Author Archives: atsioneva

Oh, people. It was a very rough day.

The reason I did the poll was mostly so that I would know, at times, WHY I continue on. There are the days – much rarer now, thankfully – that I’ve had completely had it, and am ready to quit. It’s a dangerous mood to be in without my hiking partner to provide equilibrium! But the comments and notes of support buoy me up; I am not alone in this! And self pity is denied!

Still, today was a very rough day, and a good foretaste of what lies ahead. I covered 11 miles, and climbed and descended a lot.

Let’s go into detail. Bear Mountain was the first mountain. A long gradual climb to the top; mercifully, a pine-shaded area greeted me at the summit, because the sun was scorching today. The climb down was something I was dreading, because I was told it would be worse than the St. John’s Ledges descent. Much to my surprise, I completely enjoyed the physical and mental challenge of divining the best route and doing the actual climbing down. At one point, it took me 4 different attempts at different spots to get a safe route down. It was a highlight, not a terrible thing at all!

Once down, it was into Sages Ravine. I ran into a ridgerunner – one of the people who take care of the shelters and the trail, and thanked her; we had a nice chat by the stream the AT parallels through the ravine. I got some pictures of small waterfalls, but I’m not sure if it was in CT or MA… Evidently they aren’t either, because the official “Welcome to Massachusetts” sign is about a half-mile misplaced north of where the actual border is.

The bugs were really bad by the river, and the water very cold, so I did not take advantage of swimming hole possibilities. I was relieved when the path turned away and began climbing again. On the way lay Laurel Ridge Campsite, and I was tempted to stop.

“No”, thought I, “It is only 4:00 and too early to stop. There is another campsite in 3.1 miles, and a shelter in 5, and I still have at least 3 hours of daylight yet. Besides, I was told the next mountain, Mt. Race, is much easier and has great views.”

Oh, boy. This thinking thing… I am not very good at it. The climb up to the top was okay. But… YOU ARE AT THE TOP. The VERY top. The TIPPY top. At one point, there is NOTHING between you and a 2000 ft dropoff – except a very kind group of strangers who came across a petrified, utterly frozen Ziptie, and got her across.

Oh, btw, I figured out that “Taconic” must be the old Indian word for “ugly rough grey weathered and wrinkly rock that hates you and wants to tear your shorts”. There was a lot of taconic today. Sometime buttscooting was necessary. No, no people were mooned during my hike. But I was having very unpleasant Pennsylvania flashbacks – okay, MA, you got your licks in. Now be nice to me!

It took me nearly 12 hours to cover 11 miles, which is truly sad. When I finally reached the side path for Race Brook Falls campsite, it was past 6; no way was I going to get to the shelter beyond, especially since Mt. Everett lay in between. Truly not up to another climb and descent today, and burning daylight, I walked .3 down the blue blaze, dutifully set up my tent and did all the usual camp chores. Including eating, though I just reverted to a cold meal tonight, I did not feel like cooking. No energy. At least this site has a bear box and privy, so I do not have to hang my food tonight, or dig a cat hole.

Someone just walked past my tent, and there are a lot of bugs that want in, but have no invitation. It’s kinda late, but I am trying to figure out where to stay tomorrow night. The next shelter, Tom Leonard shelter, lies about 16 miles away, across two mountains. I will see how my knees feel in the morning, they are very stiff and sore tonight. Sheffield, MA lies 10 miles away, and there is a tenting option I may look into. I’ll see in the morning.

First night in the new summer sleeping bag, though I have to say that the zipper being suddenly on the opposite side is a bit discombulating! The new pack performed very well also; having less weight really helped! This is apparently a popular campsite with locals – a trailhead on MA 41 is less than two miles away. I don’t think I’ll get much sleep tonight – I wouldn’t mind so much if someone offered me a beer. Ah well…

I hike on. Thanks to all of YOU!

What can I say? Connecticut made me cry today. No, not because of anything hard terrain-wise. The kindness of people caused it this time! Hudson and his wife Big Lu, the hostel owners at Bearded Woods, graciously offered me a free night’s stay so I could wait for my new sleeping bag in comfort at their hostel, rather than tenting nearby and waiting. It did come in today after all, but we weren’t sure it would. So, once again, I am updating my blog from the comfort of a bunk, after a delicious meal of stuffed shells. Trail magic at it’s finest! Hudson, as a former thruhiker, also helped me sort out gear to ship back/ahead.

Not that I am getting soft – I hope I am not anyway! I slackpacked 14 miles yesterday, and 7 today, so I am still on track to leave CT tomorrow and move on into MA. With the changes in gear and all… New pack and sleeping bag, both lighter, and shipping some stuff home, some stuff forward to Williamstown – total pack weight including five days food and full water bottles comes in at 22.5 lbs… A whole 13 lbs lighter than I was carrying! This will make my knees and feet rejoice!

And just in time, too. Tomorrow is a 12 mile hike up into the Taconic Range of southern Massachusetts. Very scenic and much harder hiking. Tomorrow I tackle Bear Mountain, Mt. Race, and Mt. Everett, all above 2000 ft, if memory serves – Bear Mountain is supposed to have a very steep descent where using poles would be counterproductive. It should be a long day, but I have a much lighter pack!

Today was also a great day. With only 7 miles of mostly easy terrain to traverse, from Falls Village to Salisbury, I took my time, not hurrying, took side trails to admire the falls that Falls Village was named for, took some great pictures. 5 hours to cover 7 miles. I did not rush.

It’s a funny thing, but since most of the trail towns are at the bottom of the mountains/hills, I always get the thought stuck in my head, “Now beginning final descent into <insert town name>”. Today’s final descent into Salisbury was a bit unnerving if you have a fear of heights. Pretty steep, very narrow sand/dirt path clinging to the side of the mountain and sloping down sharply on the drop. There was even a ladder at one point. Made it down unscathed though; fortunately that section was pretty brief. The rest of the hike was literally a walk in the woods! The last two or three days, I keep runnng into MittenMan (from Michigan) and his daughter Socko; today we were leapfrogging a few times on the way into Salisbury. I will probably run into them again tomorrow! They are probably tired of seeing me by now. 🙂

I think I can fairly safely say I have my trail legs by now, and about time, too. 10 miles has begun to seem like a short day. My feet were swollen, but two days slackpacking has helped there; so will hiking with a lighter pack. Once past the Taconic Range, in about 17 miles, I’m told the rest of MA will be easy. Vermont will start putting the pressure on… And then I will come to the Whites, and heaven help me!

I’ve done a pretty poor job of budgeting so far. Hostel less, Ziptie, and shelter/tent more… But the lure of real food and a hot shower and clean clothes – I cannot convey how tempting they become to a hiker out on the trail. Especially after a week of sweating, hiking, and boiling water to cook pasta or rice or oatmeal. This is something I was not prepared for mentally, and have to yet steel myself against. Ending the hike somewhere in the south because I ran out of money would feel like an anticlimatic failure. So… Gotta buckle down, and sing praises to the places that offer free showers. 🙂

And thanks to all who replied to my curiosity!

I hike on.

Who all is reading? 🙂

Drop a comment with your name!

Okay, I may have spent too much money staying multiple nights at the Bearded Woods Hostel, but I cannot regret. They have the operation down to a science, up to and including multiple daypacks for slackpacking.

And I slackpacked. 14 miles today, from CT 4 to Falls Village, CT. Of course, I was still passed by all the young, eager Georgia hikers with full packs, but oh well. It’s good to stomp the ego down now and again. The trail was pretty easy, terrain wise; some rock, a lot of wonderfully thick pine-needle-cushioned ground, dirt and stone. Some ups and downs, but nothing major.

Tomorrow early morning breakfast, then while I finish the endeavor of getting everything into the new pack, various hikers get shuttled to various trailheads. I will be the last to leave, because I have to wait for the post office to open in Fall River, so I can get my new sleeping bag. I may have to wait for it to come in, in which case I may have to take a nearo, but I would really rather not! Tracking has it in East Boston, MA.

Assuming I don’t have to wait for it to arrive, I plan to do a 10 mile day tomorrow. That would put me on track to cross the CT/MA border on Saturday, and start climbing some higher mountains, before it gets too hot. I hope. Today was pretty hot, but some clouds rolled in and cooled everything down, mercifully. I don’t handle excessive heat well, I will need to be careful.

Short entry tonight; I am tired, tomorrow will be a busy day.

I hike on.

Zerozerozerozero.

My new backpack came in, and it is completely different from my old one. I am still trying to work out the arrangement of gear… The old pack was essentially three compartments – the big compartment which held the food bag, the tent, the sleeping bag, the sleeping pad, my cooking gear, and my rain jacket; the outer, open to the air pouch compartment that held my two big Nalgene bottles and ziplocked roll of toilet paper; and the pack ‘lid’ which held a lot of small but essential items such as my headlamp, water purification drops, spare set of glasses, etc. Also, places on the straps to hook carabiners to, where I carried my maps, snack bag, phone, and the Camelbak water bottle within very easy reach. All that is gone.

The new pack has separate roll-closed compartments for almost everything, acording to the diagrams. No zippers. Sleeping bag is supposed to go in this compartment, clothes in that one, water bottles there. It also has an integrated, attached rain cover so I don’t have to worry about losing it again. The pack is 5 liters smaller than the old one, so I have to ruthlessly strip down and send ahead/home gear that I don’t need.

Which brings me to my sleeping bag. An excellent one, supplied by Doug Shrader and rated for 20 degrees. I am sending it ahead to Hanover, NH… Nights are getting too warm for it, but I will need it again when I hit the White Mountains. I purchased a new summer sleeping bag rated for 55 degrees that I will use until NH, and then again later. It is also lighter in weight. I will pick it up from the post office in Fall River, CT on Friday, as I pass through.

I’ve decided to stay at this hostel one more night, and will work on reorganization of gear some more tomorrow; tomorrow I will slackpack a chunk of trail, carrying only water, snacks, TP, and maps. The trail from here to CT 7 is not supposed to be difficult; it should be a good day. I don’t dare stay at this hostel too long though – the way they feed you, I’d quickly regain those 25 lbs I have lost! The other hikers are out in the common area watching Jaws; I am stretched out in bed like a … well, whatever that snake is that swallows it’s prey while.

I finished reading the book Lori sent me today, about Cheryl Strayed hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I could easily identify with what she went through! There is no time for a proper reread, so it also is bound for Hanover, NH. As am I. Eventually. Two or three days will see me in MA. VT is still on the radar for the end of the month, or sooner. The trail will get harder in southern MA, as I hit the mountains where the elevation begins ramping up above 2000 feet.

I was going to take a double-zero, but I just keep driving myself forward, maybe even when I shouldn’t. It is not a race, and yet. And yet… I do want to finish the trail, and it just feels wrong to be out here to hike, and not BE hiking. Slackpacking is a compromise – much less stress on knees and feet, but still moving forward. Perhaps I will do 5 tomorrow, perhaps 14. Maybe more. It depends on terrain, weather, and generally how I feel. But I will do some.

They turned the movie off before the shark hit the iceberg. Everyone is turning in, and tomorrow will be an early start, so I’ll wind this up for tonight.

I hike on.

Words cannot express HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO BE BACK IN NEW ENGLAND!!!

Today, I meant to make an extra early start and cover 16 miles, but it was not to be. Through the kindness of thru-hiker Alice, I was able to perform emergency surgery on the backpack with a needle and strong thread – this took a major load off my mind, as it ensured the pack would last the day. Even with that delay, I still was on the trail by 7:30.

Oh… Well, see above. The first part of the hike was so perfect. The trees were so familiar, and took me back to childhood memories of walking in the woods. Birches, oaks, ferns, dirt paths. Some rolling hills; a wonderful hike, with sun and breeze in equal parts.

The trail eventually wound it’s way up to a formation of rocks named St. John’s Ledges, which apparently are just on the other side of the border between Florin and Guilder, because I suddenly found myself descending the Cliffs of Insanity. Without a rope. The guide describes it as “steep stone steps descending to the Housatonic River”. I describe it as utterly terrifying, and the hardest section of trail yet. Sometimes there were steps. Most often not. Incredibly steep, and overlaid with dry, slippery autumn leaves from last year. One misstep, and you could easily fall a very long way. It took me forever to get down, with many fervent prayers. (And then there was the punk teenager climbing up, freehand, who smirked at me “No one ever promised it would be easy.”, and easily went on his way before I could slug him.) Finally, I made it down below rockline, onto a safer dirt trail. If I hadn’t stitched up the pack this morning, I doubt it would have survived this section. There was a lot of butt-scooting; no, Ziptie is not too proud for that – I will sit on my derriere and lower myself down if it seems the prudent option. Often, it was!

Then a lot of road walking to get to the river itself. The problem with stashing my two big Nalgenes in the big pouch is that they are out of my reach unless I take the pack off. Which, given the strap issues, I was leery of. So I ran out of water in the Camelbak water bottle I keep in easy reach, but could not refill it from the others until I reached the next shelter. I was very thirsty… I hope the new pack will have a better arrangement.

After the road walk came a very beautiful, level, and frankly, boring 5 mile walk along the Housatonic River. From one extreme to the other! The shelter was along this stretch, and I was able to stop, water uo, rest, and eat a snack, before moving on. This section of trail felt like it would never end!

I was supposed to meet my ride to the hostel at 4:30 at CT 4, and at 3:30, I was 1.7 miles out, with a 500ft hill climb and descent yet to go. Fortunately, neither were very difficult, and I pushed myself, making it to the road at 4:30 on the dot. 🙂 My knees may never be the same again though!

This hostel – the Bearded Woods Bunk and Dine – is amazing! It even beats the Rock and Sole, and that is saying a lot! They have fixed up the basement with two leather couches, a bathroom with two showers, two separate bunkrooms with 4 bunks in each, with real mattresses, and  a TV and DVD with a shelf of movies. The only problem with this place is that it has stairs! Hikers don’t do well with stairs, particularly at the end of the day – where normal people can step from stair to stair easily, we tend to have to take it one step at a time, after a long day of hiking.

The price also includes dinner and breakfast – tonight’s dinner was BBQ chicken, cornbread, baked beans, and corn on the cob. See above about New England. I ate so much, but I was so hungry. Even though I didn’t get my 16 mile day in, I still did 11 miles – and it had been 12 hours since that blueberry coffee cake.

Other hikers here include Nova, who I have run into several times, a hiker from Ireland, another I forget the trail,and of, and Wingnut, who actually is at the hospital right now, with Lyme disease symptoms. I am always careful about checking for ticks, but I was double careful tonight – reflex. If that is what he has, he probably got infected back somewhere around Palmerton, PA, given the usual incubation period of two weeks. They are out there.

I am definitely zeroing here tomorrow. My only planned excursion is going to the post office to get my new backpack, if it is in. I want to give my feet a rest, my knees a reprieve. I will sleep in; I will read the book Lori sent me; I will hang out with other hikers. I may nap. I was planning to resupply, but the trail cuts through a town in about two days travel, so I will wait. I am going to ZERO.

It’s almost 10pm here. The other hikers are all in the other bunkroom and have crashed for the night. I will flip off the light in this one soon and join them in dreamland.

I pause.

Because I was asked… Next planned maildrop town will be Williamstown, MA, just before I hit the VT border.

General Delivery C/O Elisabeth Hagen

Williamstown Post Office

Williamstown, MA 01267

It may be completely inappropriate given recent events, but I have the lyrics to “It’s a Great Day” stuck in my head.

Today was indeed a very good day. I slept in, as much as I could, but was still up and on my way by 7:30, leaving most of my gear at the shelter. Destination: Kent, CT. .3 mercifully easy trail miles and .8 road miles away. I really don’t know why this town has a bad rep among hikers, I found it quite welcoming and a great little gem! The town was full of hikers today! I mixed errands with pleasure stops until about 3 pm, then headed back.

• A trip to the laundromat… Ah, clean clothes, right out of the dryer
• A stop at IGA to pick up more tortillas, blueberries, and an impulsive buy of lemon wages cookies
• An excellent lunch at a Chinese restaurant
• A stop at the outfitters to buy more tent stakes (mine keep bending), and ice-creamate
• A stop at the chocolate shop/bakery – chocolate-covered pineapple and blueberry coffee cake for breakfast tomorrow!
• A nice interlude at the library – books and desktop computers!

This was all made possible by the happy discovery that my tent-sack has two extra straps that allow it to be carried like a backpack. Not the most comfortable, but it did make a very adequate day pack for carrying purchases and the clothes bag.

One of the most crucial errands (after I got the phone recharged) was contacting Sierra to arrange for a new backpack. Above and beyond helpful!! They do not carry the type of pack I have anymore, so the rep sent me listings for three choices to pick from, and it looks like I’ll definitely be getting an upgrade! He is sending it next day delivery, it will be in Sharon, CT by 8 pm tomorrow, and I will pick it up Wednesday – tomorrow night and Wednesday night, I will be staying at a hostel in Sharon, give my feet a chance to rest, and figure out how to most efficiently pack the new pack. I will not lose too much time – tomorrow I will do either 11 or 16 miles, depending on terrain. I will be very careful with this pack, for one more day. I may slackpack on Wednesday as well.

Back at camp now, it’s even busier now than last night! I’m not sure if anyone is in the shelter, but there are about 13 tents or hammocks set up, including mine. One tenter has a dog. One has a kid. One gave me Turkish Delight. Two are a father/daughter pair.

Tomorrow, I plan to be up and packed, bright and early. 16 miles is a long hike, but there is this beautifully level 5 mile stretch along the Housatonic River that should be both scenic and very easy on the feet. If I make 16, and I intend to, I can get a shuttle for free instead of paying $10. And since I am staying two nights, slackpacking may also be free.

So… It has been a good day, and the backpack mess very happily resolved. I am resting in my tent, listening to the GA hikers chatting, but not really in the mood to join in. It is getting chilly, and soon I will zip in for the night. Tomorrow is another day!

I hike on.

Today… Connecticut! I am back in New England! But I lost my hiking partner, and my feet are so sore. I said all along that I needed to toughen up before I hit New England; guess I didn’t toughen up enough, because Connecticut’s rocks and ups and downs beat the heck out of me. I got my 12 miles in, but the 10 in CT took almost that many hours.

No energy to cook tonight – dinner was a salmon packet, a tuna packet, pepperoni, and cheese. This shelter is very small – four people are filling it, and the other three are enthusiastic, talkative, young thru-hikers from Georgia. Bah. It is very windy out there still, I am typing this lying in my sleeping bag. There are about seven tents set up all over the place. And a very soothing stream just down the hill.

Morning Song noticed this morning that the strap holding my left shoulder strap to the backpack is frayed more than halfway through, and could snap at any time. It is not repairable. This has thrown a kink into my plans… I’m going to be at Kent longer than I planned. Tomorrow, I will take a zero at this shelter, to save money, while I contact Sierra to see if I can get a replacement backpack under warranty. Fortunately, it is only about a mile walk into Kent, so I can leave my gear here and walk in. Tuesday I might arrange to stay at a “bunk and done” hostel that will allow me to do some slackpacking while I wait for the new backpack – either from Sierra or from Amazon. I still hope to make VT by July 1, but I am flexible. I am so lucky that this shelter is so close to a town. Hey, I can take some time tomorrow to read the book Lori sent me, and then mail it home. I really need a zero anyway; the last one was in NJ.

Did I mention I miss my hiking partner? No one welcomed me home. And these people in the shelter are very talkative…

I pause.

Before I say anything else, I want to give a shout-out to Lori Versames and Ken & Ginny Zuska! Your kindness and generosity are very much appreciated!

Today was a short hiking day, only 5.3 miles, but the path felt like it was going on forever. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Today started at the deli with a delicious breakfast and a diet Snapple; we went into Pawling to get our maildrops, leaving our packs at the deli, then back to collect the packs, just in time for the rain to start. The first mile was a path through open meadows, with rain coming down steadily. Just as it intensified into a thunderstorm, we reached the edge of the woods, and an AT kiosk with an overhanging roof that we huddled under for 15 min until the rain slackened.

It was not difficult terrain, just muddy and wet and felt endless. At points there were boardwalks over particularly bad sections, and boards were wet and slippery; I slipped and went down hard at one point, and MS had to help me get up, from the way I landed, sort of sideways on my pack.

Finally we reached Wiley Shelter (meep! meep!), and claimed spots inside… Then, though we passed no one all day, other hikers began arriving. Six tenting, four in the shelter. Social time! One British couple (love the accents), some hikers we knew, some we did not. I donated much chocolate to the enjoyment of many. Conversation, dinner, then Morning Song and I made hot chocolate and sneakily added in the blacknerry brandy he has been carrying for days, because…

… Tonight is his last night on trail. Tomorrow, after we reach CT, his goal will be accomplished, and he will head into NYC. I will lose my hiking partner of the last eight weeks, and I am sad. 😦 But at least the last night was a great night.

After we all finished eating, Triple Crown hiker  Seminole unexpectedly appeared with a backpack of beers he brought up from a road a mile ahead! That was true trail magic! I snagged an IPA, which combined with the brandy left me very mellow. But still sad. Though most of us at the shelter tonight are headed for Mt. Algo Shelter tomorrow, .3 miles from Kent, CT, MS will have breakfast with me, probably go back to sleep, then hike 2 miles to the border, where he will get a ride back to a NY motel, then catch a train Monday.

And me, I start ramping up mileage. 50 miles in CT, 90 or so in MA, I will make VT by July 1, in time to make it to my older brother’s retirement ceremony. I like the timing. But first,  a zero in CT, since I crossed NY without stopping. I will miss the delis, too.

Oy, vey, but the pack was extra heavy today, since I crammed everything from packages into it. When I get to Kent, or wherever I take my zero, I will mail some stuff home. In the meanterim…

I hike on.