Tuesday, July 5th

Stealth campsite (1450.8 mi) to Mt Algo Shelter (1471.1 mi)

Hiking Miles: 20.4

Total Ascent: 3,820.2

Total Descent: 3,939.3

Total Grade: 384.4 ft/mi

Steps: 50,335

Gator: We survived the rather unpleasantly warm night and the mosquito attacks, especially during the usual few times I got up to pee. We grabbed our usual cold breakfast, made sure our fire was completely doused, then headed on trail towards Connecticut.

The morning was beautiful, and our hike came filled with unique and interesting nature sights. The terrain varied from hopping stones and old wooden bridges to paved streets and a railroad crossing. 

We reached the Connecticut/New England Gateway just past noontime (9 miles in). We stopped to take a few quick pics and a celebratory video at the iconic Gateway sign. Crossing into New England gave us the feeling of being home, and that the end was within our reach. However, we still had 700 miles remaining, with the most strenuous part of our hike (the Whites, Southern Maine, and Mount Katahdin) still looming ahead of us. 

Our next stop came at the top of Ten Mile Hill overlooking a beautiful view, to eat our lunch. I video called Teresa’s phone to briefly inform her of our whereabouts, and was surprised (and happy) to see Kathy Johnson (a good friend of ours) answer the call. Teresa and Kathy were at the Thirsty Moose in Merrimack, NH enjoying one of their weekly lunch dates during retirement, and were doing well. We chatted for just a bit, then got back to our respective lunches. I had prepared a peanut butter wrap (and some trail mix) for myself.

Back on trail, the terrain turned pleasantly accommodating. Croc and passed two gentlemen, one being much older, possibly another father-son team. The elder sported a long beard, and he appeared to be hiking much slower (sound familiar?). We would subsequently pass each other a number of times throughout the afternoon. The weather slowly turned humid and muggy and we both were feeling sluggish, so we stopped for a short break. Croc decided to take a 1-hour nap on a large, flat rock. I continued on not wanting to lose precious time on trail, knowing Croc would easily catch up. And he did.

A highlight of our day was stopping at the Bulls Bridge Country Store in South Kent. It was such a rustic little establishment nestled within a quaint village. There we bought two propane canisters, a pint of ice cream each, and bottles of Gatorade that we consumed outside on one of the picnic tables. It was a much needed stop, and soon after our sluggishness disappeared.

As the day progressed, a light rain cooled things off , for which we were grateful. We picked up the pace whereas our goal \was to reach the Algo Shelter for the evening, before the heavier rains came. We passed our two hiker friends once again, and figured they were thinking along the same lines – get to the shelter as quickly as possible. As we approached a healthy incline, the older gentleman whisked by us with a burst of energy. It was clearly evident at that moment that he was an experienced hiker, and not the slow one in that group. We eventually learned his goal was to reach the camp site in time to set up their two-person tent (or two tents back to back) prior to the heavy winds and rain rolling in.

Croc and I prepared and ate dinner (hot ramen) and set up our mattresses and quilts in the shelter for the evening. There was a moldering privy and a healthy flowing stream (in opposite directions of course) nearby on the grounds. About an hour later, two other hikers that we hadn’t met previously arrived and stayed in the shelter with us. Overall, I was feeling much better mentally, and back in a rhythm.

Croc: I recall today being much better than the previous day, but I wasn’t at full energy. It was likely because we were crossing into New England at the New York/Connecticut border, which gave us a sense of accomplishment as we checked off another state. It could also have been because Gator and I began the day hiking together, bringing back memories of the start of our trip. Although I loved our time with the trail family, we often had to make hiking decisions that satisfied five people instead of just the two of us. This usually meant long hiking days where Gator would get up early and hike for over 15 hours a day. But now we could make our own schedule, which allowed us to plan days like today where we could hike together and celebrate our milestones.

Another win for today was passing a country store (Bull’s Bridge) on the trail where we got some Gatorade, ice cream, and much-needed air conditioning. However, with the hot weather, dairy-based food, and my already sensitive digestive system, my stomach quickly became unsettled. Luckily, there was a Porta-potty by the store that I used on the way in (and out), so I avoided having to dig two holes today. As we walked, I started feeling extremely lethargic and decided to take a quick nap that turned into an hour-long rest. Gator, as always, was crushing it, so he continued on while I slept.

Eventually, I woke up and caught up with Gator. As we walked, we kept leapfrogging with the two hikers mentioned earlier. They had an odd dynamic, but even stranger was when the older gentleman suddenly sprinted past us about a mile before the shelter. Since it was going to rain, I thought he was trying to beat us to the shelter to reserve two spots. In the past, we have arrived late to a shelter only to find no room. Imagine hiking a long day, finding no space in the shelter, and having to set up a tent in the rain, sleep in wet clothes, and then pack a wet tent in the morning. Seeing this guy run by, I immediately thought, “This guy is trying to steal our spots in the shelter!” While we often told ourselves that we weren’t competitive and that everyone hikes their own hike, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t try to compete with everyone on the trail. I remember an amazing father/son duo from the southern section of our trip (you may remember them as South Park, Cartman & Kenny, or Vintage & Honeybadger). They were early risers and fast, effective hikers, so I constantly tried to keep up with them. One day, they beat us to a shelter (same scenario where they came running in a mile from the shelter) and took the last two spots. It wasn’t the end of the world since it was a beautiful day and we could just set up our tents, and ultimately more space freed up, but it’s a buzzkill to be beaten.

Anyway, the older gentleman did beat us to the shelter, but he still opted to set up his tent. This struck me as odd because they set up their tents and ate their dinner in the rain while Gator and I shared a empty shelter, protected from the storm.

Everyone hikes their own hike and has their own form of fun, but opting to camp in the rain is a big “NO NO” for me.