Date: 2008-08-18
From: Duncannon, PA

To: The Birdcage, Dalton, MA
Miles today: 444.6
Weather: clear sky

Well, I'm now in Massachusetts and will soon be in Vermont! I'm still hiking with the brothers, Pilot and Dirty Girl. I'd like to apologize to anyone and everyone who has been following my journal for the lack of updates, but no worries, I'm still hiking and making my way north on the trail toward Maine!        Since my last entry I have made my way through Pennsylvania, where the rocks are aplenty and the water is scarce. It was hot and humid and I got my first taste of living with mosquitoes on a daily basis. I also got a nice case of poison oak to make things even more comfortable. But despite these things I still had fun and made the best of it!        New Jersey was surprisingly beautiful and not quite as rocky as PA. It was hot and buggy though! As I hiked the open ridgelines and looked out across the wild valleys of green and ponds for as far as the eye could see, I couldn't believe I was in Jersey!It was a pleasant surprise to say the least. We also got to stay with the Mayor of Unionville, NY. He's been taking hikers into his home for a couple years now and giving them a place to stay, a shower, laundry usage, hot food, and warm hospitality. It was a pleasure to stay there and hang out for awhile! Thanks Mayor Dick and Butch!        After leaving the Mayors, we finished the last few miles of NJ and walked into New York, the ninth state on the trail. NY was gorgeous! We hiked the first miles of trail up and down over huge boulders and pine covered ridges. There were a few nice vistas to complement the hiking as well. We soon understood why people say that you can get buy with carrying very little food through NY. Its called hiking from deli to deli because there is seriously a deli or sub/pizza shop at every road you cross or come to! We took advantage of this convenience on several occasions. We also picked a lot of berries the last couple of weeks starting in PA with blueberries, blackberries, and red and black raspberries. They are so good! But in NY we hit a huge patch of red raspberries that we each picked a couple quarts of perfectly ripe berries!Harriman state park was loaded with deer that didn't really spook away too bad so we got some great looks and a few good pictures. All the antlers we saw were covered in velvet. I came across a nice size rattlesnake at the William Brien Shelter one night looking for firewood. It scared the $#!% out of me! He was sticking out of the base of a fallen dead tree right about chest level and I walked right up to him. I must have jumped about 6 feet in the air! I couldn't resist taking some pictures though! We then hiked through Bear Mt. State Park and across the Hudson River. Our last night in NY we stayed in Wingdale at a motel with really nice people who run the place. We had just recently reunited with Dirt after him being behind for awhile due to his MRSA (see Dirt's journal for more details), and were looking for a place to throw down, so Wingdale it was. NY rocks!        The next day we made it to Kent, CT. State #10. There we reunited with some other friends and had us a little shin-dig on the trail, in a cow pasture right outside of town. It was Me, Pilot, Dirty Girl, Dirt, Gouda and Taba, Frodo, Caboose, and Nala, Savannah and Kayah, Geoff, Snap, and Snack. We had a good time and I learned a new thing called "slap the bag" involving a bag of Merlot. The next few days we passed through the towns of Conrwall Bridge, Falls Village, and Salisbury, CT. We stayed in a caboose in Falls Village, used for a local information center with a bunch of brochures for area attractions. We used it for a dry place to hang out in the rain and a place to crash! Just outside of town was Great Falls a really nice waterfall and great swimming hole! We spent all morning and most of the afternoon there swimming and basking in the sun. It was truly one of the coolest places on the whole trail!        Massachusetts.... if I could describe the trail with 2 words they would be: Mud and Mosquitoes! I had no clue that the mosquitoes could get this bad! They really like me too, but the feeling is not mutual! I've had to wear my rain jacket on several occasions to keep the pesky skeeters at bay! But despite the muddy trail and bothersome bugs the people we have come across have been awesome and very kind. We met a cool guy named Mark, who picked us up in Great Barrington and took us out for lunch, his treat, and gave us a nice tour of the area and took us to where we needed to be. What great trail magic! We also got a ride from a 04' southbounder named Gator, who took us back to the trailhead from Great Barrington. Thanks man! I'm now at the Birdcage in Dalton, MA. I've been posted up here for a few days now. I think this is the best place for hikers to chill, possibly, on the entire trail! It really is a great place with a positive energy that makes you feel right at home. Rob is such a great guy and would do anything he could to help out someone! The mission statement here at the Birdcage really says it all:" No matter your age, gender, ethnicity, sexual preference, or political affiliation, you are welcome here to rest, relax, heal, and reflect on your fantastic journey to this point. If you have a need, please ask and whatever can be done will be. If you have desires, make them known and we will try and satisfy them." Sit deep, come often -You're one of the folks"" May your hike through life lead you back to my door once again"        Unfortunately, my time here at the Birdcage is almost over, but I'll leave with the last 3 states of this journey yet before me. Some say the best 3 states of the entire trail! I can't imagine having more fun or seeing better sights than I have already, but I hope I do and can't wait! So now the conclusion of this long journey....                        Truckin'