6-30-12

Starting at mile 1461.2
Camped at Silver Hill Campsite mile 1471.5

AT miles hiked today: 10.3
Starting time: 11:30am

I gave up Wilson. WILSON!!! I'm sorry!! I just couldn't justify the weight anymore, no matter how good a throwing rock he is.

I'm in Connecticut, now. Rockin' Robin, Eagle Eye Donna and I started hiking in Kent at 11:30 and met Frenchy right away, sitting next to trail magic coolers and then we immediately got offered a ride we didn't need by a former thruhiker. Connecticut is awesome already.

The miles came slowly, with steep rock stairs going down the mountain. We met some nice hikers along the way and the walk along the river was very nice in the early evening. We met Suebear, a former thruhiker. It felt strange being in New England. We just had so many days off and I've lost my trail legs again. Everything is new and there are new people to meet. None of our friends are here. We left our trail family behind. We met Jim again, who had provided the trail magic previously, and he gave us more trail magic/junk food. His wife is Five Pair but we haven't met her yet.

Blow downs were crazy! I guess they had a storm with a micro burst around the 22nd. Trees were exploded everywhere. There were comments in the campsite register on the 23rd. It's scary to think of being in the woods in that kind of storm. I remember the story Beebop told me at the Dojo about the tree limb that fell on her and scraped her face while she was in her tent one windy night. It's called a widowmaker and she was lucky not to be crushed. It is a good reminder, especially today when picking a tent site, to look up at the trees and what could fall on you in a storm.

This camp has a privy and 100 foot deep well water pump that makes you work for it, plus a pavilion and tables and a swing chair! What a great site! There are very few thruhikers around. Are we between bubbles of hikers? I think we are ahead of the majority now. Weird. First behind and now ahead. Everything can change so fast on the AT.