Date: 2023-06-14
From: Glen Brook Shelter

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 25.5

I started at 7:30. In Salisbury, I had arranged to meet with an AT service provider (Gadget and Gidget, past AT thru hikers servicing in MA) to buy a fuel canister, and meet them where the AT meets route 7 at 10:30. The three hour hiking estimate was kind of a gamble; the elevation profile showed the 8 miles there to be mostly downhill and then flat, but rocks could slow me down.I got a little of both hard and easy. The first 3.5 miles from the shelter down to MA 41 were rocky and slippery. It was also scenic, with mountains in a sea of fog at several overlooks. It took me 90 minutes to get that far. Worried, I texted Gidget about being late. She said she would still meet me at 10:30. Luckily, the next 4.5 miles was very easy: mostly level walking through fields and through trees. I passed by a Shay's Rebellion memorial around 10 and got to Route 7 just after 10:30. The canister costed $10, but I was worried I'd run out of fuel before I got to Dalton in a couple days.I took a break and saw Achilles, who I ran into a couple days in NY, on the climb up and down Bear Mountain, and near the Stormville pizzeria with the awesome gelato. He stayed the night in Great Barrington. He ran into Plunger and Skippy, and mentioned their stay in Salisbury was not so great.He left, then I left around 11. After maybe 45-50 minutes of hiking, near Boardman St just before a steep climb, there was trail magic! Achilles was there, with other hikers. I had just eaten about an hour ago, bit that didn't stop me from indulging. I had a banana, double chocolate muffin, Gatorade, and a homemade snickerdoodle cookie one hiker gave me.After some brief chatter, I started the steep climb up to East Mountain around noon. With all the food in me, I didn't mind the climb at all, though part of it was because it was getting cool and cloudy. I pressed on, and around 1:30, it started to drizzle. I had just passed Tom Leonard Shelter. I took another break around 2 at a flat spot. By then, it was more of a shower. Several minutes into my break, it became more of a downpour. I took out my umbrella and tucked all my things under it.I left around 2:30. The rain continued for about an hour, then became lighter showers as I climbed up from Benedict Pond to The Ledges, around 4:30. Surprisingly, I could see a bit of a view at the overlook, with clouds rolling across the sky in front of distant mountains.I had been in a text chat with Plunger on and off -- partly because he had left his rain pack cover at the Salisbury hostel, and I took it with me to return to him. I knew they had camped near Great Barrington last night. I passed Mt Wilcox North Shelter around 6, and decided to press on to a campsite a few more miles away. On my down to Jerusalem Road, I slipped on a steep descent with loose mud. I had slipped a few times both yesterday and today.When I got to Jerusalem Rd, around 7:30, I checked my phone. Plunger and Skippy were headed to the same campsite as I was. When I got my things together after a short break, I realized I was missing Mt toiletry bag. I was furious, and thought I might have lost it on that slip a little earlier. As I went back up the climb, I saw Plunger and Skippy. They had taken a nap at Mt Wilcox South Shelter while it was raining earlier. And Plunger had my toiletry bag! I was grateful, and when we got down to the road, I returned his rain pack cover.We headed to the campsite around 8. It started to shower. We set up our tents and discussed plans for tomorrow. I cooked dinner in my vestibule, then retired for the night after camp chores.