulled calf muscle, or something. IT STILL HURTS! It wasn't bad enuff to 
stop, or slow, my hiking, though.

I hiked on...got to the US7 crossing, walked around that field/river 
walk. Crossed that bridge and then turned left like I think I was 
supposed to. The day was warm and sunny. Temps in the upper 20's I 
imagine. I stole water from a spigot at the power plant. As I crossed 
the iron bridge, the ice on the water below was creaking and cracking 
and crunching. It was really kewl to listen to. I took a break by one of 
the little overlooks where you can see the falls from (right next to a 
trash can. I love throwing away trash). I did something here that I 
almos never do...I took my stove out during the day. I heated up hot 
chocolate and ate some snax. It warmed me and gave me a nice boost of 
energy to push me on the rest of the afternoon.

After my break, I pushed on up the trail. Somewhere about halfway up 
Prospect Mt. I was semi-attacked by a dog. I was hiking along when I 
looked up the trail to see a big golden retriever-type dog running down 
the trail toward me, full bark-growl-sneer. I took my headfones off and 
could hear a woman yelling from on up the trail. I couldn't hear her 
well enuff over the barks to know if she was yelling at me or the dog. 
The dog stopped about two feet from me...me with my Leki drawn and ready 
to attack...the woman still yelling. I thought..."I'd hate for this 
woman to watch me kill her dog." It's funny...I really thought that. So, 
finally she and ANOTHER  unleashed dog show up and we have a 'pleasant' 
conversation for a moment or two...her apologizing. I hiked on.

I was making good time, but was winding down. I had looked at the map 
while I was drinking my hot chocolate and had decided I was going to try 
to camp near a stream on the trail-north side of Billy's View. I made it 
there in much better time than I thought. I picked out a nice 
spot...which was no easy chore considering all the barberries covering 
that mountainside. I got set up and was in my bag again right at dark. 
It was MUCH warmer this night. My water bottles didn't even freeze 
inside my tent. 17.5 miles in about 9 hours. Through the night, there 
were several deer that didn't care much for me taking one of the few 
good 'bed down' spots. There was snortin' going on all night.

I woke up feeling good...but, sore and tired. I got to lookin' at the 
maps and my schedule and listening to the weather on the radio. I had a 
couple of things I NEEDED to do, or wanted to pretty badly (involving 
NFL games and the Christmas Holiday) and it just didn't look like I was 
going to be able to achieve them AND my hike itinerary. Throw in the 
'winter storm warning' that was forecast for that night and the next 
day, and I decided I'd forego the rest of the hike and see if I could 
hitch from Salisbury to my truck in New Milford. Once I made that 
decision, I rolled over in my sleeping bag and had a very pleasant 
morning just laying there. I finally got up and got going. I hiked the 
three miles to CT 41 and still made it to the CoffeeHouse by 10:15. A 
large coffee and bagel later and I went to the post office to get my 
maildrop. I was pleasantly surprised to also get a cute little card from 
Pilot and a really nice box of goodies from eArThworm. (Thanks again, Linda)

The folx at the post office were saying 'this is a record' and 'we've 
never had a hiker in here this late'. I told them that I had just been 
section hiking and was probably done. (I'd decided if I didn't get a 
ride fairly quickly, I'd push on up the trail for another day or so) I 
was standing out in front of the post office putting my packages away. 
Lots of people were looking at me and talking about how cold it is. I 
started to talking to a guy and I yogied a ride out of him. "Which way 
do I want to hitch from here to get to New Milford?" after a few minutes 
of him explaining what I needed to do, I said "So, you're saying I can 
make it by dark if things go good?" with a smile. He thought for a 
minute and said "Let me get my mail and I'll take you to Sharon" (a 
town).  So, he drove me to Sharon...and, right on the edge of Sharon he 
said, "I'll just take the country way and take you to Cornwall Bridge. " 
Excellent. He dropped me off at Cornwall Bridge, a place with a special 
memory or two for me and Rambunny and the Honeymooners. (at least it was 
special for me. I can't speak for them)  I never did tell him that I 
really DID know which way I was supposed to be hitching.

I stood on the road there...US7...for about ten minutes when a little 
volkswagon pulls over. A long-haired, long-bearded kid gets out and 
opens the hatch. He had finished a southbound thru on Nov 1. He was my 
brother. We had a great talk. He took me right to Andy's house. How 
sweet is that? So, it took me about 10 minutes more to hitchhike than if 
I'd had my own car.

So, I hiked about 33.4 miles in two nights and a short day. I'll take that.

I think the only thing to say about the next few weeks was that Pilot 
and I spent New Year's Eve with the Honeymooners (former listers, Ruck 
veterans, '01 northbounders) and had a fandamntabulous time with them.

Anything else? (all this for 33 damn miles...tsk tsk tsk)


-- 
Felix Enero
ME-->GA '98
"Your Move"
ALT '03 KT '03
http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/