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Aug 3 , 1983 Wednesday (701.5 mtg) From
Gonzo!s Appalachian Trail journal Had
a nice sleep last night even though I thought the traffic would keep me awake.
Passing cars could not awaken me once I had drifted off to sleep. Stopped at the
post office to mail off the guide books that I no longer needed. Called Fred again
and this time woke him from his slumber. Thought that maybe we could meet and
do some hiking together, but we made no plans other than that I would call him
again from Tyringham. I continued on up the trail. Dark
Ravine was nice, but too "dark" for any pictures. My recollections of
the place 19 years later amounts to nothing, so with no recollection and no photos,
the place is just a mention in my log as "being nice". It is unfortunate,
but many of the interesting places along the route have faded from memory. Memories
that at the time seemed like they would last forever. I used to be able to remember
the names of each shelter that I stayed in each night with no problem. Now, as
I re-write this log after not even reading it since it was written in 1983, I
struggle with maps and guides to piece together the last surviving recollections
of the trip. Some parts may seem to be lacking in description. That is true, but
I did not want to add anything that really did not happen, or exaggerate too much
from the truth.
Cathedral Pines is another area that has not even a
mention in my log. My memory of the ski resort just past that is stronger than
the memory of passing through an ancient stand of pines. A ski lift was something
new to me, but trees I had been seeing constantly for nearing three months
now. (note added 2008: I seem to recall that perhaps the Cathedral Pines area
had a reroute due to a hurricane a year or so before I passed through, and many
of the large trees had toppled. Therefore I never got to see them.)
None
of the shelters in this stretch seemed to have any water. No pumps, and the springs
were dry. The summer drought was beginning to affect the water table more than
I cared for. There is a shelter register from this area (that apparently I did
not visit and the exact shelter name has not been determined) with more
thru-hiker entries. There are no enties from August 3, the day I passed by,
but Bruce Berlin, who I had been hiking with back in Pennsylvania, signed in on
the 4th. Somewhere
near this mystery shelter, I did manage to find a Pepsi machine located at the
intersection of the A.T. and highway 43. I did not visit Pine Knob Lean-to, but
checked out the spring - it was barely flowing. Sometimes at springs like this
I spent up to five minutes collecting enough water to fill my pint bottle. The
climb up Barrack Mountain proved tough and rocky, but at the road crossing of
Conn. 7 after the descent, I found a nice restaurant where I had heard that they
always ask thirsty hikers the same question: "Are you real thirsty?"
Of course the proper response they intended to get was "yes, I am very thirsty"
With a smile, they would then put the small cup down that they had in their hand
and grab a much larger cup to fill up. Very nice people. Their private register
had just run out of space so I was the lucky one to christen the new register
with the first entry. I don't remember what I wrote. Something really sappy I
imagine.
Just before the Iron Bridge over the Housatonic River near
Falls Village, I opted for the blue-blazed trail rather than the official AT road
walk to the bridge. The blue-blazed trail followed near the edge of the river.
In the river, I washed my socks and shirt, and then relaxed for a bit. As I neared
the bridge, I noticed a couple of girls by the river and decided to chat with
them. My main goal was to find a source of water. One of the girls, named Terri,
said that there really was no public fountain or anything like that, but offered
to get some from her house just across the bridge and up the road a bit. To that
point I had traveled 24.7 miles so the additional mileage to her house put me
right at twenty-five. It was time to find a place to stay now. At the house, I
was welcomed by what seemed to be some sort of a party, at least they had company
- besides me, that is. I was quickly extended much hospitality, which included
a meal of meatloaf, and potatoes. I visited with her folks and some others visiting
from Tennessee long into the evening (Kathy
Still, Lori Candido, Steve and Terri Wingard). I was offered the option to
stay at their home, and accepted. I chose to sleep outside on a lounge in the
backyard because I told them I would be leaving before they were up and did not
want to wake them. After two days in Connecticut with twenty-five miles or more
each day, I decided I would go for a record and attempt to put 100 miles down
in four days, and finishing Connecticut in just four days time. Gonzo!
Appalachian Trail Journals ©1983
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