Date: 2014-06-25
From: Salisbury, CT

To: Mt. Greylock, MA
Miles today: 87.0

Day 105: Wednesday, 25 June 2014 Mt. Greylock, Massachusetts (Mile 1581.6)Enough about Mum for a while, but I will be back for a couple more diversions. But now, back to Buffalo Bits, although thank you to my one groupie for the vote of confidence!Buffalo called a couple times today. First, he was in Cheshire, MA. I had left a message a couple days ago about him leaving a bunch of food for me to bring back from New York, and wondering what I¢m supposed to send him if he didn¢t want all this stuff at that point.He called to put my mind at ease that he was NOT on a starvation diet, he had way too much food at that point, when he left the Kent, CT area, and that yes INDEED I am to keep sending him all those yummy goodies. Phew! I thought aliens took over my son¢s stomach and taste buds!¢I still don¢t feel quite back to normal. My stomach has been a bit unsettled. It could be from the medication, and I¢ve been eating almond yogurt when I can find it. I¢m buying a lot in towns since I¢ve been craving fresh fruit, veggies, and yogurt.¢¢Eat as much fresh fruit, veggies and yogurt as you want. That will help detox your body of the medication as well as any residual from the disease.¢¢I plan to either be at Mt. Greylock or Williamstown tonight, hoping to do 18-20 miles.¢¢That would be great but listen to your body and don¢t push yourself.¢¢Don¢t worry. Eating and sleeping are two of my most favorite things to do!¢¢Back in the Dalton/Pittsfield area, I got to help the shelter caretaker take water across Upper Goose Pond. That was fun!¢ (I¢m not real sure, but maybe that¢s water to the Upper Goose Pond Shelter, but I don¢t know. Didn¢t know there were water caches on the AT like there are on the PCT.)¢I¢m hiking with Shy Bear. Haven¢t caught up to The Herd, yet. Haven¢t felt like doing big mileage days yet.¢¢Speaking of Shy Bear, I found him on Trail Journals, as well as Facts! It¢s been fun to read how and when the different hikers meet up.¢¢Trail Journals links a lot of people on and off the trail, creates a lot of connections, and expands the community.¢¢Oh, I hear people STILL talking about our Trail Magic ¢ the apple cake and watermelon, but some really, really liked the ginger drink. Shy Bear used one of the packets, but said he watered it down too much.¢¢That¢s how I get it to last longer!¢¢We were staying with a friend of Shy Bear¢s who had just moved to the area. We zeroed there then got to slack pack! (Slack packing is being taken to and picked up from the trail for the day. The hiker then only needs food, water, and the rest of the 10 Essentials for the day.) ¢That¢s the first slack packing you¢ve done, even on the PCT, unless you count the 3 miles from the trail head to Cascade Locks last year!¢¢A guy from Alaska doing a section hike showed us pictures of places he¢s hiked in Alaska! Awesome! I¢m definitely going to the University of Alaska in Fairbanks when I go back to school. It has what I want, you and Dad are alumni, and it¢s ALASKA!¢¢That¢s how I felt about going to Alaska ¢ it¢s ALASKA!¢I told him about Scott, who is riding his bike from Washington DC to Olympia, Washington. FAHthur heard from Scott¢s mom on Sunday that Scott was only about 30 miles away from the twin tornados that hit near Omaha, NE. He met up with some firefighters who took him back to the fire station to stay. Yikes!When Buffalo called later that day, he was on the summit of Mt. Greylock, soaking wet! They had heard a storm was coming but it hit earlier. ¢We got our picture at the summit, and water was actively flowing over and down the trail! We decided to stay in the nearby fully enclosed Thunderbolt Emergency Shelter instead of trying to make it to Williamstown. There¢s flash flood warnings! We¢re not in a slot canyon, or anything, it¢s just that it¢ll pour hard and fast. I did get to deploy my umbrella and it worked well. I got a little down my back, but it works better than my jacket. We couldn¢t find the water spigot at the shelter so we collected water from the roof! Don¢t worry, we¢re filtering and disinfecting!¢¢Oh, I didn¢t tell you yet, but I got the Connecticut High Point. I went for a run when we were in that area, taking a bunch of different trails, following Red Blazes. I wrote in the registry, ¢High Pointing is almost as much fun as thru-hiking!¢ By the time I make Katahdin, I will have 9 state high points: Mt. Rainier WA, Mt. Whitney CA, Clingmans Dome TN, Mt. Rogers VA, High Point NJ, Mt Frissel S Slope CT, Mt. Greylock MA, then Mt. Washington NH, and Katahdin ME. (The Connecticut high point is actually the shoulder of a mountain that is in the southwest corner of Massachusetts!) I need to climb Mt. Hood (OR) sometime soon to have 10 highpoints.¢¢Remember I talked about Squatch? He interviewed me a while back? I saw him hiking with a girl I¢d met on the PCT last year! Small world!¢FAHthur asked, ¢If you get home in time, would you be interested in the [Scout] 50-miler?¢¢I would, just don¢t lock me into that schedule. I SHOULD be home but I don¢t want them to rely on me if I¢m not back yet. And tell Dave (the Scoutmaster) not to worry about food for me. I¢ll get and bring my own food. When I hiked Oregon with Connor 2 years ago then did the 50-miler, I was always hungry!¢¢Well, Kiddo, we¢re actually headed to the Scout meeting, so we¢d better get going. This is the first park meeting for the summer!¢¢That¢s right! It¢s that time again! Well, have fun! Love you, Mom. Love you, Dad. I¢ll call again in a few days.¢¢Love you, son!¢