I woke up at first light, at 5:10 am, after a night of decent sleep. It was cold and I had tossed and turned a bit; I found myself wishing my synthetic jacket had a hood and regretting my decision not to bring a pair of tights to wear under my merino sleep pants. I quickly got up from my hammock to start the day; This was the dreaded second day, in which I would walk 20 miles to the Fox Brook campaign site; Whether I could make it or not was one of my biggest concerns about this trip.
Using the toilet, breaking down camp and eating breakfast took me about an hour and a half. My oatmeal was incredibly delicious. Changing into my hiking clothes was painful. The temperature had dropped to 30 degrees overnight and after breakfast I was shivering. Wishing I hadn’t decided not to pack tea bags, I drank hot water to warm myself.
Dawn at the Spiltoir refuge
My first 20 mile day
Once I started walking, I warmed up immediately and my regrets for not packing leggings quickly disappeared. The walk was easy; I found myself on a series of country roads with small patches of forest between them. Water was plentiful: the trail crossed the Eliza Gorge and a couple of reservoirs, not to mention the many small flowing streams.
morning light
The Bridge Over Eliza Adams Gorge
The birds kept me company as I walked, sometimes feeling like I was living a Bert Jansch song. I saw my first Yellow-rumped Warblers of the season and would continue to see and hear them for the rest of the hike. As I walked along Seaver Rd, I passed an old barn perched on a hill behind a stone wall and watched the swallows do their acrobatic maneuvers from the telephone wires. A sharp-shinned hawk watched me from a low branch as I moved forward.
Walking along a country road
The trail briefly passed through the town of Nelson and crossed the busy route. 9 under a culvert before beginning a long climb up a rocky service road. It felt steeper than Monadnock at times. After cresting a couple of hills, the trail descended back into the woods, where I took a much-needed break next to a stream that crossed the trail. I had an unspoken goal of reaching this place before noon, and I had achieved it! I was keeping pace on my 20 mile day.
the town of nelson
Trash can for hikers between the town of Nelson and Rt. 9 culvert: Thank you, MSG Trail Club!
Feeling refreshed, I continued past Crider Shelter and Center Pond, and then entered the beautiful Andorran forest, a moss-covered paradise, where I would soon take another break at Robinson Brook Cascades, a series of small waterfalls winding through a shady forest.
I was beginning the last part of my day, a series of climbs that culminated at Pitcher Mountain, where I greeted a buddy working in the fire tower. I took in the view from the last flight of stairs: the tower was closed and it didn’t look like I was welcome in the cabin.
Approaching the Pitcher Mountain fire tower
As the trail descended gently toward Hubbard Hill, I was thinking that still I hadn’t seen another hiker since Monadnock, when suddenly a man appeared around the corner; He carried a cane and had his pants tucked into his white socks that were pulled up to his calves. Surely it was a hiker! We had a brief chat, mostly about birds: he had heard a barred owl hooting in the woods up ahead and had seen a pigeon-sized bird that I helped him identify as a northern flicker.
Feeling a little more human after a conversation, I moved on. The land became a grassy thicket, filled with blueberry bushes. The paths crisscrossed in all directions. The area was flat and beautiful, with views of hills and mountains in the distance. I loved passing the sign that marks the midpoint of MSG here.
blueberry fields
fox brook
After a short descent through a pine forest, I arrived at Fox Brook Campground, the end of my 20-mile day and my home for the night. I was exhausted, but without any real pain or pain to speak of. Feeling accomplished and proud, I set up camp. After my bad experience with my bear bag the night before, I decided to explore my bear and throw the bag of rocks over the branch. before having dinner. This turned out to be a good idea.
Tonight I had the campsite to myself again. After setting up my hammock and bear, I boiled water for dinner and called my wife as the sun slowly set through the trees.
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!
For more information, visit the About page of this site.
