Date: 2006-06-30
From: Brassie Brook Lean-to

To: Tom Leonard Lean-to
Miles today: 23.2

I can't believe the sun is already setting on June. It's hard to believe I've been at this for almost 3.5 months. I find myself thinking more and more about the end, growing more and more anxious. I miss home. I miss Amy, family and friends. I miss hanging out late, going to shows, going to the movies, playing risk, getting 2-4-1 milkshakes on Tuesdays, and being able to listen to my CDs whenever I want. But at the same time, I know hiking the AT is something I've wanted to do since high school. For that reason, when I start looking forward to reaching Katahdin, I need to bring myself back to the present and suck up every ounce of the day. Some days definitely make that easier for me than others. Thankfully, today was one of those days. Upon waking, I could feel a difference in the air, a bit brisker than it had been for quite some time. I got up to find the sky blue with not a cloud in sight. The beautiful weather certainly helped me start out on the right foot. My first 1.5 miles out of camp were the finale of my ascent up Bear Mtn. (not to be confused with Bear Mtn. in NY). Although the mtns. here aren't above tree line, you can tell they're close. There's but a few inches of soil atop the rockface and the vegetation is smaller, affording breath-taking views. I got to the summit, where a 15' tall rock platform had been erected and looked out over the horizon. The valleys were flooded with soupy clouds, leaving mountaintop islands poking out. It was absolutely gorgeous, and in that instant I remembered why I'm doing this hike. I descended Bear Mtn. to Sages Ravine, which is where I waved goodbye to CT and embraced MA! The actual state border is a bit further south, but the sign is at the Ravine. I snapped a quick photo there and proceeded on my merry way, thrilled to have my 10th state under my belt (4 to go!). I next climbed Race Mtn., which had a fairly non-descript summit. However, the last half mile of the approach was out on a rock outcropping with a cliff on the right. I could look straight down over 1000' to the valley below!About 9 miles north of Race Mtn. I crossed South Egremont Road, where there's a monument to Shays' Rebellion. The rebellion, led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays, was in response to high taxes amidst economic woes in 1797 and early 1798. Faced with impending foreclosures on their farms, roughly 1000 armed farmers marched on Great Barrington, MA, where they forced the courts to close, then advanced on the arsenal in Springfield. The rebels were eventually defeated by the state militia. The final battle of the rebellion took place on "Sheffield Plain", where the monument now stands. A little beyond the monument, the trail crosses US 7, where there's a produce and flower shop within spitting distance of the AT. The place is called the Corn Crib and has become quite accustomed to hikers, as shown by the ice cream, cold drinks and "FREE WATER" sign. I enjoyed a peach, a banana and a pint of locally-made Berkshire raspberry ice cream. That, supplemented with some cheese and crackers, made for a hearty lunch! I had a bit of a post-lunch food coma that made it hard to do the remaining 6.5 miles to camp, but I made it.I'm spending the night a the Tom Leonard Lean-to (somewhere along the line they stopped being called "shelters" and starting being called "lean-tos"), 23.2 miles from the Brassie Brook Lean-to. It was a good day to finally get me back into the swing of things since Jim "Stigmata" Simon left. Tomorrow I'm doing a whopping 2 miles to the East Mtn. Retreat Center, where I'll finally be able to do some laundry and get cleaned up. Yay! 1514.3 miles down, 660.7 to go!Bear Can