Date: 2009-07-21
From: Mt. Greylock

To: Seth Warner shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: light rain

Blessed and No Name planned to get up early to watch the sunrise, but I was too tired to get up at 5 after all that occurred during the night. At 6, No Name, Freefall, and Johnny Thunder came into the shelter, so I got up. It was so foggy out, that they weren¢t able to see the sun at all. Blessed got up for a few minutes, but had gone back to bed. Most of the talk involved the incident from the middle of the night. We were all feeling shaken.   I didn¢t know if Blessed was going to meet us at our shelter, or if we were supposed to go back to the lodge. No Name and I decided to head back to the lodge, but all was quiet there. How were we going to wake him up? I decided I better get a head start because these two guys hiked faster than I did. That way, I wouldn¢t slow them down. Even though No Name kept talking about how he only likes to hike alone (and then chat with people at the shelters), he wanted to take off with me! What was going on this past week? He seemed greatly amused with everything I did, including how I put my pack on. I didn¢t know what was so funny about me!    As we walked, he commented on how easily amused I was and said that should be my name. I thought so, myself, from early on in the journey! I was glad someone else finally confirmed this. Several of the other hikers have commented that they love my laugh. Whenever No Name got a little ahead of me, he would stop and wait, looking back at me. It was kind of cute. I think he was trying to take me under his wing.    We stopped at an overlook for a snack break (and a cigarette break for him), and met iTrod, who was hiking south on a practice hike for his thru-hike next year. As we hiked down the mountain, we passed a family hiking up who warned us about the bad weather coming. No Name was headed into North Adams to get to the post office. I planned on getting to Congdon shelter by the evening. We wondered why Blessed had not caught up to us, yet! As we walked down the road towards MA 2, it started to rain. If there had been a caf© within eyesight, I would have ducked in for awhile, but there was nothing except apartment buildings.    I parted with No Name, headed across the bridge, and put my pack cover on. In four miles, I would cross into Vermont! I saw Freefall and Johnny Thunder at the path to Pete¢s Spring. They were going to camp out at Sherman Brook Campsite. I didn¢t need water, so I kept going. The rain came down harder and harder. The water ran down my pack and soaked my skirt. Several girls who were hiking southbound in a group warned me about the dangerous conditions ahead and urged me to take it very slowly. The rocks were so slippery and treacherous that one girl said she thought she was going to die on multiple occasions. At least I had the advantage of climbing rather than descending. It¢s harder to fall going uphill.      I put on my rain jacket and rain pants, but the only thing my jacket seems to do is suck the water inside! It was not to be the most pleasant or comfortable hike. I reached the sign for the beginning of the Long Trail, which also served as notice that we were entering Vermont. Because of the rain, I did not take a picture. I met a southbounder on a pile of rocks, where I got confused as to where the trail went. He was having difficulty, as well, having fallen a number of times. I stopped to collect water at an overflowing brook that was directly on the trail and proceeded down the sidepath to Seth Warner shelter for a break. Two hikers and a dog were huddled in their sleeping bags. One was Stats, who I not seen since Virginia, and the other was Ducky and her dog, who I had never met. They were zeroing at the shelter. I crawled inside, took off my shoes and rain jacket, and put on my down jacket. As I dug into my food bag, a group of 6 southbounders came in! They were trying to figure out whether to stay here or press on to the next shelter. At this point in the trail, the number of people competing for shelter space doubles as thru-hikers are now traveling both north and south. The group decided to stay put, as they didn¢t think they stood a chance of getting space at the next shelter. I still planned to move on. After I packed up, put back on my wet shoes and freezing cold jacket and looked out at the rain which started to come down hard once again, I winced. Stats and Ducky thought I should stay. Once again, I put on my warm clothes, spread out my sleeping bag, and got inside for a nap. How wonderful it felt to sleep! It¢s all I wanted to do! Stats borrowed my umbrella and collected water for the three of us! Nice! I only had to leave the shelter to go to the bathroom. The southbounders told us crazy stories about the hiker I had problems with on the first few days of my hike, and I was so glad that I got away from him early on! Wow...   No Name came in later on, but was forced to tent because the shelter was too crowded. He was not happy about this! Sunbeam, Halfmoon, Squeegie, and the twins also made it in. It rained all night long.