Date: 2017-07-06
From: Dalton, MA

To: Mt. Greylock 
Miles today: 17.2

Before returning us to the trailhead, Rob brought us to a diner so we could eat a hearty breakfast.  I never pass up an opportunity for a good cup of coffee.  In my pre-AT life, I drank coffee black; now it's milky white with cream and sweetened with sugar or honey, all in the quest for more calories. Our prime objective today was the summit of Mt. Greylock, the highest mountain in MA. Shop Teacher reserved for us bunks in the Bascom Lodge atop the peak. The first half of our 17-mile hike brought us into the town of Dalton, MA.  Picnic tables aside Diane's Twist, an ice cream and sandwich shop, served as a fine resting place.  We supplemented our pack lunches of peanut butter and crackers with ice cream and pasta from the store. Food you would not normally mix in a single meal have become the norm for me.Lunch ended late in the afternoon, so we wondered about our chances of reaching Mt. Greylock before nightfall. The Lodge was 8.5 miles away, and the path was uphill; granted it was a gradual climb, but it was uphill all the way.We had traveled but a single mile when we came to a road.  A cardboard sign notified of trail magic. We  looked right, saw nothing, then left.  A car was parked on the right-hand shoulder, about 50 yards distant.  A woman waved at us, beckoning.  We complied. At the car were two young hikers (brothers "OK" and "Chugga") and two young women, who were assisting the first who beckoned us.  Indubitably, the charm of the young ladies had captured the attention of the young men. A table lay spread full of sandwiches, pasta, pastries, hummus, and chips, and coolers full of beer, sodas, tea, juices, powerade, and water. Though still full from lunch, I managed to avail myself of their generosity. Shop Teacher and I grazed long enough for several other hikers to join our gathering, also young men, drawn by the alure of the trail angels.  Some made the grevious error of grabbing a beer and settling into a lounge chair set up on the side of the road.  Soon the one beer became a second and then a third. Their resolve to continue hiking ebbed like a receding tide. Keen to the trap, Shop Teacher and I left for Mt. Greylock. We both hazarded a guess that we would not see any of these hikers again that evening. We were correct.Though long, the hike up was not difficult.  Atop Mt. Greylock, we checked into the Lodge and moved into our bunks.  Showers were available and immediately used - typically my first act is to get out of my filthy clothes, saturated in sweat, and put on my camp clothes.  We afterwards cooked our dinner in front of the Lodge on a picnic table in a blustery wind, not a simple task with the flames of our stove frequently blowing out. And it was suprisingly chilly, giving me a foretaste of what awaits us in VT, NH, and ME.After we managed dinner, we visited the War Monument at the summit, dedicated to the men and women of WWI who perished in the Great War. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations, so we could not go to the top.  The view from its base, however, was phenomenal, enhanced by a brilliant colorful sunset that lingered. You can see in all compass directions: NY in the west, CT in the south, VT in the north, and MA in the east.