Date: 2003-06-26
From: US41/Undermountain Rd (680'

To: Hemlock Lean-to (1900') 
Miles today: 13.4

Aloha! All right everybody say it with me. Let's all say aloha to CT. Aloha CT! Now let's all say aloha to MA. Aloha MA! Pretty cool, yeah? I'm in MA effective this morning. Ten states down and only four to go. Wuhuuu! Only 675.4 miles to the top!   Alrighty, with that said, let's get on with the day. It was a long one. But only because it was a scorcher and I'm old(er) and slower. I'm also quite tired right now so who knows what I'll remember to tell you about. Guess we'll see.   My day began early once again. Not quite as early as I had hoped but 630a still wasn't a bad start time. Shortly before departing I opted to take one more hot shower. It felt so good. Even washed the hair and used the blow dryer. What a waste of time. I wasn't gone from the hotel 20 minutes when I was dripping wet and my hair looked like it hadn't seen a comb in a week much less a blow dryer. Twenty minutes! To top it off, the first 13 was the walk from the hotel to the trailhead! Oh well, it felt good while it lasted - whatever time that was.   My jaunt began much as any other day leaving a town - UP. UP, UP and more UP. And then I went UP. For just short of 3 miles I went UP to finally arrive at Lion's Head vista - a mere 1738' UP there! Mauka and Makai joined me within minutes. It was a decent spot for a much needed break for all of us. The views would probably have been phenomenal had the haze and heat not obliterated everything. That was the case for the majority of the day.   From there it was... UP to Bear Mountain vista. "At 2316', this is the highest peak in Connecticut but not the highest ground, which instead falls on the flank of nearby Mt. Frissell, the peak of which is in Massachusetts."   Again, the views were probably superb but...   After having gasped my way that additional 3.5 miles UP to Bear Mountain I then got to enjoy the extremely rocky and steep descent into Sages Ravine. My lungs loved the UPs and my knees just got really happy over the pounding downs!   Sages Ravine is gorgeous. With the amount of rain this area has received of late the ravine was roaring. I "stayed to long at the fair". I hung out for a while doing little more than watching the water roar by. When I did get moving it was to wander alongside the ravine enjoying the numerous mini waterfalls. Well, I did until I crossed into MA anyway.   Upon entering MA the terrain threw a variety of things at me, to include the dreaded PA rocks! A bit of PA, NJ, NY, and CT all rolled into one. The walk along the stream was interesting (cool) but it was only the beginning to my first day in MA. Only the beginning.   After Sages Ravine it was... you guessed it, UP again. Another 3-mile climb to another peak known as Mt Race. The last mile of this one though had a twist to it. A steep drop-off to the east side and you were the tallest thing out there. I imagine on a cooler and clear day that this would be a spectacular walk. Today it was an extremely hot and never-ending walk. I thought I was gonna die! Thinking I would get a better shot of the trail to the top at the top I put off taking my pictures of this particular portion of the trail. Silly me. What I thought was the top was only a glimmer of what was to come and once there the trail UP was not to be seen. Dang it. Would have made a great shot. Haze and all.   From there it was a short one-mile stint down only to start UP again. This time a steep .7-mile trip straight UP to Mt Everett. They might as well have called this Everest. It seemed that way to me! This is the second highest mountain range on the AT in MA. I was looking forward to the reward of a fire tower at the end of the climb. Silly me again. The fire tower has been razed and all that remains are the 4 cement leg posts. View? Not this time either.   Luckily it was only a mile to the end of my day from there. I don't know if I had another climb in me. Especially after the steep descent to get here too. I arrived early enough (3p) to go on but it just wasn't happening. Not today; not with this heat.   This is a really nice shelter nestled in a grove of hemlocks. It also offers four sleeping platforms big enough for two (Mauka and Makai prove it) and a large loft. Though it's nice I'm still set up happily in my tent. Or will be as soon as I finish this. It's good to be back in the tent. Home.   Since arriving a couple of my camp mates have chosen to take a swim in Guilder Pond. AT 2,042' it is the highest body of water in MA. It sounded like a wonderful idea but for conservation reasons, camping, swimming and fishing are off limits there. As much as I would have enjoyed it I've decided to live by the rules. Dang it!   There are quite a few folks here tonight. In the shelter are thru-hikers Mauka, Makai, Daniel, Mutton, and a southbound section-hiker. Tenting with me is Rooster and a ridge runner named Wyatt. There were two additional northbound section hikers but one has just been ambulanced out due to either a badly sprained or broken ankle. Pity, it was their first day out. Scary that it takes but a second to ruin something that's been so diligently planned. Anyway, that's the gang tonight. By the sounds of it tomorrow night should be just about the same. All trying for a 19-mile day. Me included. We'll see.   Now that I think of it, I should be in bed resting for my long and hot day ahead. Everyone else did so a couple of hours ago. (Hikers tend to be in bed way early. Often before dark.)   This is also a good time to do so because I'm out of things to tell you. It's been very long and hot day. Damn I'm lucky! Hopefully yours was as great. Night-night.   Oh wait! Almost forgot. While atop Race Mountain three vultures continually circled above me. Quite close actually. I've recently learned (from the ridge runner I believe) that vultures locate "dinner" by smell and when one finds something interesting it will begin to circle. Others will note that vulture #1 has not returned home and will go see what was found. In this case I do believe vultures 1, 2 and 3 thought they had found something moving but smelling dead - me! Not cool!BSandTs: a little blood due to scratching bug bites and hitting my Lehigh scab on a rock; and way too much sweat!AandPs: still a bit of an ache with the right toe and arch. Need to stay off my toes. Ankles are stiff now too from the steep UPs and downs.MandGs: it's still HOT!... waah!Critter count: 10x chipmunks, 4x squirrels, 1x deer