Date: 2008-07-29
From: Cookie Ladies' Home, MA

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: few clouds

I woke up early...I HAVE COFFEE! :-) I think it was about 5:30am when I rolled over and stuck my Jet Boil outside the tent and brewed myself 24.7 ounces of delicious, luxurious, scrumptious, strong, black coffee! :-) I had a couple Danishes while I enjoyed that coffee. I guess I was enjoying it all too much because Mrs. Gorp was all packed and ready to go, so I hurried and walked out just behind her. She asked me if I had seen the moose track in the mud when I caught up to her. I hadn't...I was looking for her prints to make sure she was ahead. I knew I had walked into moose country because I remember seeing moose prints around Upper Goose Pond cabin in the snow when I walked through that area one winter. I had to stop and use some Deet to keep to biting scamcheeters at bay. We walked slowly trying to avoid the mud puddles as much as possible. Mrs Gorp trying to keep her feet dry?? I could see where one guy had just given up and was walking right through the deep mud. We stopped for a snack when we got to Blotz Rd. Those biting little mosquitoes usually aren't as bad when you get out in the open area around a road. We had a big 200-foot climb up Warner Mtn when we left there. :-) I saw a small side trail at the summit and went to check it out. There was a nice view, a small snake and the most high bush blueberries I've ever seen in the wild! I ate lots of blueberries. :-) That kind of made up for not getting any blueberries at the Cookie Ladies home because the hail had knocked off all the ripe berries there. I checked and had cell coverage, so I sent in a pretty short journal entry into Hammock Hanger to post along with some pictures. I hope she posted the picture of Mrs. Gorp's brand new hiking shoes in the mud just to show my ol' buddy Chief the way REAL hiker's shoes should look like. :-) I made a mental note and put it in storage of those blueberries for next time I walk through here, but forgot which folder I put it in already. Ha! ;-)We walked on and passed by the side trail to Kay Wood Shelter without stopping, then crossed Grange Hall Rd and made a 300 foot climb up Day Mtn...our biggest climb of the day. From there was an easy, but very muddy walk into Dalton, MA. I was just crossing the street when Tom Lavardi pulled over and said; "Hey Stumpknocker". It's always great to see Tom and he even looked happier than usual today because he's retired since I've seen him last. :-) I told him I'd stop by later and he said he'd take us down to the Country Buffet. (I wonder how he knew I'd want to go there?) We got a room and I laid down in my bed and actually fell asleep. I didn't wake up till Mrs Gorp was coming back into the room with clean clothes after going to the local laundry. :-) It was getting close to 5pm, so we walked over to Tom's house. I met Turtle, a sobo who said Tom was just leaving to go look for me. I caught Tom as he was backing out of his garage. He took Mrs Gorp and me to the Country Buffet in Pittsfield. We were in the middle of our meal when some skinny looking hiker came walking up to the table.... It was Raccoon and his wife Lipstick! What a small world! :-) There wasn't enough chairs where we were sitting, so we all moved to a bigger table. That worked great for me because I wasn't done yet. :-) It was great having dinner with such good company....Mrs Gorp, Lipstick, Tom Lavardi and Racoon! :-) Tom drove Mrs Gorp and me back to the motel and I saw Professor Longjohns standing across the street. I went over and talked to him. Last time I saw him, he was bad sick with Lyme back in Port Clinton, PA. He seems to be doing much better again. A sobo by the name of Smoothie walked up and Mountain Squid stopped to take them both up to Rob Byrd's place. Catfish and 2 Beers stopped by on their way to the buffet....what inexperience! Catfish going to a buffet AFTER me. Ha! :-) I called Jewels and she is meeting Mrs. Gorp and me in Cheshire tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing and talking to her because she and Larry just finished a cross country bicycle ride. It should be fun hearing their stories! :-) I did talk to my ol' buddy Chief yesterday. I thought he might be starting to think about delaying his walk on the Long Trail, but he said; "Look Stumpy, me and Xmas just made all our liquor purchases to carry us through the walk". Dang, he might just be serious about this walk! :-) Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)