Huffhike

On May 27, I completed my thru-hike of the Midstate Trail in Massachusetts. But instead of calling it quits, I decided to tack on an extra challenge: the North-South Trail. This 77-mile trail begins at the end of the Midstate Trail in Douglas State Forest and ends at Blue Shutters Beach on the Atlantic Ocean in Charlestown, Rhode Island. I completed the trail on May 30.

Day One: Slogging Through Soreness

After finishing the Midstate Trail, I took a quick lunch break. My normal tortilla wraps with buffalo chicken packets and the last of the Cheetos I’d packed out the day before. Still sore from two long days of hiking, I stretched and chatted with someone who had just completed a section of the North-South Trail. He warned me about the ticks, a nuisance I had been dealing with since I started hiking in Massachusetts.

My plan was to hike 11 more miles to George Washington Campground for the night, which would give me a chance to rest and recover. This meant stacking those 11 miles on top of the 12 I’d already hiked earlier that day to finish the Midstate.

Those miles were brutal. Every few miles I had to stop and rest my legs. Each step was agonizing, but I eventually made it to the campground about half an hour before it closed. I asked the ranger about ice for my swollen ankle, but no luck.

With no convenience store in sight, I opened up Uber and found a driver willing to take me 15 miles to a Walmart. I grabbed a bag of ice, and thankfully, the driver offered to bring me back. At camp, I iced my ankle using sandwich bags, took two extra-strength Tylenol, and crashed hard.

Day Two: Won’t Back Down

I woke up extremely sore and swollen. I wasn’t sure if it was from the miles or a tweak in my ankle. Either way, I realize I need to be more proactive with stretching and recovery in the future.

After icing my leg with a delivery from Walmart, I debated what to do. Should I continue? Take a nero? Quit?

Eventually, I decided to push six miles to the next campground and reassess. I usually avoid music in the mornings, preferring to stay connected with nature, but given that over 50% of this trail is road walking, I made an exception. The first song that came on: “Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty. It’s impossible to quit after hearing “No, I won’t back down. You can stand me at the gates of hell. But I won’t back down.” I wasn’t planning on quitting but I sure as hell wasn’t gonna quit after hearing that. 

The walk included some woods, but mostly neighborhood roads. I pushed past the first campground and set my sights on Colaluca Campground. Which would bring the day’s total to 20 miles. I skipped summiting Rhode Island’s highest point, Jerimoth Hill, to keep my momentum going.

A kind stranger gave me a lift for the final few miles, cutting off some dreaded road walking. Unfortunately, the camp store was closed, so no ice. I settled for a shower, applied a ton of Tiger Balm, took Tylenol, charged my battery bank, and watched Con Air until I fell asleep.

Day Three: Arcadia and the Accidental Detour

I didn’t sleep much. My white, semi-transparent tent lit up like a lantern under the campground’s streetlights. Every time I woke up mid-dream, it took me forever to fall back asleep.

Still, I had miles to cover. I woke up at 5:30 and started walking. I had 46 miles to go, so I planned to hike 30 that day, leaving 16 for the final stretch. The terrain was more wooded, which made a longer day more manageable.

Not long after my morning break, I hit the halfway point—only 39 miles from the ocean! That gave me the boost I needed. I even squeezed in my daily mile run (a New Year’s resolution I’ve kept all year).

Then came Arcadia Management Area. This section was stunning: tall green trees, chirping birds, and trails that were neither too rocky nor too flat. But while soaking it all in, I zoned out and missed a blaze. I ended up on the 95 Trail, which paralleled I-95. I stayed on it since it reconnected with the North-South Trail in a few miles. Plus, there was a privy.

After a break, I kept walking but missed another turn and ended up wandering down Route 3. I definitely regretted that detour, as it caused more highway walking and less trail walking. Eventually, I rejoined the correct route and started charging my phone, only to get a “liquid detected” error in the port. Perfect.

Back on the trail, I passed a golf course and hoped for real food. The clubhouse didn’t have a restaurant, but I found Alaina’s Guac n’ Roll just off the road. I devoured a massive quesadilla and got a water refill. Afterward, I walked a few more residential miles, hit 30 for the day, and found a quiet patch of woods to camp in.
Day Four: The Ocean at Last

In my past thru-hikes, the final night on trail usually feels bittersweet. You know you’re about to leave the peace of the woods behind. But not this time. I was mentally done. The road walking, lingering ankle pain, and exhaustion had caught up with me.

I hit the trail at 5:30 again. Surprisingly, the last day’s roads were pleasant, then the previous days. Rather than highways and neighborhoods I passed farmlands, and nice homes. In between, I hiked through some lovely woods.

During breakfast (applesauce, a Pop-Tart, and a meat stick), I heard rustling nearby. At first, I thought it might be a deer. But then, just a couple feet away, a coyote appeared! My brain screamed mountain lion! before reason kicked in. I picked up the pace.

Later, I passed through a massive field. Something I didn’t expect in Rhode Island and then entered the final section through Burlingame State Park. The last two miles were along beach houses until finally, I reached the Atlantic Ocean.

Reflections

When I first planned this trip, I thought it would take nine days to complete both trails. I did it in seven.It was physically exhausting, mentally draining, and full of unexpected moments. But it was also incredibly rewarding. I was glad to be done walking on pavement for a while, though.

My original plan was to chill on the beach until my ride arrived. But the wind and rain quickly ended that. I got an Uber to North Kingstown and killed time at the outdoor shopping plaza. After grabbing a pizza (which I wasn’t allowed to eat inside because I’d ordered it to-go), I ate outside and read until I could catch a movie (Sinners). Then I got a ride back home.

And just like that, the trip was over.

These trails drained me physically but challenged me in a way I didn’t expect. I’m naturally an introvert, so writing, posting, or speaking about myself can feel like I’m overstepping some unspoken boundary. But after hiking these two trails, I don’t feel that way anymore.

I’m not about to become a social media influencer (still not a fan, no matter how much I try to be), but blogging feels like a natural way to share what I’ve been doing out there. I’m really grateful for the opportunity The Trek gave me. The chance to write, reflect, and connect with the experience in a deeper way.

Hopefully, whenever and wherever my next thru-hike takes place, I’ll get the opportunity to blog it again.

Until then—happy trails.