7-1-12

We are camped in the backyard at The Toymaker's Cafe in Falls Village, CT.

AT Miles hiked today: 14.8
Total AT miles I have hiked: 612
Woo Hoo! Over 600 miles hiked!

We got out of camp just before 8am and started our morning hike from the nice campsite. The miles came slowly again and we struggled to adjust to our new situation. Everything is different! We lost our trail family and I think we all feel the loss. We are transplants in this new situation, ahead of most of the Northbound thruhikers, knowing nobody, not knowing who to look for in the registers. It's a very disconcerting feeling. Thank goodness we have the three of us together. I think a leapfrog/alternative hike like this would be very upsetting if I were alone. There is comfort in having my friends to reminisce about our other mutual friends we left behind.

We got to a shelter in the early afternoon and got ready to eat but then a thunderstorm with lightning hit us. Luckily we arrived just in time to avoid getting wet shoes. Yay!

After the rain we hiked again and saw many neon orange salamanders on the trail. I also saw a snake, a hawk feather, and we heard church bells as we walked on pine needles, which are the very best and softest surface for walking on. We met Fat Man Walking and a couple called the Noodleheads who do cool drawings in the register and hike very fast.

We pushed hard to hike the last three miles into town, so we could stay on schedule to meet Toni in a few days. It was hard and we bickered amongst ourselves, but we made it and ordered pizza after a very nice couple offered to meet us here and bring us pizza if they wouldn't deliver. They did deliver though, and it was the best pizza of the whole trail. We shared a Margarita Pizza in the dark, by headlamp. Awesome.