Date: 2018-08-11
From: October Mountain Shelter

To: Dalton, Massachusetts
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

I went to bed early last night because I needed to wake up early this morning. It was 12 miles to Dalton and although I've been averaging 2.5 miles per hour, the more conservative estimate would be 2 miles per hour. That means I'd need 6 hours to hike the 12 miles to get to the post office by closing. Throw in an hour of cushion time and I'd need to start hiking at 5:00 AM.With my plan in place I awoke at 4:15 AM and started to pack up. I had heard there was rain coming and it did drizzle for about 15 minutes around 2:00 AM. But when I awoke it was not raining and I was happy for that outcome. I did fully expect it to begin raining at any time though. As quietly as I could I packed and slipped out of camp. I skipped eating breakfast, brushing my teeth, and doing my morning pushups.It was weird to start hiking so early since it was basically pitch black. My headlamp lit the trail fairly well, but the blaze markers on the trees were tough to spot. As long as the trail didn't split I'd be fine. I do not recall any splits in the first hour. Around 6:00 AM the trail started to illuminate slowly from a rising sun, albeit a cloudy sky. By 7:00 AM I'd put the headlamp away since even areas deep in the woods were bright enough to hike with only natural light. In the first hour I went 2.3 miles, easy to determine from crossing a road. I was well on my way to making the post office in time.At around 8:30 AM I came upon a shelter and stopped in to take care of my morning tasks. I ate some breakfast even though I'd had two snacks while on the trail, then brushed my teeth and did 38 pushups on the floor of the shelter. When I got there I was surprised to run into hiker Red Bard. I hadn't seen him since Delaware Water Gap when we split a room at the Pocono Inn.I arrived at the post office about 10:45 AM and picked-up my two packages. One from my sister Laura with my new shoes and a few other small items. The second from my cousin Ed and Rose Yonushatis. Thank you all for supporting the adventure and getting these well needed supplies and gear to me. I think Ed is trying to fatten me back up since I've lost so much weight on the trail. The care package was great!Must we not forget to mention my visiting with a good friend. Before my adventure began, Joe Durivage and I discussed meeting in Dalton. He lives just about an hour away, in or nearby Albany, NY, and works for my former employer. When we talked about this it seemed way to far in the future to have any significance. And yet, here we were meeting in Dalton. We had a great visit while conversing over great food at Applebees. Joe also brought me some supplies including much needed Injinji toe socks which keep blisters away. They should last the remainder of the adventure. Thanks Joe for lunch and the supplies! Glad we were able to include the visit as part of the adventure. I promise one day to visit you in New York, perhaps we'll go fishing.The rain didn't come until after 11:00 AM. After Joe left I spent the rest of the day relaxing at the Shamrock Inn. Late afternoon it really poured and I was glad to be in the comforts of the inn. For book followers, mile 1,569.8 page 160.