5 mi hike from Salisbury CT to Brassie Brook shelter
06:29 – I woke up in Boston and looked outside. The rain is just about to start its extended session for the whole long weekend, at least for the next 3 days. Endless stream of work emails already rolling, but I do not even look. I must focus on the trip. Two hours of packing and gathering things.
08:37 – I left the house. Fast and easy drive along Mass Pike to exit in Lee, MA. The rain was strong while I was driving, but it turned into a drizzle at the destination. The Mass Pike crosses the AT overpass at ODO reading 111,6 mi.
10:31 – ODO 120.5 mi – arrive to Becket, MA. – ELEV 1412′. Parking here is convenient and plentiful. The plan was to leave the car here and start riding the bike to the beginning of the hike in CT. But relentless rain and cold (+5.5°C) changed that. Now, I will drop the bike in the forest here – where AT crosses Mass Pike and route 20.
11:06 – I hide the bike deep in the forest up the hill and I hide the saddle and the bike bag on the other side of the trail. In the bike bag I placed an orange and a bottle of coconut water so that I would have a snack when I arrive on foot to the bike. I forgot to insert a bottle of drinking water into the bike bottle holder.
After that, under a new spout of rain, I drove to Salisbury, CT to start the hike there. I did not take the normal car route but took a Google bike route as I was a cyclist. Google was trying to route me on more scenic roads. That means two things: too many turns and too many ups and downs. When I’ll be riding the actual bike in a few days, I will probably take the major highways.
12:18 – 12:27 – I am at Cumberland Farms gas station in Great Barrington – $3.79/gal for mid-grade gasoline.
13:12 – ODO 156.5 I arrive at Salisbury, CT AT parking on route 41.
Last time when I was here in July 2023, I encountered very many ticks. So, this time I will be extra careful not to touch any grass on twigs where ticks can jump on me.
13:23 – ELEV 766′ – start a new hiking trip. The goal is to complete the Connecticut section and start the MA section on the AT. This time I am taking an umbrella – it is going to rain almost every day, but I just have to go hiking this weekend. I can’t wait due to the days off being allocated long in advance.
I will be hiking in boots for warmth and support. I am taking an umbrella with me.
14:29 – first stop to take out umbrella, to stow away one of the walking sticks (I only have two hands), and to turn off all the services on the iPhone to save the battery – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, personal hotspot, even cell service and finally turn on the Airplane mode on. At this moment I completed 1.6 mi with an average speed 1.8 mph.
The trail is marked well, but under the rain and fog, I managed once to miss the markings and deviated from the trial by about 0.22 mi. The first hiking miles after a long break are hard. All the muscles are adjusting to the load and the climb. My medium size umbrella works well, and my pants and feet are dry. And I do not have to wear a poncho that makes you very wet.
15:39 – I am at Lion’s Head – 1738′. The view of the valley quickly disappeared in fog right in front of my eyes, so I did not have a chance to take a picture.
16:09 – 17:04 – I arrive at Riga shelter. This is a new standard shelter with a rolled off thick curtain to protect from the elements. The stop is very timely. The back needs some rest. The dry boards inside the shelter are comfortable. The outside world and worries begin to slide away. Here I eat my cold homemade porridge, an orange and move on.
17:49 the end of the hike for today. I hiked just under 5 miles to Brassie Brook shelter. There is another couple here – Sherril and her husband – in a tent inside the shelter. They kindly moved the tend to face outward and we shared the space nicely. The rain is still en force, but it is dry and comfortable inside the shelter.
For food – only tea with dried fruits. I strung my hammock diagonally across the shelter to have one extra layer between myself and the elements. We all went to bed early – even before 8PM when it was still light out. Sunset is at 20:14. I had all my clothes on, plus a tarp wrapped around the sleeping bag, plus gloves and neck buff and a wool hat. IT would be the coldest night of the trip, but I more-or-less can handle it.
Navigate through the List
- 2025 CT to MA Appalachian Trail trip preparation (2025/05/21)
- Day 1 - 2025-05-22 Thursday - start the hike from Salisbury (2025/05/22)
- Day 2 - 2025-05-23 Friday - cross into MA (2025/05/23)
- Day 3 - 2025-05-24 Saturday - hike 14 miles to be in the hut (2025/05/24)
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