Date: 2007-07-14
From: Salisbury, CT

To: Hemlocks Lean-to, MA
Miles today: 14.1

Still exhausted from yesterday, I slept in an extra hour and finally started hiking a lot later than I wanted to. I think I started around 8:30 AM after breakfast at The White Hart Inn.Within the first mile, I met Dude. He told me that Backyard Boogie made it to Salisbury the evening before, but would probably stay another day because of an injury to his knee. Also, I was told that Low Gear, Walnut, and Big Gulp got off the trail here and skipped ahead to New Hampshire because they need to get back home in time for college classes.The weather turned out to be amazing. The skies had just a few clouds and the visibility was excellent; you could see for miles.Today was also the best day, so far, for scenery and views. The first viewpoint was Lion's Head. The ascent to that view wasn't so bad out of Salisbury. A really neat campsite is Sages Ravine Brook. This site sits in a valley or ravine with a swiftly flowing stream nearby and old-growth trees. I suppose you could swim in one of the pools of water in the stream if you could tolerate the cold temperature.Speaking of water, there was a lot of it within this segment of trail. It was cold, and, more importantly, the sources were spaced out so that you did not have to carry too much water in your pack.The next view was to Bear Mountain. This view has a large boulder and rock observation tower that is about thirty feet tall. It was built over one hundred years ago. On top sat "Pack Mule", a Ridgerunner who patrols Connecticut's section of the Appalachian Trail. I decided that this overlook would be a great place for lunch. It was absolutely spectacular with views down the valley and across to other mountains in the distance. The decent from Bear Mountain, going northbound is very, very steep and rocky. I would advise other hikers to use caution in the rain. Next, there was Race Mountain with its 270 degree views and a lot of exposure. The trees were stunted on the top of this mountain. The most incredible views so far on this month-long hiking trip were on Race Mountain. Finally, there was the climb up Mount. Everett. Wow! That was a steep climb up a rock face for about six hundred feet. It drained my energy. Trying to get up this mountain really made me question if I have the strength and stamina to continue, and to face the difficult terrain in the coming weeks and months. Again, it would not be fun to climb up Mt. Everett in the rain. I made it to the Hemlocks shelter a little approximately 4:30 PM after reuniting, briefly, with Pogue, Six-String, and Sublime. It was interesting to discover that they are students at MTSU near Nashville, Tennessee. I completed my master¢s degree at MTSU almost four years ago. These three hikers continued on for another seven miles or so because of the lure of pizza in the nearby town of Great Barrington. I often wonder if I'm ending my day too early by staying behind. I think I'm doing ok, though, with the daily miles that I'm covering, but I see a lot of hikers continuing into the evening.Oh, and back to the shelter. It a newer two-level shelter tucked underneath hundreds of tall Hemlock trees. It's nice and clean, relative to other shelters. Tomorrow, I may head out to the next shelter or to a hostel near it. For a few hours today I was by myself in the shelter then Blue Yonder showed up. I mentioned to her that the Ridgerunner told me that there was a "problem" bear in the area who had a habit of tearing into tents in search of food. I think that persuaded her to stay in the shelter instead of setting up her tent.Around 10:45 PM, I heard an unusual sound. It was a panting sound, repeating rapidly. My first thought was that a bear was about to enter the shelter, but I don't believe that bears pant like that. Still, I couldn't see what was making the noise. By the time I turned my headlamp on, I could tell that it was a big dog, a yellow lab to be exact. Hiking towards the shelter, but preceded by the dog, was the dog's owner, Adam, with his headlamp on. He was night hiking with his dog, Diego, and had come to the shelter area to stay the night. I gave the dog some of my water since he was obviously very thirsty. Immediately, I made a new friend, then I went back to bed.