Start:Ten Mile River Shelter (AT mi 1461.5). Stop: Kent, Connecticut (AT mi 1470.2). Today’s miles: 8.7 miles. Total AT mileage: 445.5 miles
I woke up suddenly just after midnight for no apparent reason. I saw the fireflies still lighting up over and over again all across the field, so I sat up and just watched for awhile, in total mesmerization. Eventually, my eyelids got tired and I fell back to sleep. The next time I woke, it was to a thunderstorm just after 6am. The sky was dropping buckets, but I had to pee, so I got up and found my umbrella, then made my way to the privy.
When I got back to the shelter, very thankful I stayed in the shelter and didn’t attempt to set up my tent with my broken trekking pole, Lizard was there and Derby was still sleeping. She was trying to keep warm and dry as she packed up her stuff to get started for the day. I briefly thought that this would be the perfect place for me to zero.. since my phone won’t be delivered until tomorrow afternoon. But then I realized I’d be hanging out in the woods alone with no phone and if something went wrong, it could have the potential to go very wrong.. and also the cozy shelter I was currently in would most definitely end up being the refuge for every single hiker coming north through here today. I’d have my dry warm spot taken over by dripping wet-wanting to be dry folks. Understandable, but not fun lol
Everyone pretty much did exactly as Lizard had, ran their dry things over to the shelter when they woke to eat and stay dry themselves before waiting for a momentary break in the rain to pack their wet tents/hammocks. I can’t remember what time Lizard headed out, but I finally got my crap together and left around 9:30am. I wanted to be ahead of the group for as long as I could manage, so if something happened to me, like a slip on wet rocks or whatever, I’d know someone would be coming across me soon enough.
It rained off and on all day. The temperature was cooler than it had been, and honestly it was beautiful. The trail was dark, soft mud and dirt, so dark in comparison to the leaves around that they seemed to glow the brightest shades of green, like chartreuse and lime. It made me think back the family owned fabric store I grew up working in, all through high school and college.. all the different types of upholstery and drapery fabrics we sold, their different textures, the velvets and silks, polyesters and cottons. It’s strange where your mind goes sometimes.
There were several long assents leading to, of course, long descents.. up and over misty mountains with foggy outlooks and white skies. I ate my lunch on one of those rocky overlooks, seeing nothing but low lying clouds and feeling the wind across my wet body, making me shiver. I made it to the shelter right before the descent into Kent, Connecticut. Lizard and Derby were already there, along with a ridge runner and some groups of section hikers and a few thruhikers. Lizard was deciding on waiting for the others to show up, to see who was pressing on and who was staying. I was deep in thought on deciding if I wanted to stay at this shelter, or trek into town to find a motel for the night.
After talking with everyone, including the ridge runner, and figuring out where a motel in town would be (no phone, remember), I told Derby I was going to go to town to get a room because I was cold and wet and wanted a shower. Kent, Connecticut is known to be a pricey town and not always hiker friendly, with expensive prices for rooms and food. But you know what? I didn’t care, I was less than a mile away from a shower and I would have to wait around until the afternoon tomorrow regardless, to get my phone.. so why not wait around in a bed until 11am checkout time?
Derby decided he’d come, too, so the 3 of us set out together, with the intention of Lizard going on to the next shelter when we turned into town. As we were walking out, the rest of our group slowly started to reappear. We told them our plan, with the open invitation for whoever to come if they so chose. Lizard, FarOut, and HotSauce hiked on, Derby and I headed to town. Once we got to the main road, he talked to Beaver, who said he was coming, too. And probably Costa as well. Awesome.
I walked into the restaurant called “Fife ‘n Drum” and reserved a room at their inn next door, after making sure that if more people came, there’d be another room available, too. The one I got slept 3, a king and a twin. So, Derby, Beaver and I split it 3 ways. I walked into the room at the inn in the same parking lot as the restaurant, and saw how nice it was. Beautiful linens, armchairs, and a shower with a soaking tub. I was sold!
I got in the shower so quick and never wanted to get out. I vowed that when the guys left in the morning, I was going to take a long bath and soak in that tub before checking out.
The other 2 showered and we all got ready to go find dinner somewhere. Costa ended up getting his own room, and we ran into Curmudgeon who came into town to get their box from the post office, but was going back up to the last shelter where he left Cholula. The soles of her boots split apart and she took a nasty fall and it sounded like she could hardly walk, and if she could at all, it wasn’t in those boots. Uh oh.
We said our well wishes and went to a pizza place that also sold burgers, which is what we all got. FirstGear and Costa ended up joining us. It was a fantastic meal! We were absolutely beat when we finished eating, but went to the room and collected our dirty clothes anyway. We made it to the laundromat, which was honestly the only negative experience I had in this town. The lady was a bit high strung and rude towards hikers with a long list of rules specifically for hikers alone.. not to mention they didn’t sell detergent and if another hiker hadn’t left a bottle behind for others to use, we wouldn’t have been able to laundry at all, since all the stores had already closed (it was only 8pm).
We waited outside while our clothes washed, and it started to rain. Derby said, “I bet there’s going to be a rainbow somewhere.” Minutes later, a huge rainbow appeared, glowing and beautiful over the mountain behind the post office. Then, he says, “I bet it’ll be a double rainbow soon.” I’ll be damned. A double rainbow appeared. I stared at it forever, soaking in all of its magnificence.
After laundry, we walked back to the room and they were saying how it was going to rain off and on tomorrow. My plan was to hike out after I got my cellphone, sometime probably around 4-5pm. The problem with that is that there’s a steep rocky downhill I’d have to go over with questionable light if it’s cloudy and raining. So, instead of doing that, I walked back into the restaurant and paid for another night in the inn for myself. I’d relax all day tomorrow, get my new shoes and cell phone and rest. Then start again the following morning.
I fell asleep pretty quick and loved every second in that cushy bed. Everything else will just have to wait until the morning.