A very Heartsy Birthday...

6/24/08 - Amos' Birthday!!

• Woke up & went to Baird's General Store where Tupperware bought him breakfast - and planted a candle in his breakfast sausage... come to think of it, I'm not sure who had the sausage... also not sure if anyone sang 'Happy Birthday,' but Amos did say he made a very special birthday wish on that banger candle...!

• Decided to spend the day off of the official trail and on the road instead. So, they hopped from town to town as they hiked along US 7.
• En route, they came across Clarke Outdoors - an outfitter that rents kayaks along the Housatonic - tried to rent boats for the day but were a half an hour too late (they stopped renting at 11:00 am) - the lady in the store refused to run a shuttle for them and so the boys were denied. Birthday bummer.
• Onward to West Cornwall where they hung out in a coffee shop/restaurant and where Tupp bought Hearts a birthday ice cream. Inside, they waited out a pretty fierce rainstorm while their packs waited under an overhang outside... problem is the gutters drained nearby & created a small pond which they found their packs floating in later...
• Hiked out on River Rd. - flanked by the Housatonic and a set of railroad tracks. Stopped to yack it up with a few construction workers for about 1/2 hr - you know, trail talk.
• Next, on to Falls Village where they stopped for snacks & hung out in an old caboose that had been transformed into the town visitors center.
• Finally, the pair set off on a series of exceptionally scenic back roads up and over a mountain to Salisbury. The walk was highlighted by perfectly placed picturesque old colonial style houses encompassed by enormous, lush fields.
• Once they arrived in Salisbury everything was closed except for the White Harts Inn where a local man walking his dog escorted them & bought the boys free drinks! They hung out in the Inn till around 11 when they deemed the town sleepy enough to pull off a little stealth camping... in the town cemetery. It's the latest craze among AT hikers - all the cool kids are doing it (actually, I think this may have started the craze). Amos said it was quite peaceful - Tupperware was completely freaked out!
• 21.5 mi day - not too shabby!