Miles: 1504.1 | A cool, drizzly morning leads us into town for a long, restorative breakfast at a hiker-friendly café—hot food, endless coffee refills, fresh juice, and a chance to recharge both batteries and morale. Back on trail, sunshine, trail magic, and an unexpected bobcat sighting (actually two!) make the miles feel light. We pass the 1,500-mile marker just before Salisbury, squeeze in a modest resupply and a shared loaf of cinnamon challah, then finish the day on easy terrain. A misty field, quiet pine woods, and an early bedtime at Riga Shelter close out a day that feels calm, grounded, and gently hopeful.
We got out of camp pretty early. It was still sprinkling and the air had a slight chill to it. We walked the few miles into town and and took a side street to Mountainside Cafe. They were very friendly to us hikers and even offered to fill our water bottles for us. We sat at a table near the back of their dining room and they let us charge our external batteries at an outlet behind our table.
I got a huge breakfast skillet with potatoes and veggies and eggs and cheese. I also got a carrot, orange, and ginger freshly pressed juice and a cup of coffee (which they refilled four times for free!). Breakfast was delicious and rejuvenating. I really needed it. We stayed at the cafe for a couple of hours and used their free wifi to download some new podcasts. I went outside to get my raincoat, because I was cold. When I pulled it out of the bottom of my backpack, where it had been stored for at least a week, I found that the plastic piece at the bottom of the zipper had broken. I could no long
After breakfast we headed out. The rain had stopped and we walked through the humid air. The trail took us on a road walk through Canaan Falls, CT and then through a small nature park. We walked past a power plant on a river with some water falls. We dried out our tents near here as the sun came out and we even got some trail magic right around the corner! They had yogurt, freeze pops, donuts, and spring water!
It was shaping up to be a great day. As we meandered over the hills after the falls we saw a bobcat! Two bobcats! They were beautiful little creatures but they kept their distance.
After that we looked around every corner and hill to see if there were more around. Eventually we came to the 1500 mile marker! Right before Salisbury.
We stopped and had a snack there so that we wouldn't be too hungry at the grocery store. Together, we walked into town and found the market tucked behind some small shops. The overpriced and tiny gourmet market had so many lovely things that I wanted but couldn't afford. It was expensive and they only carried brand name products. I stuck to some hiker basics and treated myself to a gooey loaf of cinnamon Challah bread, which I split with Miles, and a chocolate milk.
We left the market after another snack and we ran into Butter on the way back to the trail. She tried hitching into town. Miles and I continued back to the trail along the road walk portion here. Every house we passed on the road walk was big and beautiful. We kept mentioning how they would each make a perfect hostel. Into the woods we went and the pine trees enveloped us again. I was getting tired but it was still relatively early. We had made good time on the easy terrain this day.
We came to a clearing on a field. It was so beautiful. A row of pines lined the field and a fog sat low near the wet grass. The afternoon light shone perfectly to puncture rays of sun through the fog. I was so awe inspired I didn't even take a photo.
We got to the campsites for the Riga shelter and set up. I ate some more food and went to sleep early. After three days of no caffeine I was exhausted but at least my heart rate had slowed down and I was starting to feel better.