Date: 2004-05-10
From: Mt. Greylock

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: broken clouds

Log entry: 100Start time: 0945End time: 1830Morning weather: Cold, a little rain, windy on Mt GreylockAfternoon weather: Partly sunny and warm, high 60s maybeEvening weather: Mild, some cloudsBreakfast: Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, orange juice and hot chocolate, also a glazed doughnut.Lunch: Ham and cheese sandwhichs (2), an orange, some kudos bars, raisins, and a snickers bar with tea Dinner: Lipton Rice Cajun with beans and I added a pouch of chicken with tea to drinkTrail description: A killer downhill into North Adams. Very long and steep, really hurt knees but they felt better after leveling out. A long but gentle climb up into Vermont. And Vermont is swwweeeeeeeet. Almost as soon as you cross into it you get the feeling that you are really getting remote and wild. Very exciting. Beautiful streams, trees, and forest.People: Dave and Sally in the morning, Timmy at Bascom Lodge on Mt Greylock, the "older scary dude" at the shelter with me. Haven't got his name yet, afraid that might lead into a longer story.Animals: Nothing to speak of. Lots of porcupine sign and scat. At the lower elevations (sub 1000 feet) the leaves are full out.Money spent: NoneComplaints: My right foot is pretty tore up. The top of my big toe, where the hair grows, is rubbed raw and bleeding from my boots. It is a flex point and it hurts the first mile or so until the nerve endings give up hope and quit transmitting. Much the same with an old blister on my heel which has never completely healed from my Asolo boots. The whole area around it is tender to the touch. My worst fear is infection but I am keeping my eye on it and giving it as much air as possible as well as giving it lots of polysporin.Thoughts: I was up until past midnight last night trying desperaetly to return emails but I only got a few done, so many that I want to write but so little time. And I woke up this morning at 0630 to pack things up and go over food. I took out some extra meals I have since I haven't eaten one for the past 3 evenings. I sent them onto Hanover, NH where I am resupplying and figure I can save a few bucks since 3 dinners will go a long ways.Breakfast was at shortly after 0700 and that was wonderful as usual. It was hard to leave (again) due to the graciousness of my hosts and I can never adequately thank them enough. By 0745 Dave and I were out the door and headed for Bascom lodge. We stopped quickly af the post office then again at an overlook on the way up Mt Greylock. There wasn't anyfog this morning and the views were excellent.Once at the lodge up top Dave gave me a "stealth tour" and explained the ins andouts and history of the lodge. In a way I am a bit sad I didn't get to staythere but it will give me a reason to come back.By 0945 I was on my way down the mountain. It didn't get all that steep untilyou descend into North Adams. Ouch.I ate lunch on the bridge over the Hoosic river. It wasn't a fancy or nicebridge but it served its purose. As I climbed the next 4 miles up into Vermont I really felt like I was entering a wilderness area. The roads you cross are muddy two tracks that don't carry the volume of traffic most of the roads I have been crossing the last few weeks. It was an exciting afternoon for me. All I have been hearing latelyis "the best is yet to come". Should be a good time.I rolled into the shelter to find a man in his sleeping bag stretced out infrontof the shelter. From what I have gathered from most of our conversation is thathe is finishing up a thru hike and is headed as far north as he can. He kept mymouth occupied while I was trying to eat. So many questions. Nice enough guy.We'll see though. If he tries to axe me tonight I may have a different opinioncome morning.