Summary: bike from Salisbury to NY/CT border (31 mi) and start the hike to Schaghticoke Mt. Camp (9 mi)
04:51 wake up in Boston. Attach bike, check the weather forecast, load ice in a cooler, water the plants – what else did I do in 34 minutes?
05:24 ODO 0.0 mi – depart from Boston to Salisbury, CT
05:42 – 05:53 ODO 12.0 mi – Rest stop on Mass Pike. I am buying the most expensive windshield wiper liquid – $5.30.
Despite being an Eastern coastal trail, AT is still located some 120 miles West of Boston.
ODO 106 passing the highest point on Mass Pike – 1724′
ODO 111 – AT crosses Mass Pike over a bridge in Becket, MA.
07:32 – 07:41 ODO 116.1 – 29 more mi to go. Get oranges and blueberries and raspberries at Big Y in Lee, MA – $10.78
ODO 131 – route 7 crosses AT in Great Barrington, MA.
08:32 ODO 145.9 mi +17,5°C – Arrive at Appalachian Trail parking in Salisbury, CT on route 41.
09:22 start the bike ride from car to the beginning of the hike on NY/CT border.
The bike ride starts on a narrow route 41 but quickly emerges into a busy tourist area in Salisbury with angled parked cars and slow crossing senior citizens. My Google bike directions lead me to a Library St. and into a Railroad Rumble – a converted walk path parallel to Main St. After that I returned to route 41 where I had a first road-stop to pump the bike tires, to shed some clothes and get my bearing on the map. I need to go 11 miles South and slightly West to enter NY for the first time.
11:46 – 12:17 stop where route 341 in Kent, CT crosses AT. Completed 22.6 mi – remaining 8.3 mi. Here Trail Angels deposited Gatorade bottles and most of these are already consumed. This turns out to be a very convenient and prominent spot. I can lean my bike against trees, there is a bench in a shade (that I properly balance with stones), and there is a cell signal so I can do my Duolingo lesson. And on top of all, I will be here soon enough when walking the trail. The bug situation is much better here. No black flies, only mosquitoes and not in overwhelming numbers. Here I finish both coconut water and OJ from home and place my remaining blueberries into a wide-moused coconut water bottle that is sturdier.
12:57 at the end of pleasant gravel Schaghticoke Rd. I see AT emerging from the forest one more time. I will walk here in 4H. Meanwhile, the road is turning right to enter NY for the second time. That is signaling my approach to destination.
13:31 arrive at Hoyte Rd. AT parking in Wingdale, NY. Hike the bike in the woods. Talk to trail angels Brian and Karen who shared food and drink for hikers. I drunk some water and collected 2 cookies for later.
13:53 start the hike north bound. CT welcomes you with notifications of no open fires, no camping except in designated areas and no bikes on the trail.
14:51 – 15:22 Ten Mile Hill (1000′) – 2 mi in. I am resting on the ground and jotting down my first impressions of the CT trail. Most people here are day hikers with dogs.
15:50 I am at Ten Mile River shelter that was my camp for a mild plan that is located 2.8 mi from the parking.
15:58 cross Tenmile River on a big solid bridge and continue hike along even bigger Housatonic River.
16:02 – 16:33 – swim in Housatonic River. The current is swift. The water is brown, muddy, and warm, but the swim is refreshing. Approximately 6 more mi to go to the camp.
16:58 I emerge on Schaghticoke Rd. in Kent where I was riding my bike just 4H before. Now I would need to dive into woods again and climb a modest Schaghticoke Mountain that would be called a hill in NH.
17:32 – my new FarOut APP shows that there are 3.6 mi remaining to the camp.
18:20 – 2.2 more mi to go.
18:49 cross back from NY into CT. From here, the trail supposedly goes down descending to the camp. But it is still ups and downs for a while.
19:11 On the way to scenic view (without the backpack) I stopped, turned around and just stretched on rocks to give it rest. I need just a few minutes of rest. I am placing a plastic bottle under my head for support. Letting Lira know that everything is OK. Contemplating a long-awaited finish soon.
19:31 I arrive at Schaghticoke Mt. Camp after 9 mi of hiking (6H). Only one party (4 boys) are here, plenty of water, plenty of camping spots, bear box and “throne” bathroom without walls. Water from the brook is good. I wash myself using water gathered with a scoop into a 3-liter bladder. Only a dozen lazy mosquitos are competing for my blood. They are in no hurry and easily surrender to their fate.
I climb into my hammock and eat my porridge from home, 2 cookies from Trail Angels and water. For the night we all hid our food in the bear box with complicated latch, chain and even a carabiner.
The toilet here is just a seat (throne) in the middle of the forest without any walls.
20:44 I am sitting inside the hammock perpendicular to the flow. Last day light is quickly dissipating. I was a good long day of over 16H. Time to sleep.
Just before going to sleep, I took off a big tick (not dangerous) from my upper thigh.
Navigate through the List
- 00 AT 2023 07 Preparation for the trip (2023/06/29)
- 01 AT 2023-06-30 FR - from NY/CT border to Schaghticoke Mt. Camp (2023/06/30)
- 02 AT 2023-07-01 SA - dry day along the Housatonic River (2023/07/01)
- 03 AT 2023-07-02 SU - Rain begins to tell its forest story (2023/07/02)
- 04 AT 2023-07-03 MO - rain and ticks drove me out of the wild (2023/07/03)
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