Hiking 5:47:44 [3] 16.33 mi (21:18 / mi) +3745ft 17:30 / mi
Hike on the Taconic Crest Trail, starting close to Route 43 in Hancock, actually at the parking area (all of two to three cars) on Madden Road. The weather forecast was just perfect for trying this 16-mile section that has neither road crossings nor water, so I was on the trail just before 7 a.m., when the temperature was 48°F.
It stayed cool and mostly sunny for the duration of the hike, and the bugs didn't show up until the last mile.
Perhaps it's me, or maybe these are difficult trails, but I certainly found myself going very slowly up the long, steep hills. My goal of doing the entire Taconic Crest Trail in one outing this year may need some adjustment--either expect to go slower, possibly taking some rest breaks, or shorten the hike by starting in Pittsfield State Forest. That is the usual starting point for the run/hike that the Taconic Crest Hiking Club puts on each year; the distance for that is 30 miles, about five miles fewer than from Route 20 to Route 246.
Colette hiked in from the northern end and met me on Berlin Mountain, so that was a pleasant diversion as we ended on Route 2 and drove back to the parking lot in Hancock.