Date: 2020-09-01
From: Stealth site near Tyringham mile 1543.9

To: Dalton
Miles today: 28.0

I got a reasonably early start for me, driven by the need to get clean water. There is a motel nine miles out on route 20 that sells sodas to hikers, and probably has a spigot too. That should be enough to get me to Dalton tonight. And tomorrow I will pass a few miles from an outfitter in Cheshire to get a new filter.A stream of SOBOs passed me halfway to the Upper Goose Pond shelter. Books, an orange-haired guy with glasses; Swat, a fit white-haired guy who started in Georgia May 4th then flipped at Duncannon, and many more. Also met Armadillo, who I had been following on Instagram (as Mediocre Mountaineer) for over a month since he burst out of the 100 Mile Wilderness in four days. He's relaxed a bit since, but was now sprinting to meet his mom in Great Barrington. A Connecticut native, he plans to hike all 52 miles of his home state in one day.After rounding Upper Goose Pond I crossed the Mass Pike (Interstate 90) and at route 20 walked a short way to the Berkshire Lakeside Lodge. The owner let me fill up my bottle with clean water, sold me a few sodas, and gave me a delicious chocolate muffin. He goes on my trail angel list of people to thank later. This should be enough liquid to get me 19 more miles to Dalton.Back in the woods, an Army helicopter buzzed me at close range a couple of times, then hovered over a beaver pond like it was practicing maneuvers. Incredibly loud. Wonder if there's a base nearby.At October Mountain Shelter I crossed paths once again with the man who had been studying plants on the cliffs of Race Mountain two days ago. He was maintaining wildlife cameras near the shelter. There are bobcats, coyotes, bear, porcupines and fishers in these woods. But what really surprised me are the moose. I didn't know they ranged this far south. He showed me a tree where a moose had bitten and ripped off strips of bark last year. Apparently they are so tough they eat tree bark! In any case I've been dying to see a moose for some time. Two trips through Maine and no sightings. Now I'll be scanning every pond and bog from here to Katahdin for one of these noble creatures.The guy leads wildlife and ecology studies for the Berkshire chapter of the AMC. One thing he's noticed is a sharp drop-off in animal prints in an area near the AT between April and October. Should be prime activity months, but it's also prime hiking season. The animals seem to be avoiding hikers. Most of his wildlife footage also is triggered at night. Deer seem to be the only large mammals easily seen during the day. Well, at least it's not just me wondering where all the animals are!Though a couple of miles later I did see a quail. It was only mildly perturbed by my presence and stayed close to the trail.Six miles from Dalton on Warned Hill I popped my last soda. I was committed now. I needed to reach town for water. I was making excellent time. Better than any day in a long time. I'd end up hiking 28 miles, the most since Shenandoah.On the way down I met another redhead named Skymall, a SOBO from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Said he'd seen some NOBOs on the other side of Greylock. They'd be the first I'd seen in many weeks. He fell behind his southbound bubble of friends when his girlfriend came up to hike the Presidentials with him. But he likes having shelters to himself just as much.In Dalton I stopped at the home of Tom Levardi. Tom's been letting hikers tent in his yard for 41 years. At all times of year. He's had winter hikers come through. One girl refused to come inside because once warm she wouldn't want to go back out!  Hanging out was a SOBO named Ratio, who looked like a young Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya. He took off to night hike a few more miles. Another hiker named Knoxville was headed south to Harpers Ferry, where he will then jump to some point in the south to head down to Springer. He'd done the middle section northbound starting in May as "Forty". He looked familiar but I couldn't place him.Finally there was a kid just turned 18 from Lebanon, Pennsylvania. His father had kicked him out before he'd finished high school. He started hiking the AT, then got off and bought a bike, trying to follow the AT closely by back roads. His bike broke down in southern Massachusetts and he hiked up to Dalton. Tom's been letting him stay for two months, and now he helps out with the hikers. Tom has had long term guests before. Once a couple of teenagers from the Bronx made it up here and tented for months. If their mom hadn't come to get them he thinks they'd still be here.Tom warned us before we went to our tents that a skunk often wanders into the yard. I've already seen what looks like a cat pass the tent several times.