May 20
End: Riga Shelter
Miles: 29.8
Total: 3360.4
Just as before, Moses was gone from the shelter before me. This time, I was not so close behind. I did leave before the other hikers and enjoyed a fairly uneventful hike.
The terrain was not very memorable. It basically consisted of small hills and a few rocks, but mostly just walking along in the woods. Sadly I was thinking of town again, and this time the town I was heading to was almost at the very end of the day.
I was not enthused to walk through a bit of tall grass just before a road walk. The ticks had been outrageous for the past week, but oddly I did not attract any on this day. After completing a rather long walk on the road I crossed the Housatonic River for a second time and reentered the woods.
The only thing left between Salisbury and me was Prospect Mountain, which was not too difficult. I descended down from that and finally reached the road, which I walked a short distance into town.
I went to the grocery store and was disappointed to find it almost identical to the one in Kent. With no other options, I bought enough food to get to a real town, then hung out in a nice little square and ate some. Moses came by and we talked for a short while before he headed back to the room he had rented for the night.
My phone took an eternity to charge since I had been using it, and I didn’t get out of town and back onto the trail until about seven in the evening. On the way out my hip belt broke, leaving the weight of my pack solely on my shoulders.
I powered up to the Lion’s Head, which was not an easy climb. Happy with my progress, I lackadaisically walked on and got to Riga Shelter before dark. There was no one else staying at the shelter, but a ridge runner was camping nearby and we talked until nightfall.
I slept by myself in a shelter for the first time since Alabama. It felt a little lonely, but I slept great. Too lazy to cook, I just went to bed, ready to hike fast the next day to avoid the incoming rain.
