July 29, 2004

I detoured off the A.T. today...this time on purpose.  Bear and I wanted to see a covered bridge called Bulls Bridge which has spanned the Houstonic River since the mid-1700's.  Wow!  George Washington thrice crossed this bridge during the Revolutionary War.  The current bridge dates back to the early 1800's.  We took pictures of the historic bridge and then took a morning break.

We hiked over Indian Rocks which is the only place the A.T. crosses an Indian Reservation.  A good portion of the land here down to the river is claimed by the Schaghticoke tribe, recognized by the state but not the federal government.  I was hiking behind Bear after Indian Rocks when I heard a series of cracks and then a loud crack.  Less then 20 yards to the right, I watched a tree fall to the ground.  I worried Bear could have been in danger until I realized that the trail went in another direction.  Whew!  The felled tree reminded me to keep my ears perked out here.

I was hiking along when I met a trio of women from the Czech Republic. They were out for a day hike going southbound and needed some help with their whereabouts.  As they were hiking, I could hear singing and giggling for miles.  I asked them about their jovial moods and songs and they asked me if snakes were dangerous.  I told them that some were considered dangerous and some were not.  The gals saw a black snake and told me that they were really, really afraid of snakes.  They began singing to alleviate their fear of the snake.  How cute, I thought.  I loved being in the woods and hearing singing and giggling.  It was great to meet these three foreigners who were so carefree and spirited.