Appalachian Trail - part 1

This hike occurred on August 17 & 18, 2013

Trail heads:
8 Old Sharon Rd., Sharon, CT - Parking: We were a bit nervous leaving a car here but there was one space across from an unoccupied house that appeared to be either a weekend/summer house or abandon. The road is dirt and very quiet and we had no problems. 

152 West Cornwall Rd., West Cornwall, CT - Parking: This road crossing had space to park 5-6 cars off the road on gravel.This road is paved and very quiet. 

Length/Distance: According to the CT Walk book and the Appalachian Trail guide, the two sections of trail we completed should have both been 2.3 miles. We did not track our first section (approximate map here) but did track the second and it was 2.73 miles.  

Summary: On the first day, there was a bit of a climb, though there was a very nice view towards the top to serve as a reward. You could see smoke from the nearby Housatonic Meadows State Park. 

We hiked along to the Caesar Brook campsite. There were three other (most likely thru-) hikers already there, all with hammocks. The campsite had a lot of space for tents and hammocks, as well as a wash station for dishes and a "chum" privy with no walls. Caesar Brook was very nice and you could hear the brook burbling from camp.  

We set up our tent, cooked dinner, and turned in for the night. 

Around midnight, two people barreled into camp with bright flashlights and loudly set up their tent. They were still sleeping when we left.

We were the first ones awake, packed up camp, and were on the trail by 7am. By the brook, there was a foundation from an old house. 

We crossed over a few more streams. 

And eventually crossed over a substantial creek. 

Old Cornwall Road was just beyond this creek crossing. 

Overall, it was a good first-time-out backpacking trip. We were only out for dinner and breakfast so we didn't need to pack a lot of food or other supplies. I did determine that the REI two-person tent we own needs to be split between two people to be packed comfortably as it's just shy of 6 pounds.