elytis

So this past weekend I started my attempt to hike the entire section of the Connecticut section of the AT. I started at Bulls Bridge in south Kent and took the trail north. My original plan was to hike 7 miles the first day, 8 the second, 11 the third and forth days, 9 the fifth and then around 6 on the sixth day. Unfortunately my vacation time was cut short by work and I only had 4 days to complete the trail. The revised plan was to hike 15 miles for three days and on the final day hike 6 miles.

The day started out fine and I thought I was ahead of schedule when I had reached the five mile mark or so by 11:30. I continued to hike and passed the MT. Algo shelter at around 1:00 pm when my knee started hurting. I continued to hike knowing that I was about half way there with lots of time to spare. Then my knee started to hurt more, my legs began to cramp up and I became extremely dehydrated. I started to get frustrated when I talked to another section hiker going in the opposite direction who told me that I was wrong and hadn't even hit the half way mark yet. It was now around 3:30 pm and I continued to hike onward and upward. As I became more dehydrated it took longer and longer to take each step and I became more and more infuriated. At this point my legs were on fire and my knee was starting to feel like someone took a hammer to it.

Eventually I came to upon a hiker who told me I only had about 40 minutes of hiking left before I got to the Stewart Hollow Shelter. After climbing down St. John's Ledges (whoever thought that was a good way to get up or down a mountain should be castrated) I walked along the flat trail. What should have taken about half an hour felt like it took an hour and it soon got dark. Out came the head lamp and here I go with my first partial night hike.

Eventually I arrive at the shelter, make my dinner, set up my tent, and pass the heck out.

Things I have learned:
-15 miles is waaaayyy longer than I thought it was to hike
-good boots/shoes are worth the money. I went cheap and paid for it with having to throw out the boots when I got off the trail.
-bring lots of snacks and extra water for longer hikes. More food and more water probably would have kept my sprits up and kept me hiking a little faster.
-Hiking poles were there best investment I ever made. With out them I probably wouldn't have made it. The stabalized me when I was going to fall, they helped me use my arms to move myself up and forward. The poles also helped me climb down St. John's Ledges.

-