This trail is continually reminding me that everything is relative. I believe it only reaches 1000 feet above sea level once in the first 100 miles. I live higher than that. Yet in a fifteen mile day of hiking I gain and lose well over 3000 feet of elevation. When I reached Castle Craig I was surprised to learn that it is the highest point within twenty five miles of the coast from Maine all the way to Florida. I am not certain if this is because of the tower which rises just over thirty feet from the top of this 972 foot tall peak, or if the peak itself warrants that honor. But whichever it is, Castle Craig’s altitude tripled would still be lower than the lowest point in Colorado. Yet the climb up takes some effort and the views from the top are lovely.

The climbs and descents in this section felt hard to me. To begin with the humidity was so high that I was sweating while sitting still. Most all of the altitude change comes in short, partial mile sections, which may seem easier than long, three mile climbs, but in many ways I find the short ones more difficult. After about five or ten minutes of climbing my body kicks into uphill mode and I actually enjoy the climb. When I reach a summit I find the first downhill steps to be difficult. Again it takes five or ten minutes to really feel my body kick into downhill mode. When the changes happen every quarter mile or so I never feel I enter that sweet zone of hiking. Instead, I feel like I am always working. The only exception is that on really long downhills the bottoms of my feet and my knees often start hurting, so shortening the downhills helps prevent that.

Even though I never climbed to lofty heights on the NET, three thousand feet of gain is a lot no matter where you end up. Granted it can be more difficult to breathe at really high elevations where the air has less oxygen, but then again, climbing at a rate of 1500 feet per mile in temperatures in the nineties with really high humidity was no picnic for my old bones. And even when the trail was flat it wasn’t always easy. I often had to watch my footing, picking my way around loose rocks covering large portions of the trail. It was not helping that I was hiking this trail after sitting in a kayak all summer. I had to work to get my “trail legs” back.

I was finding this trail to be one of huge disparities. There were a number of road walks along very hot pavement. A first for me was finding a trail blaze painted onto the on ramp sign for an interstate highway! And yet, soon after leaving the road I was in some much cooler, beautiful forests, reminding me of the value of trees. The trash I found along the side of the road was non-existent in the woods. The difficult, rocky sections were interspersed with some of the flattest, loveliest hiking I have ever done. While the views were not as spectacular as those on much of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), as long as I did not compare them I could really enjoy these Connecticut views. By letting go of comparisons I could appreciate what I had rather than being disappointed because it fell short of some other view. This reminded me to let go of comparing one person to another. Instead I want to find the value in everyone, even when it is not readily apparent.

One thing I really appreciated about this trail was the fact that so much forest was preserved in a state that ranked sixth overall in population density. I realized how very important the NET is in that it gives people living in concrete cities relatively easy access to the natural world. I was thrilled to find more people of color day hiking on this trail in just my first few days of hiking than I had seen on the entire CDT. The importance of a trail like this cannot be underestimated. It helps to instill an appreciation for nature which helps inspire people to protect the planet. I sense this trail is way underutilized. Every day I broke through multiple spider webs strung across the trail, letting me know that I was the first one passing though since those webs had been spun. I hope more local people discover this gem that is in their backyard.

That is what happened to Christal. Until I posted something about the NET online she had been relatively unaware of it, even though she lives only a few miles from the trail. She is new to serious backpacking and was excited to learn about the trail. I was the lucky recipient of her enthusiasm. She made arrangements for people to leave me water at almost all of the road crossings in CT. She also allowed me to slack pack and camp in her yard for a few nights. This meant that I was able to set out in the morning without most of my gear. In the evenings she picked me up and I returned to her house where I was treated to a lovely dinner and had the opportunity to shower in her outdoor shower. In her words, “it definitely did not suck!”

Even though this trail is less of a wilderness experience than my other long hikes, by keeping it in perspective I am able to enjoy it. Remembering that everything is relative helps me to appreciate the difficulty of the NET. It also helps me remember not to judge anyone’s actions. I have no idea what their life experiences are that may be precipitating present day behaviors. It all depends on where they started and the opportunities they were presented with to overcome life’s challenges. This trail keeps reminding me that a mountain or obstacle that may seem puny to one person, can still present a big challenge. All I have to do is feel my knees at the end of the day to know this is true!