Date: 2013-08-03
From: Cheshire

To: Bennington
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Day One Hundred and Forty Eight - (14.7) Cheshire to BenningtonIt was supposed to be a sleep in day but I am so used to getting up at first light. I went down to the hotel lobby to let everyone else sleep in but soon Two Socks came down and suggested we go for breakfast. After breakfast we sorted out our daypacks and went to find Gatorade to take with us. We had our gear down and were ready to go when Miss Janet arrived. We piled in and headed to the church to pick up Sparky and Orange Peel and then back to the trail where we got off. It was actually a road walk and as we hiked through town down the middle of the street we saw three southbounders hiking towards us also in the middle of the street. We starting banging our poles on the ground and pretending that it was a big street fight, I wonder what the locals thought of us! We were about to turn off the road and onto actual trail when we saw Bomber in his vehicle just ahead. Of course we had to go talk to him. He told us that he will be back on the trail and hiking the Whites with Lady! We headed back to the trail only to stop again when we found the perfect climbing tree that had a white blaze on it. Sparky, Zenmaster and Canadian Bacon all climbed up and I snapped pictures. When we were all back on solid ground we continued north and soon we were climbing. Today was the dreaded Mount Greylock climb but it turned out to be really nice! Maybe it was because we didn't have our packs on or maybe it was because the weather was perfect for hiking but the 3491 ft climb was actually enjoyable (and I don't even like going up). We stopped at the first shelter for lunch and then headed the rest of the way up to summit of Greylock. At the top we found the veterans war memorial tower and a lodge that served ice cream! After an ice cream break we hiked on and found a "shelter" that was nicer than anything seen on the trail so far but it was for emergency use only. We were in a tourist area and I thought that it was very misleading to have a shelter like that in a spot that would lead people to believe that all shelters were like this one. We hiked down the the mountain knowing we only had two small ups left and stopped to celebrate the six hundred miles left mark on the top of Mount Williams! Six hundred miles left! I remember the day I hit six hundred miles and now I am close to sixteen hundred miles! It was very steep coming down and my knees hurt but it would be over soon. We were almost done for the day when we heard gun shots close by, very close by. Sparky yelled out "It was Col. Mustard in the bedroom!." Seriously I didn't know what to think, it's not hunting season but a day hiker said that there was a shooting range nearby. I am surprised that the trail is so close to it. The last part of our hike was a road walk and we could see Miss Janet waiting for us down the road in her Bounce Box. I swapped Canadian Bacon her poles for my dog and she was off running the last stretch. We all hopped in the van and ended up in a hotel in Bennington (the next town north) with plans to slack to here tomorrow. It was late when we arrived and the hotel managers were awesome! They were so helpful and said that they often give rides to hikers. A guy named Steve pulled up and he knew who I was, he had been reading my journal! We were all tired, hungry and smelly but decided that food was the most important of the three and headed down to Friendly's still in our hiking clothes. By the timeWe were back at the hotel and cleaned up it was hikers midnight. Good night world!Trouble