8/5/15 Shaker campsite
This campsite is on the location of an early Shaker community. Tyringham, MA was founded in 1762, and by 1792 had an active, although small, Shaker population. The community lasted until the 1850s, and then fell apart. All that remains is a thirty foot long section of about a five foot tall stone wall. A laminated information card at the campsite says it was probably part of a barn.
The ground this morning was fairly muddy but not as bad as Pennsylvania. It was also foggy. But it was a decent day for hiking and I was on trail by eight thirty. At lunch I stopped at the Tom Leonard shelter and as I was finishing, Pockets and Tonrag caught up with me. I was glad to see them, it's starting to get lonely out here.
I met about nine SOBOers today, five guys and four women. They all came out of Upper Goose Pond cabin this morning. I won't be going there, it's in the middle of my day tomorrow and also a ½ mile off trail.
My feet have me a few warnings today but feel okay tonight. Something stung me on the back of my left calf today, hurt like fire! Not long after, I wobbled off a log over a mud hole and found the mud was knee high in that hole. Yech!
8/6/15 - October Mountain shelter
I was on trail by six thirty this morning as I wanted to get here before late evening. It was a bit of a roller coaster all day, with sections of trail full of roots and rocks. There were also plenty of boggy areas. But it was a good day for hiking. I did the ten miles to the Upper Goose Pond trail by eleven thirty and pushed on to the top of the hill after before breaking for lunch. Two women out for a day hike came by and assured me the water source for this shelter was probably still running.
I passed several beaver ponds and a couple beaver bogs today. A few miles before the shelter I passed a nicely flowing creek and got a couple liters of water to carry the last three miles to the shelter. It meant I had almost a gallon on my back when I included the liter plus in my pack bladder and a twelve ounce Gatorade I picked up at Finerty Pond, courtesy of some Trail Magic by HWD Farm. It paid off though, when I got here, the water source stream is barely flowing and looks yucky. I have enough water carried forward to cover supper, breakfast, and a few miles tomorrow.
Pockets and Tonrag have pushed on ahead, and will do so again tomorrow while I will take an easy thirteen mile day into Dalton. Hopefully we will meet up again somewhere up trail.
Today I counted ten SOBOers. They started around June 6. So that's about eight weeks to get here. It took me about eight weeks to get to Marion, VA. So I need to do about one hundred miles more on my last seven weeks than I did in my first eight.
8/7/15 - Dalton, MA
I slept fairly soundly last night but it was clear this morning that I had a tough day yesterday. Good thing I had scheduled a short day today. I was on trail early as usual; it was actually chilly, about 50 degrees. I crossed a road about 7:30, and shortly after re entering the trees, I was startled by a bear cub climbing a tree right in front of me! I stopped and hollered, but couldn't see the mother, but I could sure hear her about thirty yards off to my right. She was thrashing the bushes, and worse, it sounded like she was popping her jaws! Since the cub was way up in the tree and not making noise, I made tracks past it up the trail!
The trail was pretty good most of the 12 miles into town, and I arrived before noon. I stopped by the Levardi house, the owner allows hikers to camp on his back lawn. Blackout, Dora, Amish and several others were there! They're leaving today but still, it means I'm not so far behind my bubble! Blackout unfortunately lost his wallet back at Upper Goose Pond and is trying to contact the caretaker there. I hope he finds it.
After checking into the Shamrock Village Inn and showering, I stepped around the corner to a sandwich shop and ran into Pockets and Tonrag finishing their lunch! They're going to Cheshire, MA today, nine miles further.
My sister Sarah texted me that she and her family are planning to meet me Sunday in Williamstown, MA as I come off of Mt. Greylock. I'm stoked, it'll be great to see them!
8/8/15 - Mount Greylock Summit Lodge
I woke up again at five without an alarm, even though I had planned on waking around six thirty. I had only a fourteen mile day planned to the Mark Noepel shelter, on the flank of Mount Greylock.
Instead, I found myself on trail before seven, and in Cheshire, MA, before noon. With only 4.6 miles to the shelter, I decided to do the 7.9 miles to the top of Mount Greylock and stay at the lodge. They have a hiker bunk room, which includes shower and breakfast for $34. Sunset and sunrise pictures!
There are a number of tourists here this evening. The lodge was built by the CCC and is the views are great. Bum really glad I made the effort to get here instead of just cruising through at mid morning tomorrow. Unfortunately, I seem to be the only thruhiker here today. The tourists seem to be in minor awe of my hike though.
Tomorrow will be a late start and a seven mile hike to the highway, then into Williamstown to meet my sister Sarah and her family. Family visit!
8/9/15 Williamstown, MA
The bunkhouse filled up after five last night, all weekender campers. I woke this morning before sunrise and slipped pursue to get some pictures, and found one of the campers wrapped in a blanket sleeping on a bench in front of the lodge. She complained of my snoring and if the stuffiness of the room. I sympathized, but then, I had warned her about my snoring and had worn my mouthpiece. Why no one wanted a window open last night I don't know. I was cold, around fifty degrees this morning.
The eastern sky was clouded over, so sunrise was a bummer. The lodge doesn't serve breakfast until eight, mostly because the staff lives in town and drives up the mountain each day. So I didn't start hiking until eight thirty and then ran into SOBOers which slowed me further. Still, I made it down the mountain quickly and met Seth about a mile out of town. So good to see him! We broke out of the trees and there were Sarah and Liam! They loaded into the car and I walked the last block to MA2. Only 599 miles left in my hike.
I checked into the Williamstown Motel and dropped off my gear, then we headed further into town to get lunch. We ended up hanging out until nearly four; it was a fun visit with Liam running around a small park 'killing Dragons' that were hiding in trees with a stick 'sword'. Great kid!
Dinner was Chinese from a restaurant up the road; while ordering I was tapped on the shoulder by hiker Javier and Doppleganger! Wow! They got into town yesterday and zeroed today. Javier has taken the trail name 'Laguage Barrier' after a difficult episode with a shuttle driver in Waynesboro, PA who couldn't understand his accent. Pfft! It isn't that thick. We talked a awhile and they noted our bubble is fairly cohesive and that I'm not at the complete back of the pack. So good to see trail mates! We're going to Maine!
8/10/15 - Williamstown Zero
Today was a great day for hiking, typical of my zero days. But it was nice to rest and read. Except the TV pointed out that the next weather front will arrive overnight and called for rain, thunderstorms and flash floods tomorrow and tomorrow night. Looks like I'm taking a second zero. Bleh.
