Date: 2003-08-14
From: Great Barrington, MA - Dalton MA

To: Great Barrington, MA - Dalton, MA
Miles today: 48.1
Weather: clear sky

Great Barrington, MA - Dalton, MA48.1 miles (1553.3 total miles)We got a pretty easy hitch out of Dunkin Donuts on day 133 from a businessman late for his meeting. It was another hot day. We finished our road walk, since the trail was underwater. We crossed a big field, then headed up. After a few miles, the skies clouded up, and thunder echoed in the distance.We got to a shelter as the rain sprinkled. We waited for the storm to pass, but it seemed to linger in the distance. Finally we decided to head out again. It was just a few more miles to a major road crossing. We walked along the road for a mile, then a half mile up to a silent retreat. We weren't aloud to speak to the guests, as it was a silent retreat. But we did our laundry, made phone calls, showered, and ordered a pizza for dinner. When it came time to choose beds in the hostel, there were none left, so I got an actual retreat room. It was rustic, but peaceful and dry. I slept well.We got a late start on day 134. We got a hitch back to the trailhead from someone who had to turn around because he was headed in the other direction. It always amazes me when that happens. The shelter options for the day were 10 or 20 miles. We thought we'd probably end up camping illegally somewhere in between.We did a few slow miles up out of the valley. It was strangely not as hot as usual. The trail wound around, fairly gently. We kept plodding on, not worrying about making a destination, just walking. By about 2:00 we had done 10 miles. The rain was threatening, but it was too early to stop. We kept hiking.The trail was again good, with only one short ascent. We kept walking, realizing that a 20 mile day was actually possible. We met some southbounders who told us that shelter was incredible, and well worth the extra miles. We pushed on.We got to the Goose Pond Cabin at about 7:00. This was one of the shelters with a small fee, but offered a caretaker, lake (with canoe), kitchen, and bunks. It was a great reward. I only wished we had gotten an early start so we could have enjoyed the cabin more. Willow and I used the kitchen to boil water to eat the dehydrated meals our sisters had sent us (tamale pie and honey mustard chicken. Mmmm. Thanks!) It rained at night, but I was cozy in the cabin. We left the cabin on day 135 feeling good. After finally putting in a long day again, we had high ambitions of doing 17. We filled up on a big breakfast from the caretaker (I had 8 pancakes), and headed out. We headed up, and I immediately felt tired. Was 8 pancakes not enough? I ate a bunch more. I really don't know why my appetite is suddenly so big, and how I will be able to carry enough food for more than a few days. It looked like the trail would be flat again from the topo map. But it was extremely muddy. Stream crossings were hard, and at times it was hard to tell was was the AT and what was the stream. It would have been a quick 17 miles, but plodding through the mud and trying to keep my feet dry slowed us down.We eventually hit our 17 mile goal, and shared a shelter with our friend Vic. My shoes and socks were soaked, which made my feet hurt. My toes were swollen and in pain. The bugs were bad, so I set up my tent. The moon was out, so I didn't have to set up the rainfly. It was nice.It was just 3 miles on day 136 to Dalton, MA. We stopped at the Dalton Restaurant for breakfast. In the middle of our meal, Last Minute came running in the door. He was getting a ride around somewhere and saw our packs. He is only a day ahead, so we will catch him soon. That made me very happy.I am so glad the weather is changing. It feels good to be putting in decent miles again. As my sister told me, September in New England is beautiful. Things should be getting easier, at least with the weather. 619.3 miles to Katahdin!