Date: 2007-07-19
From: Dalton, MA

To: Cheshire, MA
Miles today: 8.6

Today I had the benefit of a slackpacking opportunity, generously offered by First Wife and Beach Bum. It was a short day, but it worked out well regarding weather and logistics. The weather was supposed to deteriorate in the afternoon, and the idea of slackpacking further than Cheshire was scrubbed because of the access road closures around the top of Mount Greylock.Beach Bum and I left Dalton on the corner of Main and Depot streets and began what seemed like a long walk through town. Finally, the trail went into the woods. With lightweight packs on, just containing food, water, and some extra clothing, hiking was a breeze. Massachusetts has some really beautiful hiking trails. The hike was through Hemlock trees and ferns. For once, I kept my portable radio off, enjoyed the peaceful surroundings and listened to the sound of numerous streams making a sound like heavy rain falling as they flowed over rocks. Birds called to each other from the tree tops.Beach Bum was leading the hike for most of the day. The miles went by quickly and soon we heard the sounds of cars traveling on a road down in the small town of Cheshire, our destination. Beach Bum and I had a conversation about these small towns and how these towns are places where we might never have the inclination to visit, but, we both agreed that it is a treat to walk through them and see how life is along the road less traveled. "Little pink houses for you and me" is part of the chorus of a John Cougar (Mellencamp) song that Beach Bum reflected upon as we walked through town today.When we arrived in Cheshire, under a heavy overcast skies and light drizzle, we walked along towards a "lemonade stand" run by Shane and Hanna. Since they lived in a house on a road that the Appalachian Trail follows, they had the benefit of "location, location, location." While it wasn't a hot day, these two young entrepreneurs (eight to ten years old) were selling lemonade for twenty-five cents a cup. Who could pass that up? Beach Bum and I supported their business and took a photo of these two kids. It was great!Northbound we went to find First Wife and her car. We found her and fellow hiker, Toto. Next, we headed to a small diner for lunch just as the rain started pouring down. Still, it was a good day.I want to use a few lines to say "thank you" to various people who have supported me, so far, in the five weeks that I have been in the Trail. Awol, for taking care of publishing these entries in Trail Journals.com.Jan for helping me out with my mail drops.First Wife and Beach Bum for the opportunities to slackpack.Megan at Osprey Packs for helping me with some concerns that I had about my pack. Osprey Packs really has great customer service.P.S. Does anyone reading this journal have a valid e-mail address or phone number for "Gaiter Woman" who hiked the A.T. in 2004? If so, please e-mail me at my address on my "About" page.I hope to update this journal with more photos when I take my next zero day. The librarian in Dalton was cranky today. Even though I was the only person in the library, she would not let me use the computer for more than an hour even though they have multiple computers and nobody was waiting.