Date: 2004-08-11
From: Shamrock Village Inn, Dalton MA 

To: Bascom Lodge Hostel -- Mt. Greylock, MA 
Miles today: 17.0

Whoo--ee! What a marvelous day! Blue departed at 8:00 to catch her ride in Cheshire by 1:00. Tom collected our packs at 8:30 and Ursa and I departed for our 17-mile day.The first 10 miles to Cheshire were a snap. Arriving there we saw a note on the community info board telling hikers reservations were a must for Bascom Lodge. Also, no fires, including camp stoves, were allowed on the summit so if we intended to eat at the Lodge, reservations were required by 1 p.m. It was 12:30. Now to find a phone.True to form, the Lord will provide. Towards the edge of town, right before the trail re-entered the woods, was a senior citizen's center. Ursa was hesitant to disturb them, but I wanted to fill my water bottle and use the restroom. So I entered the building and right there on the wall was a telephone! I made our reservations, walked 10 feet to the left for the restroom, exited, and they didn't even know I was there. Perfect!Just at the edge of the woods we stopped for lunch. Ursa quenched our craving for PBJ sandwiches by carrying a loaf of bread and two jars of fixings all the way! We sat on a couple large rocks and enjoyed the treat. I think I left my backpacking spoon there; it's nowhere to be found tonight. Blue showed up as we were wolfing down our sandwiches, then proceeded on another half mile to a main road: her pre-arranged rendezvous point with Andrea.Ursa and I began our climb of Mt. Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. At the summit stands a War Memorial with a beacon atop the tower. The light used to serve as a focal point for Boston Harbor, visible from over 60 miles and five states. The day was pretty hazy so we decided to wait until tomorrow morning to climb the tower and partake of the views.People! Amazing people, fellow hikers, keep bopping in and out of our lives. This morning Tom came for our packs and out of the truck jumps Stickman with whom I last hiked in the Smokies and haven't seen since Trail Days in Damascus, VA. Happy reunion! Sheriff has made reappearance, also, to our mutual delight.We made great time, arriving here with time to spare for showers before dinner. Lo and behold, here are Rooney Tunes and Gordy hanging out. The meal table is set for 11 but five are no-shows. Before the meal is over, Rooney, Stickman, Sheriff and Ishmael have joined us and we have no difficulty devouring all that was prepared by the cook. Shredded BBQ chicken on buns with fresh veggies was the menu. I, of course, had mine sans chicken. Ten minutes later the cook appears with a huge platter of spaghetti for me, the vegetarian. (I had mentioned it on the phone in passing but hadn't expected a separate entree.) I was thrilled and so was Rooney who finished it, as I was half-filled on veggie sandwich before my spaghetti arrived.The Bascom Lodge is marvelous, complete with a fireplace in front of which we thru-hikers have planted ourselves with no intentions of budging until the embers have died. Bascom Lodge: bunkhouse $26, ($36 weekends), private rooms $70, bunk space in a garage/hostel, $10. We're in the garage. We have a mouse -- somewhere around my pack! Hope I've scared it off with my headlamp just now. Our food is hung from makeshift hooks around the room. This could be an interesting night!