A Viewpoint on Ten Mile Hill
Day 2 of our Memorial Day Appalachian Trail hike took us from Ten Mile Shelter in Connecticut to Telephone Pioneer Shelter in New York.
A Nice Stop for a Mid-Morning Snack Break and Water Resupply
To start our morning, we came out of our tent to see a deer in the field. It was so peaceful in the early morning. We had Mittenshakes for breakfast. Mittenshakes are a recipe concocted by Mitten Camper. Yum! Frosty made them up before we left. He made mine without the coffee, and added extra brownie mix. To make my Mittenshake up in the morning, I just cut a corner of the baggie off and funneled the powdered ingredients into a Powerade bottle that was half full of water. I shook it up then let it bounce around in my pack. We drank them from a view point atop Ten Mile Hill.
Little Free Library with Wiley Shelter in the Background
I thought it was cool that the Wiley Shelter that we passed and the Telephone Pioneer Shelter both had Little Free Libraries.
To Me This Silo Looks like a Steam Punk Rocket
Today had hiking in many different settings. We walked through open forest, by bogs, on a boardwalk, through farm fields, and over streams. We walked by one cool looking silo in a farm field. It was a sunny, hot day and walking through the open fields was a sweaty endeavor.
This Turtle Posed for Me.
We came to a brook and stopped to get water and spotted a raccoon in a tree. Later we saw an owl sitting on a branch. Times likes these make me wish I had my Canon telephoto lens. We also found a turtle along the trail. He willingly stood still, so that I could photograph him.
This Train Stop on the Appalachian Trail Can Take You to New York City
On this section of trail, we crossed a railroad stop. The train goes to and from New York City. There is a little bench here where hikers can wait for the train. About a mile before we got to the train stop, we started encountering many fresh hikers. The train had just dropped off all these hikers.
Going to Maine?
A Boardwalk Curves Through a Bog on the Appalachian Trail
Frosty Walks Along the Boardwalk
After the train stop, the trail is a boardwalk through a marsh. On a wide spot on the boardwalk, there was a sitting area with two Adirondack chairs. One was labelled Georgia; while the other said Maine. After the boardwalk, we entered the woods. It was great to be out of the sun, but then the eye gnats attacked us. These non-biting insects can drive you batty. They stay and fly right in front of your eyes and ears.
Funny Sign in the Middle of the Woods
We spent the evening at the Telephone Pioneer Shelter. There was very little flat ground here. The one flat spot was too small for our tent and already occupied. We set up on an incline. There was a nice stream near this shelter for water. There were great sitting rocks adjacent to the stream. While at the stream sitting, we heard a load crash. A tree fell in the woods, but we were there to hear it.
Our Tarp Tent at Telephone Pioneer Shelter. The Tent Is Held up by Trekking Poles
Two thru-hikers were at the shelter, as well as 6 or so weekenders. One young couple was on their first overnight hike. They had just got off the train from NYC and were very interested in learning about backpacking. We all had some good conversation before hiker midnight.
