| August 17, 2005 |
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Leaving Belter's Camp ground heading north
I'll have at leas 10 miles today, but I'm not sure of my
destination yet. It rained last night and I've got wet gear in
my back which makes it a little heaver. Hopefully in a
day or two I'll be able to get it dried out. Sun's up and it
looks like it's going to be a pretty day. |
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I've just crossed Conn., 112 and I'm hiking
right beside a beautiful corn patch. The ears on it look like
they're getting ready to pick. I'll soon be at the Housationic
River again. White flocks are growing beside the river, just
about finished blooming. I'm hiking beside the corn field on a
bank right beside the river. I can look down and see the
water. It looks like it's not moving very rapidly in this
area. Getting ready to cross Conn. 7 again. I had a mile
and a half hiking to do on the road between 112 and 7 due to a RR
wreck. Now back into the woods again. |
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Coming from the camp
site the trail has been fairly smooth, dust cover, down hill.
Where I'm hiking now is pine needle covered. Looks like trail
turns and goes by the river again, and it is now on my left. I
just passed over a log bridge that fallen across a deep ravine the
normally flows to the river. There wasn't any water in it at
this time. There's at must be note here that's fastened to a tree here
that says "AT to GA. 1,461 miles. That seems like a
long, long way, doesn't it? |
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The AT must be running along a local hiking
area, where they use it a nature center study area. I see that
they have little sign posts here and there. It sure is
pleasant hiking in here, the trail is 4 or 5 feet wide. It is
in a hemlock forest mixed with a little hard woods thrown in.
This is a lot like Flint Ridge hiking. |
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Getting ready to cross a bridge, built in
1808. I got off the AT to see the little falls. The
current comes down here fairly rapidly. I'm hiking on the
Housationic River Road until I get back on the trail. I'm
looking over the river above the falls. It look it's huge big
slabs of boulders all the way across the river. The river kind
of divides as one fall right after another. It looks like
there are several hole where you can actually swim. |
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I'm at the real high falls now. This
was the one I was talking about before, it's a large boulder that
goes completely across the river. There are probably 5 or 6
water falls coming of it and on huge big one. This is close to
a town called Fall Mills. I'm going to sit down here and let
Simon wade out in the water and eat a candy bar. This is the
way to go to work, sitting here on this rock watching the bass swim
around eating a candy bar. You can't beat this. I'll
take this type of work any old day. |
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I've crossed the river road again I'm
starting up Pleasant Mountain. This is a white pine forest.
Nice open woods area. I do see a rock wall, there was a house
in here at one time. No large boulders! A lot of fern
growing in this area. The woods is dabbled with sunlight wit a
pine and hardwood canopy. I've almost reached the top of the
mountain, they're bringing us around on large switch backs.
I'm going through a pile of rock boulders now, kind of winding
around between massive rocks on each side of the trail. It is
really gorgeous through here. The rocks have a lot of moss and
ferns, a lot of liken, big huge trees, mostly pines. |
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This is what I'd call an enchanted forest.
The ones you read about in fairy tales. I stopped at Billy's U
to get a drink and look over the countryside a little bit. It
such a clear day which is very unusual. The country side is just
beautiful, but they've got these big trees in front of the view and
you can't see a thing. As you come north there appears to be
less and less farms. |
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It appear that the AT is now following what
used to be a an old road years ago. There is stonewall fence
right beside of it. |
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I sure wouldn't want to lose my balance and
fall off this hill. It's straight down over rocks through the
pines and fairly narrow through here, and rocky coming off the hill.
I had to go down a homemade ladder that leaned up against a big
boulder and the bottom of it was down on the trail. Simon when
down the first step, then he got off to the side. It was real
steep, but wasn't bad to come down. |
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I'm coming in to US 44 and I'm going into
Salisbury which is 4 tenths of a mile. Going to get Simon some
ice cream and maybe a sandwich and then hike on about 4 miles to the
next shelter. |
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Just came back from Salisbury and on the AT
again headed north and just crossed #41. and going up hill.
I'm glad I went into Salisbury, it's a quaint little town.
Expensive New England town, but very beautiful. In Salisbury I
had a coke, a cup of coffee, a hot dog and a cup of black raspberry
ice cream. Simon had vanilla ice cream. The 2 of us have
had ice cream 3 days in a row. How about that, you can't beat
it! |
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The trail coming up the hill of 41 has been
relatively easy. A lot of it dirt covered. Weedy though,
multiple roses, briars and other brush that kind of stick out and
grab you once in a while. It's been steep, I think I'm almost
to the top. It's about 1,500 feet. |
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I came up upon this steep rock boulder with
a slant that pointed towards the north. As I came up on it I
saw this heavy rope tied around the tree. My thought was, why
is that heavy rope tied there? They must close it off or
something during the night. Then I realized when I close to
area I realized that it was put there so you could get a hold of the
rope as you went down the rocks to keep you from falling.
Clever idea! I wish they would put a rope is several other
places that I've been down that has been extremely steep and slick.
I've fallen enough down rock boulders and stuff. I don't need
to fall again. My chest is still sore from where I fell coming
down the big rocks in Cannon. It is improving! |
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It appears that I'm out of most the weeds.
It's good along the trail now. This area had had houses or
farms years ago. It's really beautiful to see these big white
birches in this woods. A lot of maple in here too. This
area doesn't have to many oaks. So far today I haven't seen
any oaks. A lot of regular birch tree, dark skinned which you
can nibble on the bark. This little stream I'm crossing now
has a lot of water in it. It's real clear and pretty.
Simon is getting himself a drink. |
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I'm going straight up again, I don't think
this is ever going to end. I have to go up an extremely rocky
area to Lions Head. I'm going to get a drink and then I tackle
this situation. The view from Lion's Head is certainly worth
coming off the trail. I'm standing on top of a huge rock cliff
looking down over into the valley. I see a couple of lakes, it
spreads out into a fair size valley, but here again it's mostly
wooded. That includes the mountain ranges too. A little
hazy, but not bad today. It's gotton a little cooler making is
a more pleasant day to hike. Evevation is 1,738 feet. |
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Coming off the rock boulders the trail was a
little on the weedy and briary side, but now I hiking along
side of laurel bushes. Where I'm hiking now there are a few
rocks in the trail, but I can look over to my left and I can big
huge piles of boulders. |
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Going into the Riga Shelter. It's
been a very nice day of hiking, I've met a lot of local people and I
be talking to you tomorrow. |
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Swing'n Jane and
Simon |
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