AT Blog: Day 97 and 98

Out of Connecticut

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Day 97:

Start at Stewart Hollow Shelter and get hiking.

There’s a race track nearby the trail which I can tell from miles away.

I stop by Mountainside Cafe with a few other thru hikers and get an omelet, pancake and more. We take a short side trail back to the AT that crosses by railroad tracks. There’s also a hydroelectric dam with a shower head, but I need to hike big miles so I pass the opportunity for a shower.

The climb up to Prospect mountain is over 1000 feet, first one in a while. I decide to go to Limestone Shelter, half a mile off the AT. It really wasn’t the best choice but I did see a flock of wild turkey as I went to it.

The last bit of the trail steeple descends where the spring spits out of its Limestone cave. It was neat to see but I had the shelter to myself that night.

Day 98:

Start at Limestone Shelter. It didn’t rain too much after the storm last night. I gather my stuff and make the climb out.

It is annoying to hike the half a mile out, and I can see why others didn’t come down because of it, but eventually I get back on trail and move on.

I see the giants thumb before heading into Salisbury. The town is half a mile from the AT, and I stop by it’s coffee shop and get some oatmeal and a couple of cinnamon buns. While I eat I chat with a lady who is helping her boyfriend hike parts of the AT.

I head over to the local market next and gather everything I need for the next few days. I get barbecue chips, more bagged tuna and chicken and sweets for the trail. I also chat with two people outside the store. One of them is an elderly gentleman asking about the trail, the other is someone who attempted it a couple of years ago.

Eventually I make my way slowly out of town, I pass by the old library, see some goats then head onto the trail. I got about 13 more miles to go today and it’s getting harder as the elevation goes up. Since the end of Virginia most of the trail has stayed below two thousand feet, but now here about to cross into Massachusetts, Bear Mountain goes to 2,300 feet. Shortly before the summit I see the Connecticut volunteers working on a small ravine crossing. I thank them for their time and head on.

After the mountain is Sages Ravine, a mostly pine forest with a brook creating a ravine, near the end of it the AT crosses it from the Connecticut side and into the Massachusetts side. Once across the signs change styles and I sign my name in the trail register provided.

I have 2 more climbs up to Mt. Race and Mt. Everett, which take a little time but aren’t too bad, I end up at Glen Brook Shelter and set up camp for the night. It’s decently busy with section hikers and a few throughhikers throughout.

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Talk about a thumbs up!