Day 98 - Wednesday, July 7, 2021

We had severe localized thunderstorms yesterday afternoon and early evening. Areas north and east around Kent, CT lost power for several hours. 

We got up at 5 am to get on trail sooner to avoid the heat and more severe thunderstorms forecasted for mid afternoon. 

Today we continued hiking in Connecticut from CT 341, Schaghticoke Road, Kent, CT (1470.2 NoBo) to Fawn Hill Road, (1479.8 NoBo) equaling 9.6 miles. 

We began hiking at 7:30 am; the temperature was already 64° with high humidity.  One little perk that we are getting today is that we are hiking the flattest section on the entire AT. There is a nearly a 6 mile stretch that follows the Housatonic River that the elevation does not change by more than 60 feet (basically flat)  - this is the proverbial “walk in the woods”…











The Housatonic River.





The “flattest” section of the entire AT is along the Housatonic River. 



Meet “Birdbath”. “Birdbath” began in Springer on March 26th. He survived yesterday’s storms 👍🏻. 



Blue Herring in flight from the Housatonic River. 


Entering St. John’s Ledges. 













Climbing St. John’s Ledges. I was glad we were ascending and not descending. 









Views from Calebs Peak. 



This is “Duck”, who started at Springer on March 14th. She is from Brooklyn, NY. 




And this is “Cyborg” who started from Springer in March. “Cyborg” is from Cleveland, Ohio. It’s good that everyone survived yesterday’s thunderstorms safely but they may not be out of the woods yet as more thunderstorms are forecasted for tonight. 



Storm damage and debris on the trail from yesterday’s thunderstorms. Hikers would not have been safe in their tents. 




This is an obvious lighting strike… the tree top was not to be found. 


Turtle Power climbing over the debris in the trail. 


You always appreciate “Trail Magic”. This is “Onesimus”. There’s nothing better after a long hot hike than a cold drink and an ice cream. He completed his thru-hike around 2009. He served in the Army as a Sargent Major and was an NCO at West Point. He said part of his job was to teach the cadets not to trust the Officers… wait a minute, don’t cadets become Officers 🤔😂.  He also takes his “Trail Magic” to New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  Thank you for your service and for all your generosity providing hikers “Trail Magic”.  Now there’s something I could find myself doing in a couple years… traveling all over the USA providing “Trail Magic” to hikers 🤔. Be a great way to see the USA and meet a lot of interesting people.


Till next time... Happy Hiking  🥾 

😋


“You gotta have passion for life and passion for something that you're going to get up and do,".    

                                Meredith “Sunny” Eberhart 





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