The New England section of the AT has a lot more dining options than further south, but fewer and poorer resupply options. After talking to some hikers who have hiked north of here before, I’m starting to think I should be planning ahead 5 days with a hostel on day 5, so I can order things like granola which seem not to exist around here, and have them shipped to the hostels.
That being said it was nice to have lunch yet again at a restaurant, this time a pizza and sub place in the tiny town of Unionville NY. I had a veg panini and dined with Crocodile Hunter whom I had met just before we got into town.
Josef was in town as well. I chatted with him for a bit as he charged his phone on the porch of the general store.
Leaving town I ran into Bull, who told me he and Ghost had camped a few miles back from me at a giant concrete pavillion that I remember going by last night. He headed into town as I hit the trail. I caught up with Josef at a house that had free soft drinks for hikers as well as a tap to fill up water bottles, and we hiked together for the next hour, three quarters of the way around a giant rectangular marsh.
At the evening’s shelter I met Bouge and Popeye, section hikers. Then Josef stopped by to let me know he was heading further along and hoping to find something that passed for a tentsite, because he hadn’t walked far today and wanted more miles under his belt. Sleeping under a bridge was one option.
A whole crew arrived later… Bougie (a different person from Bouge), Knot, Billy Bob, I forget who else, and Ghost and Bull. I went to the shelter once my tent was up, and chatted with Bougie, who is from Arkansas and lived in a tiny home for several years. He showed me pictures. It was larger than the tiny homes I’ve seen, but it was beautiful. Later on Ghost and Bull joined us and we had a merry dinner conversation. Bull had a Ziploc bag full of mushy pizza which he had no appetite for. Ghost ate some and they threatened to put the rest inside my sleeping bag, among many other silly places.
The hiking today was a bit less rocky. Not that there weren’t unpleasantly rocky sections, but there was lots of road walking, grass walking (e.g. around the pond) and even two very long sections of walking on boards nailed to logs over ground that to me seemed dry but must get muddy when it rains. Weather was hot but in the woods you don’t really feel it. Now at dusk there’s a strong breeze but it’s not the tent slayer of the Catfish fire tower campsite. Overall an excellent day.
Mile 1335.3 to mile 1354.8 = 19.5 miles
The trail seems to bounce back and forth between NJ and NY in these parts.