“It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.”
–Yogi Berra
I promise this story has a happy ending.
I was kicked out of a laundromat in Kent, CT.
“You need to get yourself and your pack out of here…now” the woman said. When asked the reason, she responded, “because you’re a hiker”.
As soon as I crossed the water gap into New Jersey, the weather and terrain improved. The nights cooled, and there was water again. You wouldn’t think this, but NJ has some great trails. The Mid-Atlantic states aren’t known for their high elevations, but there were some very nice views.
Including the highest point in NJ…accurately named, High Point.
One of the more interesting spots where I stayed the night, the Jim Murray Shelter, had a very curious and friendly caretaker.
A few more days and I made it into my 9th state, New York!
Tons of ridge walking. In the southern section of the state, there were a couple ridges where I could get a glimpse of NYC. Pretty cool.
After a (very crowded weekend) climb over Bear Mountain, NYC is where I’d be for some time off the trail! I decided to jump on the train in Peekskill and head into the city.
There I met up with my next two celebrity hikers, Imtoo and Pops! Even in this crowded metropolis, it was the perfect break from hiking.
…and the foot massage was incredible.
After two days (of playing feral caveman in the big city) it was back to the trail…and the mid-atlantic heat had come right back. It was hot. NY and CT were going to to be rough. 90 to 95 degree highs were the norm, and everything stayed wet.
I’ll be honest here. This was the toughest section I had experienced yet. For a twelve day stretch, the heat and humidity were relentless. I was working harder for miles, and for the first time, I felt my body start to wear out.
Then I got to Kent.
On a record high day (the temperature hit 97, who knows what the heat index was), a 3 mile morning was all I could drag myself into accomplishing. A town stop was desperately needed. The laundromat was next to the grocery…great I could knock that out first.
I washed, dried, and was packing up when the owner came in. She said her piece and slammed shut her office door.
Knock, knock.
We weren’t done yet.
I won’t make a long story longer here, but I’ll say that no curse words were exchanged. She had had some negative run-ins with hikers in the past, and obviously made a wrong assumption. As a paying customer (who cares if I’m hiking or not), I followed the rules.
I wished her a better day, and went grocery shopping. I was at the end of my hiking rope. I milled about the store, half shopping, half soul searching. It was hot. It was humid. The trail was a boring, never ending green tunnel. Now a trail town had turned hostile. I had had enough…but my luck was going to change.
Often posted in stores or at trailheads, hikers will find contacts for trail angels. These wonderful people will offer information on the area, rides around town, and sometimes even a place to stay.
A trail angel in Newtown, Yolie, was offering her poolhouse as a retreat from the heat. I hadn’t ever tried to reach out, but this day I gave it a shot.
She responded, and 30 minutes later someone was there to pick me up. Yolie had me stay at her home for two days to rest and recover. I was, again, blown away by the hospitality of people I had never met.
To Yolie, Lily, Karen, Jared, Dawn, and Miss Violet, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I never told you this, but that day in Kent I almost called it a hike and went home. For two days, you opened your home to me and treated me as family.
It was what I needed to keep going. From there I’d head toward Massachusetts and some much cooler weather.
And I won’t be doing laundry in Kent again.
SFSSF:
Miles: 1466.7
Mi/Day: 13.5
Highest Elevation: 1290′ (Bear Mountain)
Mountains: 133
Pop Tarts: 55
Triple Doubles: 2
The B-Log 