🌜Nearo to Steve’s Lakehouse pt1

Essentially we knew it was going to rain last night- and camping in our tents was going to mean a soggy morning ritual… but we didn’t have much of a choice. The shelter was full of “section hikers” 🙄and “flipfloppers” 😩- I clearly have opinions about this but will save that for another time.

As predicted, rain arrived overnight and our tents were soggy and muddy. Nothing we can’t handle, truthfully. Some shelter space emerged as hikers started out their days individually braving the elements… and this gave us space to wring out, organize, and repack as well as eating a little breakfast together in a dry space.

10 minutes into the hike we had a near death experience, truly. There are many dangers in the forest including poisons, thorns, wild animals, slipping on rocks, etc. This time it was gravitational forces on a water logged tree! We heard a loud creak and Little Foot’s scream just before a massive trunk ripped to the earth with an astounding momentum and a massive thud. This was only 15-20 feet from her position on trail! 😬 To say we were shaken is an understatement. These forces in nature seem deceptively simple but in truth they are mind boggling complex …and to witness an event like this so closely just makes me feel small. In the end everyone is okay and there is nothing to do except keep hiking!

I’m not sure if it was this scary close call and/or the relentless drizzle but our morale had reached an unfamiliar low point. After some discussion we diverted from trail and discovered The White Hart, a historic inn in Salisbury CT with a fantastic café on the main level. We occupied that fancy place like it was our living room and I have to say that can go two ways, but we found the locals welcoming curious, and inviting.

Coffees and baked goods were restorative but not necessarily motivational for braving the rain. A plan was brewing to get out of the rain and use Steve’s lake house in Monterey MA as a home base for a couple nights. We might do some “slack packing” (supported hike carrying less gear) and enjoy creature comforts, including popcorn and a movie, a funfetti cake, a huge pasta dinner with “sausages “ and broiled broccoli… all this in addition to what normally excites us: hot showers, laundry, resupply options, etc.

Not too many photos today- the phone was wet and packed away but I do have a shot of us lounging and might be able to get one of our dinner to post later!

Mile 1507.5 (a mere 4.4 miles of hiking this day- nearly zero… aka “nearo”)Read more