Reflexions

On some AT hikes, you’re not very far from civilization. You can often hear traffic noise as roads and highways are not too far away. On other AT hikes, you feel like you’re in your own little world. Such was the case with my first hike today. 
The Connecticut Hike.  After driving several miles down a dirt road, I came to the trail crossing. It was near a dam and natural waterfall on the Housatonic River. It was really off the beaten path. To further drive the point home, as I got out of my car, a Bald Eagle flew over. It gave me a look that said, “You’re not quite in the middle of nowhere, but you can see it from here.” 

It was a really tranquil hike. Between the rhythm of my steps and my guardian good luck bell, it was quite meditative as I climbed up towards the top of of Mount Prospect. The only interruptions were an occasional thru-hiker, but they’re a friendly sort for the most part, although some of them do make you wonder what or whom they’re running from.

I came across a natural spring. These are somewhat common on the AT, and usually present themself as a pipe coming out of the side of a hill, with water trickling out. This water can be collected, and should be filtered or chemically treated before drinking. And just like a watering hole in an African wildlife documentary, you usually see signs of life — in the form of hikers — at most springs. I met and chatted with a young woman from Brooklyn doing a solo thru-hike. 

For those keeping score at home, this hike was a mix of rocks and roots, and as usual, it was only the roots that tried to trip me. Damn things! I was also mostly walking uphill to the top of the mountain, but occasionally there would be downward sections. This might sound like a good thing, but hikers realize that they’re just giving back hard-won altitude that they’ll have to eventually win back. In this way, it’s almost like the mountain is sparring with you.

Once at the top, the view, as usual, was worth the effort. A quick run-walk down, and I was back in my car heading to civilization and my Massachusetts hike.

The Massachusetts Hike.  I originally planned this hike to be short and easy, given that my earlier hike was a fairly good workout. The hike started in the quaint little town (not a hamlet, but close) of Cheshire. I started out at the town monument, which was an old, half-ton cheese press from the 1700’s (apparently Cheshire Cheese was quite the thing, back in the day). Even in towns, the trail is marked with blazes, and some people live in neighborhoods on the trail, so they get used to seeing a steady stream of smelly hikers walking past their homes (I may touch on the fragrance of thru-hikers in a later post, but just know that as a day-hiker, I’m the freshest guy on the trail!).

Somehow I miscalculated this hike. It was over a mile longer than I had planned on, and it was the steepest hike so far (no sparring with the hill, just a constant barrage of elevation). It made me glad that I’ve been training for hikes like this for the last several months. My training included loading up a backpack with 30 pounds of weight, and then spending time on Stair Master machines, maximally-inclined treadmills, and even the Memphis Bluffs. 

The goal of this hike was to reach “The Cobbles,” which is AT-speak for huge rock outcroppings at the top of the hill. Again, the effort resulted in a view that went on forever (thanks clear weather), and also showed the Cheshire Reservoir, the Berkshires, and Vermont and New York in the distance. A somewhat slower descent than the morning got me back to town, where I couldn’t wait to get out of my hiking boots.

Flora and Fauna Update.  In addition to the Bald Eagle (which was awesome), some of the new sightings included:

• More species of birds
• Dozens of chipmunks (not sure why)
• A woodchuck, a.k.a. groundhog
• A family of deer
• A toad

The toad sighting got me to thinking. You see, I really like toads. Have my whole life. I also really like — as you may have noticed — mushrooms (not just to eat, but to find and photograph). Anyway, it struck me that toads and mushrooms (toadstools?) have a lot in common. They’re not really pretty, tend to be warty, sometimes toxic, and almost always under appreciated. It occurred to me that toads are the mushrooms of the fauna world, and that mushrooms are the toads of the flora world. They could almost be each other.

Did I mention that hikers have a lot of time to think random thoughts on the AT? 

More tomorrow, from Vermont…