Date: 2003-07-09
From: Mt Greylock (Bascum Lodge)

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: light rain

Day 118 Avg Mls/Day 13.4Weather: Cool, overcast in morning, steady rain mid day to late afternoon. Clearing cool in evening. High in low 70's.Today's Nature: Birds that I can't identify...maybe a warbler.Falls Today 0 Total 4Not a good day on the Trail as Charlie had to get off in North Adams. We had a good night in Bascum Lodge on Greylock. Woke up about 5 and were hiking by 6. It was cool, overcast and breezy so we started out with long sleeves. That didn't last very long though.The hike off Greylock is all downhill. Charlie had to take it easy with his knee, so I hiked on ahead. Drifter passed us both on the Trail early and Ranger Rick was already out front as he was the first one out. The downhill was not easy...it was steep and rocky with no switchbacks. It slowed me down. The Trail dropped from 3,491' at Greylock to 650' at Route 2 near North Adams. When I got there at about 10:30 it started to sprinkle. I waited under the entrance to a school building for Charlie to show up.When he came by in 15 minutes or so the first thing he said was he would have to see someone about his knee...it bothered him on the steep downhill.We walked a mile down Route 2 and ate breakfast at Friendlys. Charlie looked up a motel closest to the Trail; called and got a room. After he settles in he will check the phone book for a sports medicine type physician. So, after breakfast we shook hands with the hope that his injury is treatable and we may yet be able to meet up again on the Trail. Charlie is not a quitter...he will not get off unless he absolutely has to.It was a steady rain by now and I went to the Price Chopper next door and bought some Famous Amos chocolate chip pecan cookies. I put on my emergency rain parka; purchased a large chocolate shake at Friendlys, and started walking back to the Trail. Probably the wise thing to do would have been to call it a day and go check in with Charlie. But I thought it would let up soon. Wrong!...it continued through my hike all afternoon. As usual, my feet were soaked and I decided to call it a day at the next shelter.Another state (MA) down...crossed over into Vermont around 2:30. Only NH and ME after VT. The Long Trail, which goes about 300 miles to Canada, shares about 100 miles with the AT. So, the next several days will be on this "dual" trail.Met my first '03 SOBO thru-hiker. A real nice young man, Bluegrasshopper. We stopped and chatted for awhile. He thinks there may only be 2 other SOBO's in front of him, and one of those did not start from the top of Katahdin. He had the smallest pack I've seen on a thru-hiker so far.Arrived at the Seth Warner Shelter shortly after 3 to find Drifter already settled in for the night. I thought about going on to the next town, but it was over 11 miles away and it would be late. I didn't know then when it was going to quit raining either.The shelter is an old one and not the cleanest, but it will do. It looks like just the 2 of us unless a group shows up. Had Ramon noodles soup with added chicken meat...so I'm cooking again.Thought for the Day: Pulling for Charlie...Hoping he can get his knee taken care of.