Day 121, Monday June 28, 2021

      

Colossians 

Cornwall Bridge to Beltzers campsite - 11.3 miles hiked today - 1492.6 total AT miles hiked to date 

Hot, hot, hot.  Today was the hottest hiking day yet encountered,  with temperatures in the 90s for most of the day.  We got a late start after checking out of the motel, and stopping for one last store bought meal at the market.  A friendly local gave us a lift 1/2 mile back to the trail and we were hiking before 10am.

The heat is unseasonably severe for this part of the country, although it feels like standard Florida weather to me.  Gypsy moths have stripped most of the trees of their foliage, so shade was also at a premium. I drank over a gallon of water today, and probably should have had more. My traveling companions were hit hard, despite drinking prodigious amounts of water as well.  Pinot fell behind and ultimately stopped for the day about 6 miles in at a shelter.  By the time we heard from her, we were at our initial rendezvous point 3 miles beyond the shelter.  Anvil elected to camp there for the night to meet back up with Pinot in the morning.  Being a slower hiker,  I continued on to our planned destination for the night.  They will get an early start and catch up with me by mid day.  The next two days are supposed to be even hotter, so we’ll see how it goes.

Today’s terrain mirrored the past several days, with constant ups and downs, peppered with scrambles, squeezes, and climbs. None were as severe as we’d faced a few days ago, but enough to slow the pace even more.  Tomorrow promises to be much the same, so mileage could be short. Our goal is to get to Great Barrington by Thursday 30+ miles ahead.  Time will tell.

Until next time…