Waited out Irene in a motel for Saturday night and all day Sunday…a little boring, but that was the worst of it. Had good BBQ and one of the best delivery pizzas I have ever had.
Sunday the power went out so I didn’t get another hot shower and wished I had a book with me, but just got to sleep early.
Headed out this morning, but had no luck getting a hitch to the trailhead and walked over three miles on a road with a speed limit of 55 mph. I walked down the first section of trail and got to a long boardwalk for a third of a mile and then to a section that was a couple feet underwater. I walked in that untill I came to a river. The bridge to cross the river was gone and was down the river on the other side, so back I walked to where I started.
When I got to the road crossing, 3 guys were coming out to check out the trail. One was Grinder, a southbounder that I met a few days ago, and two other southbounders as well as a trail maintainer named Saskwatch. The hikers had all stayed with Saskwatch through the storm.
Saskwatch took us to a deli and then since the bridge was out, he took us up ahead to the town where I had planned to pick up a maildrop this morning anyways (which is particularly notable, as I could have been in for an additional 8 miles of road walking had he not been so generous). What a great Trail Angel.
I walked for the remainder of the day with Grinder and Pick Axe Will, and we leap flogged another southbounder named Blairfoot.
It was really good to have these guys to hang with today. I needed it after spending a lot of time alone lately. The trail is very different now with the southbounders very spread out on the trail and hardly any northbounders left.
The terrain was pretty mellow and the trail was in remarkable shape for having just been through the storm. There were only a few large blow downs, and it was drying out nicely.
In the afternoon, we took a .4 mile detour to get some pizza, which was only mediocre, and then headed for the RPH shelter. There is the four of us here. The shelter is a small cinder block building with a nice picnic table outside. Hammocking without a tarp tonight as the forecast is good for the night.
Can hear the turnpike fairly loud as it is less than a half mile away, and lots of treefrogs around us.
Daily Distance: 19.9
Trip Distance: 759.8
Questions or thoughts on this article? Please leave them below: