When I entered the State of Connecticut in 1980 I was glad to continue to make progress. I have said before that I mostly hiked alone, although I saw a lot of other hikers and often camped at shelters and other sites with other hikers. But during the day I got a slower start and I took a longer lunch. That means I made it to whatever camp site or shelter right at the end of the day. Others often got there early and hung out. Something happened different in Connecticut. I met another thru-hiker known as the "Canadian Crawler". I think his real name was Dave (but I'm really not sure). The Canadian Crawler was from (surprise, surprise) Canada! He moved slowly and that's how he got his nickname.
The Canadian Crawler and I met somewhere in Connecticut and we began to hike together. I mean, we actually were in view of each other all day long. It was quite a different experience for me. I was used to solitude, but enjoyed the company. At night we camped out in the open a couple of nights (we were too far away from shelters). The Canadian Crawler did not have a tent. I didn't either, but I had a tarp that could be setup when necessary. But the Crawler didn't have a tarp either! I asked him what he did when it rained. It was very simple.....he got WET!
The Canadian Crawler and I hiked together for several days. He was older than me with sandy blonde hair and a beard. Sometimes he would pull out some marajuana and have a smoke. He offered it to me, but I turned it down (that was not the first or last time that someone offered it to me, but I always said "no"). We had some interesting conversations and enjoyed hiking together for those few days. Maine was getting closer and closer for both of us!
2011 update: I weighed in at 172.0 pounds this morning. Eating salads and jogging helps a lot!
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