Sept 9, 2024
DCA Weber Woods to DCA East Twin River
7.1 miles
I am up at 4am. I figure I got seven to eight hours of sleep, albeit broken.
I pack up in the dark woods using my headlamp. An owl hoots very close by; last year at Acadia National Park I was attacked by an owl at 5am, so the hooting unnerves me a bit. Thankfully, this fella never swoops.
The sun is up by the time I am at the connecting road, and it is only 1.6 miles until my first destination: Good Times. According to public comments on FarOut, there is good breakfast to be had on Monday mornings between 6 and 9. I get there at 6:40. When I walk in, all conversation stops and people turn their heads and stare. When I smile and say hello though, I get smiles and greetings in return, and the kind waitress tells me to sit wherever I like.
I go to an empty space near an electrical outlet and order a veggie omelet, a huge glass of milk, and juice. It all tastes so good!
Hikers write a lot about what they eat when they get to a restaurant. If you’re not a hiker, then you might find that odd. It’s because by the time you get to a town you are happy to eat whatever isn’t in your food bag. You get tired of the same stuff, plus your body is working hard and wants FOOD.
After my yummy FOOD, it’s back to road walking. I don’t have far to go today. I had a choice to do either 20 miles today and 7 miles tomorrow or the other way around. I chose the 7 miles today. This way I will do the 20 with a lighter bear canister (since I will eat out of it today and tomorrow), plus after the 20 I will be able to shower in Two Rivers where I have an AirBnB reservation.
Just as the sun starts to shine on me and the temps rise into the 70s, I am at the IAT East Twin Rivers Segment. I duck into the woods and enjoy the soft trail, trees, and cool shade. I’m at the DCA camping area by 9:30am.
I see only one feasible spot to set up a tent, and it is right by the DCA sign. There’s a marshy area with water just down a small hill, and when I go to fill my bottle two frogs hop out of the way. This happens every time I go to fill my water for the rest of the day. Sorry, little guys.
This spot is close to a veal farm according to a comment of FarOut, and there is an interesting smell. Nevertheless, this will be my home for the rest of the day and the evening. I hope to get another pre-dawn start in the morning to get most of those 20 miles out of the way before the sun melts me down.
I spend the rest of the day sitting on the bench watching a beautiful red dragonfly, enjoying the sound of the squirrels scampering, and catching up with people over the internet. The cell service is spotty, but I manage to get messages through. Generally speaking, I enjoy early morning hiking and afternoon/evening lounging. Today I had an excellent lounge.
I am interrupted in the afternoon by two day hikers who walk into the DCA and stare at me until I look up and say hello. They return my greeting and leave.
I am also visited by one of those fuzzy pointy caterpillars you aren’t supposed to touch. It hangs out on my tent screen, wandering all about, and I enjoy watching the bottom of all its little footsies as they attach and reattach themselves to the mesh.
At 6:30pm, a loud and constant machinery noise comes from the nearby farm. It is so loud my earplugs can’t diminish it. I lay in bed and try to sleep, but it goes on and on. At 10pm it finally stops and I drift off.
