Date: 2005-06-29
From: Dalton

To: Summit Mt. Greylock
Miles today: 17.0

start: Dalton (Bird Cage)finish: Summit Mt. Greylock (Bird Cage) miles: 17.0day: 114Hey people, an administrative note.  Sometimes folks sign my guest book but don't put their email address, so I can't respond.  Mr. Magoo, what's your email address?  Please send it to moosie@gmail.com.  Rumor is I may see you in VT soon?I slept well in Rob's back yard.  The plan for today is for Rob to shuttle us north to the summit of Mt. Greylock and we'll hike 17 miles south back to the hostel.  I don't lke the fact that I don't get to climb Greylock, but it allows me to: see if Goldilocks is at Greylock this morning, and to get some good miles in while still enjoying this great hostel for another day.I did see Goldilocks at the top.  He's been zeroing off trail for a couple of days (waiting for me?).  Tea Break and Rescue ran off down the mountain trying to set a new record for this leg - under 4 hours.  That's a sustained 4.25 mph.  They're slacking but still this will involve some running.  They're crazy.  Actually I'm jealous, but I can't run anymore.I spent a few minutes talking with Rob and Goldilocks, but figured I'd better get moving if I was going to have time to relax and shower before hitting the buffet tonight.  Cocoa Bean and Search were still hanging out when I left, and I didn't see them until they got back to Dalton.It was a pleasant, quiet day hiking on my own.  I don't get to do that very often.  It rained in the morning for a while, and the trail went through very nice beech forests.  We're also starting to see more white birch and conifers - signs and smells of the north!  There were no views today because of the overcast weather, but it was cooler and while it rained, there were no bugs.  The deer flies were the worst when the rain stopped.  I must have killed a hundred.  You know, the ones that land on the back of your head, and a normal swat doesn't hurt them at all - you have to kind of roll them in your hair to break their wings.  Lovely, eh?I met northbound section hikers Slow Walker, and Alabar, who hiked last year.  I talked to each of them for a few minutes.For lunch the trail goes through Cheshire, right past an ice cream shop.  I had a meatball sub and some soft ice cream and a root beer.  Snail showed up northbound as I was finishing, and he said Tea Break was absolutely flying.Towards the end of the day my feet started feeling really spongy.  They'd been wet for a few days now, sometimes with rain, sometimes with so much sweat dripping down my legs.  I'd really like to dry out my feet and shoes soon.  Rotating socks mid day helps, but the mosquitoes were bad at that point so I didn't stop.I got back to the hostel to learn that Tea Break did indeed break the record - it's now 3:52.  He had taken the time to scribble "2:51 in" in a trail register along the way, and I evilly put below it "Tea Break, it took you almost 3 hours to hike here from Dalton?".  Dalton was only about 5 miles away, but most will read this assuming TB was northbound.  Heh, heh.After everyone finished their hike, we got together with others at the hostel - OPa, Senator, Turtle, and... Goldilocks, and most of went to the AYCE Country Buffet in Pittsfield.  Very good food for a buffet.  I only ate four plates, but they were big ones.  Lots of mashed potatoes and roast beef.On the way back in the van (I was driving - unfortunately Rob couldn't come because he had to work), I proposed a twenty questions type of puzzle.  I knew Search and Rescue wouldn't be able to leave it alone.  We had fun with this for an hour or two, then it was time for this hiker to hit the sack.At this point Goldilocks is only 6 miles ahead.