Date: 2010-08-07
From: Race Brook Falls campsite

To: Glen Brook campsite
Miles today: 3.0

Day 19 - Sat Aug 7Plan: hike 2 miles to Guilder Pond and swim, fish and nap. The hike includes a 1000 climb over Mt Everett. Then hike 1 mile to Glen Brook campsite.Weather: could not be more beautiful. Sky so blue you would think you were in Texas.We break camp early and decide to conserve water having only bagels and peanut butter for brekkie. We have a cup of water each for travel. It is an easy hike to the foot of Mt. Everett - just like Mt. Everest without the "rest". It is supposed to be a difficult and technical climb but proves to be a piece of cake for old hands like us. What does slow us down considerably however are the blueberries. Wild blueberries. Delicious wild blueberries. The top of Mt. Everett is covered with them. At first we pick them off the bushes as we are moving along. But then we get serious and drop our packs and we each fill a quart sized ziploc bag full of them. There are red ones, black ones and powder blue ones. They are all good but you want the powder blues. Genevieve has her heart set on a lunch of salmon and wild blueberries. We continue to eat as many straight off the bush. Helps slake our thirst. We finally reach the peak and then Guilder Pond and it is glorious. We locate ourselves on a big rock that serves as a beach. The water is clear as vodka. We fix a rice dish, packaged salmon, pecans and wild blueberries with a chamomile tea for lunch. Beautiful! We then bottle up 7 qts of water and treat it. Takes 4 hours to complete treatment. It is now 12:30. We decide to go swimming. Glorious! Well of course by now with all the chores are done it is nap time. Boots and socks and everything wet is laid out on the rock to dry in the sun. We end up getting a little sunburned and I catch a pretty little yellow perch on a popper bug. At 4:30 we have treated water to drink and we grab add'tl water for treating purposes. We will have to rethink the water situation. Staying healthy on thr trail is a priority on the trail. This past week two hikers had to leave for hospital - one for Lyme disease and the other for Giardia (water borne parasite). It is an easy mile to Glen Brook campsite. We have a great dinner of Teriaki Chicken with sesame noodle and are in bed by 7:30. I like it when it is just me and Genevieve. We find a gentle rhythm. Tomorrow we will have an eight mile hike into Wind in the Pines hotel just outside Great Barrington. Hope to find a library to upload remaining pictures and video then. We may stay an extra day in Great Barrington to figure out our water plan or repair the filter. We have enough treatment tablets for only five days. We can make up the time we think since we (me) are feeling stronger. We just want to hit Upper Goose Pond by Aug 11 so that we have a clear sky for the Perseid meteor shower. The crickets and I say goodnight. I hope the weekend guys in the next tent over with the beer and the big fire stop talking loudly about their credit cards, insurance and stock deals sometime soon. One guy is bragging to his wife on his cell phone (Can you hear me NOW?) about how they made the beer last longer by adding filtered water and fizz to it. OK then.