T+32 Oh the gall of it all!

T+32 (June 30, 2020)

Navigation Report:
Start Point: Ten Mile Shelter (mile 1461.4)
Target Destination: Mt. Algo Shelter (mile 1469.8)

Travel Log:
11:45 Break camp
12:20 Woods Rd. (mile 1462.3)
12:30 Bolls Bridge Rd. (mile 1462.7)
12:45-1:10 Break (mile 1463.3)
1:45 View (mile 1464.6)
2:50 Indian Rocks Outlook (mile 1466.4)
3:15 View (mile 1466.8)
3:20 Schaghticoke Mountain Camp (mile 1466.9)
4:10 View (mile 1467.5)
5:30 Mt. Algo shelter (mile 1469.8)

Daily Mileage = 8.4
Total Mileage = 315.5

Commander’s Report:
I stayed late in camp this morning in order to get some self-care in. Specifically, my boots are about toast and they're causing blistering everywhere. I have 4 blisters on toes (shown here) and two hot spots high on my ankles (from lacing my boots around the back of my ankles. Basically, what's going on is that the soles and leather upper parts of the boots are beginning to separate. This means there's more lateral movement any time I step on ground that's uneven in the left fright axis. More movement = more friction = more blisters.

For blisters, I've been simply covering them (or hot spots) with KT tape. This has worked well so far for me. I love the longevity of the adhesive and that you can hardly feel the bandages. Also, it seems pretty effective at halting the blisters from growing larger and cooling off hot spots.

Tedward’s patched feet

​Immediately after breaking damp, I crossed Ten Mile River on the Ned Anderson Memorial Bridge. Fun piece of engineering for a pedestrian bridge out in the middle of nowhere!

Commemorative plaque on bridge

Bridge terminus

Ned Anderson memorial bridge over Ten Mile River

​It wasn't until over 3 miles in that I came to anything worth taking a picture of: a view. Now, I may have been a bit deprived at the moment because this is what I thought the guide meant by view. (It has done so before. Once bitten, twice shy.) 

​If I'd just waited a minute I'd have found this "real" view to capture in picture.

Housatonic River valley observed from a viewpoint on Schaghticoke Mtn.

​A little under 2 miles north of that view is the Indian Rocks Outlook. This also has some nice views! 

Housatonic River River seen from Indian Rocks

​Just after the Rocks is another view. This one is more obscured though.

Mini view

In between the last two views of the day I spotted these weird growths on the leaves of an American Witch Hazel plant. Each of these is caused by a single aphid, Which secretes growth hormones that stimulate this gall formation. In early / mid summer the offspring of the original aphid emerge and leave the gall empty. Interestingly, the aphids then go live on birch trees before returning to Witch Hazel after several generations of living on birch. Description from: https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef403 (ht: @pnmshah)

Galls on witch hazel leaves, made by aphids

​About a mile and a half south of Mt. Algo Shelter is a view that is tops for the day in terms of quality of view.

I made it to Mt. Algo Shelter around 5:30. That gave me plenty of time to do both the normal evening chores and additionally plan a resupply trip into Kent, CT tomorrow. I've picked this town as it supposedly has an outfitter [Ed. note: permanently closed] and a shoe store. I'd love to get new boots (or maybe trail runners) and a new gas canister for cooking as mine may be getting low (or at least I'd like to have backup when that giant monster finally does run out).