I’m taking steps to overcome my hiking addiction, but I’m not out of the woods yet.
June 15, 2023
AT miles: 19.8 <NOBO>
Ascent: 3432’
Descent: 3223’
Weather: sunny and mid -70’s
Sightings: a garter snake and a baby mouse
High points: the open ups and downs
Thankfully, today was clear and dry. I had another nearly 20-mile day, so I got off to an early start.
For the first few miles the AT meandered next to the Housatonic River, which made for a delightfully easy start to the day.
Today I had lots of stream crossings. This was the most notable one — the rocks were super-slippery so I just sloshed through the mid-calf-height water. Rather than take an unexpected fall, I would much rather get wet of my own accord!
Another stream had much better rocks for walking over!
And this bridge required me to really focus on my balance.
It’s odd to see an old house foundation in the middle of nowhere!!
Connecticut has lots of awesome sets of granite stairs!
The trail up Silver Hill had some crazy rock formations. This fissure between the two boulders had a weird set of narrow higgledy-piggledy stairs. My backpack almost got stuck!
I spent two or three hours in the early afternoon going up and then going down numerous PUDS (pointless ups and downs). The trail was fairly easy, the woods were open, the birds were tweeting, and life was good.
In the late afternoon after a long but manageable descent I ended up walking along the Housatonic River again! Always straightforward, the river walking was a nice way to end a long day.
I walked into Falls Village, and I could not miss the reason why Falls Village received its name — here the Housatonic River has lots of natural falls. Additionally, there is a huge dam, so the Housatonic River falls probably hundreds of feet within a very short period of time. The falls are noisy and beautiful. Unfortunately I always saw them through lots of trees so I could not get a good picture.
I am spending the night at Jenny’s Cabin, a cute, immaculate cottage on a small family farm. The cabin has no electricity and no bathroom, but it is still a restful oasis. I took a long, luxurious hot outdoor shower and feasted on a multi-course backpacker dinner on their porch, and now I am relaxing in this tidy cabin!
My friend Kathy will join me here later this evening and hike with me tomorrow.
Today’s a great day for a long walk in the woods!