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WEEK 13 - June 15 to June 21, 1981 |
June 15, 1981
Got to see lots more gypsy moth devastation today. Large sections along the route were completely denuded. One four mile stretch along a ridge top that should have been a pleasant, shady, walk was instead hot and sunny. Tom and one of the scouts (also a Tom) have stayed close all day. We arrived at Farmers Mills shelter together. New York trails are rather poorly blazed. As Dan says, the motto of the NY/NJ trail club should be "where's the next blaze?". We spent about fifteen minutes trying to find the trail near the road crossing at Canopus Lake. The shelter here is in an amazing place - in among houses with a tennis court near by!
June 16, 1981
Traveled nearly 26 miles today - almost all of it on roads. Tom wanted to go another 3+ miles to Thayer Brook and thus be done with New York but we only got to a point about one mile south of the NY/CT line just about where I thought I would get to today. I feasted today on wild strawberries near "small" shelter.
June 17, 1981
Crossed over into Connecticut today and resupplied in Kent. I was dragging most of the day so I called it quits at Mountain Brook shelter. I overtook two more thruhikers here, Pete and "Gismo". There are getting to be remarkably few in front of us. Along with the 10 gazillion gypsy moth caterpillars I saw an interesting caterpillar today. - short, fuzzy, and having antennae like a snail. The terrain is once again beginning to look mountainous. Several decents today were steep, long, and over rock slabs. I found it interesting to hear four different types of thrush within on ten minute period today - hermit thrush, veery, wood thrush, and robin. Quite a symphony! Today I passed the 2/3 point of the trail. "Only" seven hundred miles to go.
June 18, 1981
Have arrived after a long 24 miles (24 plus a relocation) at Pine Knoll shelter where there is plenty of wildlife. Above me in the shelter is a bird's nest and a chipmunk and a toad have paid visits so far. The walk up the Hoosatonic River this morning was very pleasant except for the overgrowth which was wet. A deer out foraging on one of the islands went bounding through the water to the opposite shore. The early morning sun glistened on the water. Arriving at Cornwall Bridge I had a second breakfast of a one pound lemon danish and a quart of milk. Also bought two apples and candy to supplement my lunch. The trail up Dark Entry Brook is very nice, the brook having many fair size pools. I got lost momentarily around the "caves". The AT goes straight downhill there but is unmarked. In general, Connecticut has been a pleasant surprise so far. There has been some road walking but only for fairly short distances. I am slowly returning to the New England mountains. I have thought a great deal about Connie the last few days. I miss her and wish she were here to travel the rest of the way with me.
June 19, 1981
And on to Massachusetts! Have stopped in the gap between Race Mt. and Mt. Everett - about 4.6 miles into Massachusetts. In less than five miles travel I've encountered Sage Ravine with its deep clear pools and roaring waterfalls and Race Mountain with its scrub pine, rocky top, and 360 degree views. I really feel back into New England again. Connecticut was quite pleasing despite an occasional road walk. My last meal in Connecticut was a second breakfast of eggs, sausage, and pancakes at a cafe on rt. 7. When I sat down at the counter the waitress handed me a menu and an AT register to sign! This was surprising because I had left my pack outside and my approach would have been blocked from her sight. I guess you can always tell a thruhiker. "Mouse Slayer" Tom had preceded me by just an hour.
June 20, 1981
Met two groups of scouts today - one on the descent of Everett Mt. and the other on East Mt. Also saw a southbounder who started at Bennington and is headed for Pearisburg. I saw (and photographed) an unusual flower on Everett. Today was a wild berry feast - strawberries, red raspberries and lots of blueberries on Everett. Something else was munching while I was. The gypsy moth caterpillars are eating the blueberry plants. What an unspeakable evil! Starting around 10 a.m., it began to rain and continued intermittently all afternoon. I've been relaxing here at South Wilson shelter watching the newts stalk their dinner.
June 21, 1981
Is this the first day of summer or was yesterday? In either case the days will be getting
shorter again. My day's walk definitely will. No hurry through the Green Mountains. I
wonder, after this torrid pace, if I can hold myself down to 16-18 miles a day. It was quite a
surprise to catch up to Tom and notice the difference in attitudes towards mileage rates.
Tom likes to walk on roads because he can walk faster! If he has covered 24 miles by 6
p.m. he looks at his watch and says "In theory, I could cover 7 1/2 more miles today". I met
five southbounders today, all on weekend trips. Except for the dubious fellow in
Pennsylvania and the couple who had skipped the White Mountains, nobody yet from
Katahdin. I took a picture of one of the southbounders crossing the bridge over the
Massachusetts Turnpike. It is quite an elaborate structure and I hear that quite a fuss was
raised over the funds spent to build it. This evening it was chipmunks that were catching
their dinner. I discovered for the first time that they are omnivorous. They were catching
many of the hundreds of little brown moths flitting about here. They don't eat the wings
though and there were moth wings scattered all around the fire pit. Nobody else at the
shelter - fourth night alone in a row - and it's a weekend! There have been signs of porkies