Date: 2014-09-17
From: Congdon Creek Shelter

To: Mark Noepel Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: broken clouds

I hiked past Williamstown and North Adams and chose to stop in North Adams to resupply because the YMCA let hikers get a free shower and there was a Friendly's. I went to the Y first and didn't think to pick up travel size soap/shampoo first, so I just used my multi-purpose dishwashing liquid. It was still a nice hot shower and I came out clean, sparkling, and non-greasy. I went to Friendly's next and was sure to get a cone head sundae after lunch. Next was the grocery store and then back to hiking. When I had first entered town, I stopped to talk to an elderly lady on the corner and she said there was another hiker staying at the house next door that had injured her ankle. There are only so many of us out there, and her name, description, and timing match the girl I had hiked with a few days back. I stopped to say hello and see if she needed anything. She had already made arrangements to see a local doctor and had a ride lined up. She told me that there was a presentation of some kind on the top of Mt Greylock tonight and wasn't sure what it was about but thought it had something to do with Galileo or astronomy. I wished her luck and considered whether or not I would climb to the top today or stay at the shelter part-way up.I reached the shelter about 6:15pm, when I normally stop for the day. It was tempting to continue though and I figured my pace would get me to the summit at 8pm, which is fifteen minutes past sunset...perfect timing for an astronomy presentation. I had never hiked at night before - mostly because it never seemed like a good idea. There is generally no reason to and you risk taking a bad step due to bad lighting. I figured I hadn't done anything silly in a while, so why not try hiking at night. I found that I could hike without the headlamp for quite some time, about 7:30 and it wasn't hard to walk even in low light. I finally turned on my headlamp and it was plenty bright for walking. Instead of leaving it attached to my hat (I velcro it there instead of using a headband), I carried it in my hand, arm fully extended, to get a better angle. Having a single point light source near your eyes, reduces depth perception, but holding the light lower makes the rocks and stand out better because they cast longer shadows.As I approached the top of the mountain I was expected to hear or see people or cars, but the place seemed deserted. The tower was closed for renovations, which I had heard about, but there was no one in sight. The stars were out and it was warm. I went to the lodge and asked about the presentation and they told me it was on native plants and had been from 6-7pm. It was 8pm, so I refilled my water bottle and left. The northbounders at the shelter last night claimed there were marked campsites right near the top of the mountain just as you started down. I figured I would use those rather than pay $30 for a spot in the bunk room at the lodge.I walked for a mile and saw no campsites. There weren't too many good spots to stealth camp either. Finally I saw a sign for a side trail that led to a campsite 1.25 away. If I hiked there (steeply downhill), I would need to return the next day and walk a total of 2.5 miles that didn't count towards my progress. Alternately, the next shelter was 2.5 miles ahead, so I chose to continue there. I got in pretty late, 9:45pm, and since I had a big, late lunch, I just had some snacks, tossed my food in the bear box (very convenient), and tip-toed into the shelter. I got in bed as quietly as I could since there were several other hikers there and went to sleep.