Date: 2006-08-10
From: Cheshire, MA

To: Wilbur Clearing Leanto
Miles today: 11.0

Today we reached the highest point in Massachusetts. We also now have slightly less than 600 miles to go. I don't know when it happened, but we now focus on "miles to Katahdin", instead of how many miles we've done. The goal is within sight, so-to-speak.Woke up a tad late today knowing we'd be having breakfast at Duff & Dell's again, and would be the 2nd group Tom shuttles out this morning. I packed everything except my tent. I hoped the heavy dew and condensate on it would dry while we ate. Breakfast was great again, but the tent was still pretty wet. I packed it up wet anyhow, intending to set it up later to dry.Tom Levardi drove us out to Cheshire, where we had started our slackpack yesterday. At about 9:00am we started out with Bigfoot in the lead, to be sure we didn't exceed his comfort level. He seemed to tire easily at the beginning of the climb up to the summit of Greylock, MA's highest peak. When we took a break for snacks about 11:00am, Veto and I were seriously planning to take part of his load, as he was stopping to rest very often. Bigfoot is stubborn and noted he thought he was feeling better, but would take our offer if he wasn't feeling better. The antibiotic must have kicked in, because he seemed much more peppy thereafter.We stopped short of the summit at noon for lunch, planning a snack/pepsi stop when we got to the lodge at the summit. As we were finishing lunch, an AMC volunteer work crew of high school age started placing stepping stones a few feet from where we were eating. They seemed to have too few tools for the number of volunteers, but the crew leader had them working productively. They had built a lot of good check steps and water bars on the section we had just come through.After lunch it took another hour to reach the summit at 1:30pm. We had to settle for red pop and ice cream bars at Bascom Lodge. They had neither pepsi nor coke. While we snacked we adjusted our hike plan for our slackpack day.Next we explored the monument at the summit. It was similar to a lighthouse, and we were able to climb up inside it to a viewing platform, where the views were very impressive. On the way to pick up our packs, we met a German student tourist from Berlin. He's camping here tonight.I expected only descents until we reached the road, where we'd planned to resupply and eat from the grocery deli, before continuing another couple miles to a campsite. It turned out there was a lot of up-and-down ridge walking and an ascent after a mostly down section. The tread was rough and rocky or squishy muddy. We were slowed down a lot. As we all had food, we opted to stay here when we reached the access trail. That gave me a chance to dry my tent on the line before setting it up on a raised wooden platform. While it was drying, I filtered 3+ liters of water at the excellent spring. Then I set up my tent on the platform. As the water source was good and there was daylight and sunshine left, I fetched water to have a sponge bath, and to rinse out my hiking shirt and undershorts. Finally about 6pm, it was time to cook supper. The salmon pasta parmesan was good.While I was eating, the young German tourist stopped by the shelter, asking about water and staying to chat. I enjoyed talking with him, and later checked out his tent which was very nice. It was then he mentioned the possibility of rain overnight, something not in this morning's forecast.Sure enough, just as I was starting this entry I heard some drops, and went out to bring in the damp clothes from the line. It's nice that my tent is on this platform. It seems much colder than last night.Onward to Maine!