Twig Adventures

Thursday September 2nd, 2021, 0825-1800RT 341 to Telephone Pioneers Shelter, SOBO AT mm 744.421.6 miles5341 gain, 4820 loss The rain came down heavy all night but I stayed dry and warm in a real bed. It stopped early in the morning and we were eager to get out of the stuffy hotel room and back on the trail. The news on TV was all bad…the storm had caused a lot of damage throughout the country, with flooding and tornados in the Northeast. More than 10 people had died in NYC from drowning in basement apartments. Up to 7 inches of rain had come down. Just terrible events which made our predicament seem so trivial. Maybe the trail would be impassable[…]

Wednesday September 1st, 2021, 0540-1000Cesar Brook Campsite to RT 341, then Kent, SOBO AT mm 72313.6 miles3091 gain, 3494 loss We all got a really early start to beat the rain to town. We should have walked more miles the day before while the weather was nice but the next campsite was over 4 miles away and it was already fairly late when we stopped. Stealth camping is not allowed from MA through NJ, and we’ve been doing our best to stay at official campsites. So we made up the miles in the dark. Picky was off first at 0510 am. He can pack so quickly and quietly, I envy his efficiency. I was off 30 minutes later, noticing another tent[…]

Tuesday August 31st, 2021, 0610-1745Riga Shelter to Cesar Brook Campsite, SOBO AT mm 709.322.1 miles4616 gain, 5476 loss We got an early start but had a lot of distractions again today. Technically, New Jersey is called the deli run part of the AT, but we’ve been making a lot of small town stops since Massachusetts. It’s so hard to stay focused on hiking miles, between the weather and towns. Sunrise at the shelter was nice as anticipated, then it was all downhill to Salisbury, a tiny town with a small grocery. I bought random things like naan and guacamole for breakfast. The trail in-between the next town was nice. There was an open meadow with a gorgeous view. There was also[…]

Monday August 30th, 2021, 1015-1830RT 7 to Riga Shelter, SOBO AT mm 687.218 miles4524 gain, 3547 loss I slept well and had a leisurely morning in town. A trip to the PO and Subway were about all I accomplished. I got a take-away sub to serve as lunch and dinner. We got a ride to trail with a trail angel named Papa Joe. He took donations and I also bought a canister of fuel from him. He was a hoot, showing us his spreadsheet of hiker stats from 2019. He took really detailed notes for his records, getting our names and direction of travel. He was retired and just seemed to be really entertained by hikers. To start the day, we[…]

Sunday August 29th, 2021, 0600-1030South Mt Wilcox Shelter to RT 7, SOBO AT mm 669.211.7 miles2195 gain, 3327 loss I slept great in the shelter. There’s nothing better than the white noise of rain striking the roof of a hut or shelter. I was visited by a few mosquitoes and a mouse, but they weren’t too much of a bother. It was nice having Yerbe Matte while watching the light grow in the morning…very cozy. There was a chill to the air so I put on my puffy. I didn’t have to worry about waking anyone too early, as Picky was also up getting ready. Starting at 6 am now means struggling to see for ten minutes or so on the[…]

Saturday August 28th, 2021, 0610-1700October Mountain Shelter to South Mt Wilcox Shelter, SOBO AT mm 657.625 miles5148 gain, 5230 loss It was stifling hot when I went to bed but I woke mid morning to find I finally needed my quilt. At 3 am, a wind started to blow, adding a chill to the air. I’d forgotten, this is what it felt like to be cool and almost even cold! Heavenly. Unfortunately the cool overcast day turned into rain by mid morning. The forecast said mostly sunny with a 30 percent chance of afternoon thunderstorms. It was quite a bit off, it seems. The rain was heavy at times but let up for the afternoon. It was a good day for[…]

Friday August 27th, 2021, 0615-1730Father Tom Campsite to October Mountain Shelter,  SOBO AT mm 632.720.5 miles4196 gain, 3258 loss I slept fitfully all night because it was so dang hot and humid. Even though I’d taken a final dunking in the late afternoon, I still felt sticky and gross. I never used my quilt all night. I woke to dense fog in the valley, leaving everything pretty damp. I started another day already wet with sweat. Come September, I really hoped this heat wave would subside. Picky was up so early that he left camp well before me. I knew I’d catch him again so I didn’t rush while packing. I wanted to take some departing pictures of the area.[…]

Thursday August 26th, 2021, 0600-1730Pete’s spring to Father Tom Campsite, SOBO AT mm 61216.1 miles4058 gain, 4416 loss My first objective for today was to have a big breakfast in town, a mere 2 miles away. Next was to go up Mt Greylock, the highest mountain in Massachusetts and my second time climbing it. We had added it to mark the finish of our Long Trail last year…a big finale. Today it was just another mountain to get over but I was really looking forward to it, especially the cafe on top. Picky and I both got an early start, walking before it was fully light out. It’s nice to have found someone that also walks early. In town by 0630[…]

Wednesday August 25th, 2021, 0630-1830Glastenbury Mountain to Pete’s Spring, SOBO AT mm 59627.2 miles5220 gain, 7638 loss For once, I noticed the moon overnight. It’d gone through a full cycle since I started but on this trail, I hardly ever saw it. It cast shadows through the trees when I went to pee. Out west, it can wake me up, it’s often so bright. I’ve used it to walk in the dark without a headlamp on many occasions. But that wouldn’t be an option in these dense forests and with all the mud. Tiny slugs were on everything in the morning…my stove, tent, water bottles and of course, my shoes. Yuck. I really dislike them but hey, they’re part of[…]

Tuesday August 24th, 2021, 0815-1815Prospect Rock Trail to Glastenbury Mountain, SOBO AT mm 568.821.7 miles5230 gain, 2700 loss I went to bed way too late and then woke up at 4 am, not able to get back to sleep. It was so quiet in the room, with only 2 others. What a waste of a great bed. I was anxious to get back to the trail I guess…not that it missed me. I ate a pretty huge breakfast of cereal, 3 eggs, an English muffin, blueberries, a banana, and what was left of my ice cream. How’s that for a spread? The hostel provides all these items for guests to pretty much eat whenever they please. It’s such an awesome place.[…]