Date: 2006-09-25
From: Salisbury, Ct

To: North of Mt Everett, Mass
Miles today: 27.4

I slept fantastic last night. I woke up once to an owl, but fell right back to sleep. I woke up at 5:50am and had 1 1/2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and 10 chocolate espresso beans for breakfast. I packed up a dry tent and was walking by 6:35am. It's really nice out this morning....probably 50 degrees and breezy. I made about a 1,200 foot climb and walked by Mt Wilcox North Shelter without stopping. I must have been busy looking for falling leaves because I walked by the side trail to Mt Wilcox South Shelter without even seeing it. :-))) I walked by The Ledges next and I WAS paying attention to where I was walking. Ha!!! There were some pretty long falls that could happen in that area. I walked by Benedict Pond, the on down towards Rt 23 that goes into Great Barrington. Just before I got to the road, I ran into a guy...a small guy and a huge backpack. I would say the backpack was probably just a big as the hiker carrying it. He said he just started from the road and had a week to get to Greylock. I wished him well and as I walked on, I saw him eyeing my backpack. :-))) I was walking along and heard some chickens. Sometimes I still wish I carried my stove. ;-))) I took a 45 minute lunch break sitting next to a nice little stream.I took my shoes of and aired out my feet and shoes and dried my poncho. I walked on and stopped at Tom Leonard Lean-to and met John and another hiker that are walking to Georgia. I had heard there was a couple guys about 2 days ahead, so I was surprised to run into these guys. While I was there, I signed the register and I saw Yolanda Vega is back on the Trail and had signed in this morning. I climbed over East Mountain and on the way down, I ran into Wide Load. I guess he sells some lightweight pack towels. I had gotten one a couple years ago and he gave me one today. He also told me that Mrs Gorp was ahead. :-))) I kept descending and eventually walked by the Housatonic River. The Trail goes along side the river for a while and a corn field, then I crossed Rt 7. I saw where an otter comes up out of the river and chops down a corn stalk and drags it back to the river. He must have chopped down over 100 corn stalks and he had quite a path worn on the bank of the river. I kept walking and passed by Shay's Monument. A few miles later, I crossed Jug End Rd and started climbing Jug End. I was about half way up and ran into a couple by the names of O B and Darlene. O B new me from my journal and actually seemed happy to see me. :-))) It's always a shock when you're walking along out in the middle of nowhere and someone calls you by name. We talked for a few minutes and they told my that they had also run into Mrs Gorp. Mrs Gorp told them that she thought I was about 1 1/2 days back....Ha!!!...am I going to fool her!! :-))) I said goodbye and walked on. It was great meeting you O B and Darlene...wish we could have talked longer. I thought Mrs Gorp would be either at Glen Brook Lean-to or The Hemlocks Lean-to. They are only .1 miles apart from each other. I got there right at dark and checked both of them, but no one was around. The register had an entry from her and it said she was walking on. Oh well, bet I catch up to her tomorrow. :-))) I walked on a little farther and found a flat spot. It was dark out, so I'm not sure what's around me, but I'm home for the night. I can hear some deer blowing because they're not happy with me in their area. I'm at 52 leaves and as far as I know, I'm in the lead although I understand Goosebump The Snow Princess may be more competition than I bargained for from what she said in my guestbook.