Date: 2010-08-09
From: Great Barrington

To: Great Barrington
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 21 - Mon Aug 9Plan: town chores...we zero in Great Barrington.Here's our list...- Laundry (need soap too)- Upload trail pictures at library- Water solution (bleach, aquamira, filter)- Food resupply- Tent stakes- Update trail plan- Confirm cab transport to trail- Pick up parcel from Wind in the Pines- Research add'l tent options (Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1)Our stay in GB was generally discoordinated but we got everything we needed to do done in the end. This may be a boring read since it is all town stuff but I include it for completeness. As I think I mentioned in the last post we did not stay at Wind in the Pines as planned since we could never get in contact with the proprietor. We really wanted our food supply box from Sofia which was sent there but we ended up staying in town center at the Days Inn which was more convenient. First thing in the morning I take our laundry to Laramee's Cleaners but they won't do our teeshirts and briefs. I do however get them to patch the hole in seat of my brand new hiking pants. I resolve be more careful and sit on a little piece of plastic instead of directly on rock, ground or log. They do a nice patch job and dry clean the pants for $15. The rest we will have to laundry ourselves. The next stop is the library. I get there 5 minutes before they open at 10:00 and decide to go to the pharmacy for a drink. By the time I get back at 10:10 the library is packed! The mean looking librarian closely monitors the internet usage and one is allowed only 30 minutes per day. Per day!! I'm bummed (but do not argue the point with the determined and stern librarian lady) because I have heaps of pictures and some video but I need a computer to upload them. I can update trail journal text from my cell phone. But not pics. Oh well. Genevieve has some time to research tent options though but not really enough time. Bummed so we decide to eat lunch and consider our options. We go to a fancy wood-fired sourdough crust pizza place. We share the large Puttanesca - very good. We are having hiker debates about gear - tents and water sanitation - especially giving consideration to her decision to complete the hike to Maine. Genevieve has previously ordered what is called a high end tarp tent from six moon designs - very light - 24 ounces - no poles - you set it with your trek poles as supports but she is uncomfortable with that choice - it must staked since it is not freestanding and there are reports it may fail in heavy storm conditions. After long discussions she decides to go with the Big Agnes Fly Creek solo tent - 3d ounces including stakes. A little bit heavier but freestanding and same manufacturer as the tent we are now using. She goes ahead and orders it - we have to pick up in Pittsfield about 20 minutes from our final destination at Bascom Lodge on top Mt. Greylock. She is much happier and will return the sis moon designs tent. She will have to be very weight concious because she will be adding cold weather gear for the nothern states. On the water solution we do some internet research and decide to go with household bleach. Two drops per litre and wait 30 minutes. Better than the 4 hours with the chlorine dioxide tablets we bought at REI. And much cheaper. We prototype and test a primary filter (to remove any debris) using a #6 coffee filter and a one gallon ziploc with a small hole cut in the corner. Works great and field results are excellent. No real chlorine taste but we have been using Propel electrolyte additive anyway. OK next is laundry and groceries at the Big Y center about 1.5 miles up the road - just a short walk. I resolve to walk more places when I return home to Houston. On the way to the Big Y we try again to contact Wind in the Pines but no joy - looks like we will have to buy food. We look like homeless people with our black garbage bag of dirty laundry over my shoulder. We go to the laundromat and while the clothes are washing skip over to the grocery store for food resuppy. Genevieve has worked out our needs based on the revised plan but we splurge by getting three different kinds of cheeses and two different kinds of hard salami. Heavy foods but it feels like Christmas day. I guess hardship and deprivation are necessary for us to fully appreciate the blessings in our everyday lives. We check out and go to load the laundry in the dryers. I notice that there is also a "Staples" office supply store in this center. I get a wild idea - I wonder if they have a cheap lightweight netbook...Hmm...yes they do the Acer micro for $299. Yes that's right folks I am now packing a bloody computer on ths trip - 2.76 pounds. But I was able to upload a good many of the pics (thru Aug 6) using internet connection at Days Inn. It is a slow process though because I have to upload each one at a time. Stayed up till 4:30 and only got 2 hours sleep but then hiked 8 miles and did OK. My next option for upload is Dalton 3-4 days away. Kinda extravagant but it has been fun updating the trailjournal and I needed a better way to upload pictures. Well guess what as we are walking back to hotel with $100 of groceries Wind in the Pines calls and says our mail delivery arrived. Now we have way to much food. Genevieve takes a cab and picks up the food and spreads it out all over the beds and floor of the motel room. We are food millionaires. What to do? We decide to return the store bought food but they won't take back the perishable items - the heavy stuff - cheese and salami. We prepare a send it back home box for food and other stuff. Almost 5:30 so I go to pickup my pants from the cleaners and on the way there is the Berkshire County food coop. Out of curiousity I go in to check it out. Inside I find the biggest tomato I have ever seen. The squirrels and mockingbirds got all of our big tomatos this year and I am craving a tomato sandwich so I buy the tomato, a loaf of wholewheat sourdough and some mayonaise. They also have a novelty item - donut peaches - they are kinda flat and round like a donut. I get eight. I know I will receive comments from Genevieve of course but I am thinking tomato sandwich for breakfast. When I get back I receive the comments but oh well - we trek back up to the grocery store to return what we can with fuel can in hand. We buy 25 cents worth of gasoline - will last us a week. On the way home we stop at an Indian restaurant for dinner. Absolutely stunning and authentic - samosas, lamb rogan josh, and another veggie dish, homemade hot pickles and mango chutney, kheer. Getting back to the motel Genevieve packs up the food and gets ready for an early hike next day and hits the sack. I settle in for a long night of computer uploads... Couple last comments about GB- great stay but everybody seems to have a bit of an attitude - a little extra picante in their salsa shall we say. They are nice but kinda brief and abrupt. Don't know if it correlates but 250 year old GB was the site of the first open resistance against British rule - they are proud of that and have a monument documenting it. Close by is the site of the Shays rebellion - armed resistance by ex-militia against the early US national government during Articles of Confederation pre-constituion days. We opine that perhaps the descendants still carry some of that rebellious spirit. The other thing to note is the amazing and indescribable castle and grounds where the John Dewey Academy is now located...and the stunning stone churches. The story is that a rich railroad heiress (Kellog?) built a smaller replica of her home in Scotland - a full fledged castle with stone wall protecting the grounds. She had the beautiful stone cut from a quarry on a nearby mountain. The same stone was used for the churches. The Academy now serves only about 20 students for a reported $75K per year - for wealthy troubled youth. The graduates however are reported to go to Ivy League schools. Completely awestruck and astounded we walked past the big no trespassing sign and then were asked (told?) to leave immediately which we did.