Date: 2017-06-24
From: South Mt Wilcox Shelter, MA

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin, MA
Miles today: 15.8

6/24/17, Upper Goose Pond Cabin, MAMiles hiked: 1230.2, Miles to go: 949.6Today was one of those near-perfect days on the trail that you imagine when you are planning your trip. It didn't start out that way, though. It rained all night and we awoke to a steady rain. So, we ended up sleeping in a little, waiting for it to quit. As a result, it was almost 8:00 AM before we got on-trail. The rain had quit; but, the woods were all drippy. The humidity was so high that my glasses steamed and my shirt soaked through with sweat in a matter of minutes. As is typical on these days, little red efts were everywhere. As we hiked along, we heard this sound like wind coming up the mountain. Only it wasn't wind - it was a sheet of water. We took refuge under a pine tree and waited for the deluge to pass. Luckily, just as the tree was getting saturated, the rain let up. It was the last gasp of the storm, though. As we hiked, the clouds began to break up and the sun came out. Even better, a gentle but steady breeze began to blow. It was heavenly. Not only did it help cool and dry us out, it also helped keep the mosquitoes at bay. Eventually, it even helped push the humidity down. We were making for the Upper Goose Pond Cabin today. We have heard about this place from every southbound hiker we've seen the past few days. It's a cabin owned by the National Park Service and managed by the Appalachian Mountain Club. It has bunks with mattresses, canoes you can take out on the lake, and a dock which is perfect for swimming from. Not only that, the caretaker makes pancakes for breakfast! Before we reached the cabin though, we were going to pass another place we'd been hearing about lately. At the Jerusalem Rd trail crossing was the Running Spring Farm. The farm, which is actually a family home, had a small stand by the road that sells fresh and hard boiled chicken and goose eggs, sodas, chips, candy, cookies, and pop tarts. Not only that, they have a charging station for portable electronics. The stand is run by a brother and sister, ages 12 and 14. They raise the chickens and geese and buy and stock everything they sell in the stand. It made for a perfect lunch stop. The rest of the day was spent hiking under clear skies, low humidity, and gentle cooling breezes. We had a couple of pretty decent climbs; but, being Brave & Fierce thru hikers, they weren't a problem for us. It was no time at all until we arrived at the Upper Goose Pond Road, where we came upon trail magic! My friend Sauce had texted me last night and said that she and Snooze were taking a zero day because their parents were visiting. They wanted to know where we would be hiking because they wanted to put out trail magic and wanted it to be where we would pass it. Woo hoo! More soda, cookies, and chocolate. Not only that, but two former thru hikers, Shatterproof and Weeble, were at the same road giving out fruit. Score!We eventually arrived at the cabin and it was  everything advertised - bunks, swimming, canoes, and a nice caretaker named Joanne. We had a very pleasant evening swimming, eating dinner, and visiting with other hikers. Even the wildlife got into the act today. We saw our second black bear. It was a small bear and it scampered off into the brush as soon as it saw us. We were careful to check around and make sure Momma bear wasn't lurking somewhere nearby, ready to jump on us for scaring her baby. Then, when we got to the cabin, we saw the resident baby porcupine hanging around the picnic table.  It was the first one I've ever seen in the wild. How cool!All of these cool things came at just the right time. I was in need of a special day on the trail. Lately, the trail has been feeling a bit mundane. The other day, 1st Sgt said to me, "You know, the pleats on your kilt aren't as crisp as they used to be." If you ignore the disturbing fact that 1st Sgt noticed the pleats on my kilt or, even more, the fact that he felt compelled to comment on them, his comment was actually a pretty good metaphor for where my hike has been lately.When I first started, the very act of walking in the woods was new, exciting, and liberating. I no longer cared about being able to differentiate syndiotactic and Isotactic phases of polypropylene by infrared spectroscopy. It was cool that I was walking in the woods on a Wednesday morning while everyone else was at work. Lately, walking in the woods is how we get from Point A to Point B. We've seen the rocks. We've seen the trees. We've seen the views. And most days, I don't even know what day it is. Our clothes all have holes. Our backpacks smell bad. Our feet hurt and our pleats aren't as crisp. Excitement now is a roadside stand that sells Mt Dew. Most everyone I talk to that started in Georgia feels the same, it seems. One man even told his wife, when she suggested coming for a visit, that it was probably best if she didn't because he would most likely end up going home with her. The Flip Floppers who started in Harpers Ferry haven't become as jaded yet. That's why I like hiking with them so much. Humans are such funny creatures. After awhile, even the most wondrous things become mundane. I imagine that the astronauts on the space station are excited to come home at the end of their tour. Don't worry. I'm not thinking about quitting. I'm not depressed. And I'm not having some sort of crisis. I'm just sort of telling you where my hike is right now. As we move further north, the woods are beginning to change. The hardwoods are being replaced more and more by conifers. We are seeing more ponds. And we are seeing strange and wondrous creatures like porcupines. Soon we'll be moving into the White Mountains and Maine. Although everyone says the last section of the hike is the hardest, they also say that it is the most beautiful. I'm also hearing wonderful things about Vermont from Lumber Jill, who is about a week ahead of me. I'm hoping the change in scenery helps bring back the wonder. Plus, I've never seen a moose. I hope I see a moose!