Date: 2008-07-26
From: Mt Wilcox South Lean-to, MA

To: Mother Hen's Home, near Tyringham, MA
Miles today: 7.7

I slept great last night. I ate my second dinner after I crawled into my tent and fell asleep before I got around to writing my journal for the day. I woke up at 5:20am and decided I'd better get busy writing because this was going to be a busy day. I didn't have time to write about my "observations" of my ol' buddy Cheif, or even about my thoughts on my guestbook/message board, but will soon enough. :-) I heard Double D pack up and leave early. He had to get to the PO in Tyringham before they closed at noon. I heard Blues Traveler starting to pack up. I was still busy writing and eating some frosted mini wheats for breakfast. I could see lots of mosquitoes trying to get in and have a piece of me, but my trusty tent kept them outside. :-) Blues Traveler left and I finished journaling and was just starting to pack up when I saw Warren Doyle walk by. I said hello and he asked who it was...I said "Stumpknocker".I went out by the Lean-to and we talked for about 40 minutes. There were two sobos there too. Their names were Sweet Tea and Clemson. I got another picture of Warren because the ones I got earlier this year of him and his son Forest didn't turn out too well. Warren DoyleWarren left and I went and finished packing my stuff, then signed the register and used up another smiley face sticker. :-) It was 8am when I started walking north of the Appalachian Trail. It was a pleasant morning and not too many mosquitoes bothered me once I got moving. I came up to a guy doing a two week section hike by the name of Thirsty and talked to him for a few minutes while we were walking. We caught up to Warren and I ended up walking the next 7+ miles walking and talking to Warren Doyle. He is working on his 15th hike of the AT! We talked about lots of stuff and before I knew it, I could hear cars off in the distance...we were getting to within a mile or two of the road. We came to a group of maintainers that told us about a brand new trail relocation that now takes us up to the summit of The Cobbles. We climbed that and I got a picture of the new AT in that area. :-) We descended to Jerusalem Road and I saw a car parked....I knew it was Mother Hen. She wrote me and offered a shower and clean clothes and a place to sleep and dinner! :-) I really have to say that when these kinds of things happen it is one of the reasons why I've decided to keep writing my online journal....it gives me the opportunity to meet people I would otherwise never get to know. I introduced her to Warren, but she already knew him. Mother Hen gave us some lemonade and fig newton¢s and we stood there talking for about five minutes before Warren and I walked to the main road that leads into Tyringham. Warren's wife Terry was there waiting on him and Mother Hen was there waiting on me. I've seen Terry before, but this was the first time I've actually met her. They headed over to NY and a music festival and Mother Hen and I headed to her home after Blues Traveler and Moccasin left. (They heard there was lemonade and just showed up) :-) The funniest thing that happened to Warren and me was when we stopped at a stream for water.....and got lost! :-) He's walked this Trail almost 15 times and I've hiked it almost 6 times....21 times between us and we got lost! :-) Warren looked for the Trail down one path that petered out, I looked down another and knew that wasn't it. I walked back to where we came into the stream at and saw a small arrow pointing the right way. I can't believe Warren got me lost. Ha! :-) (actually, I think it was me that didn't see the arrow....but at least I was the one that knew we were lost first!) ;-) Mother Hen stopped at a store so I could resupply, then we finished driving to her home and I got to meet Key-Mho-Saw-Bee '95....her husband who had walked southbound that year. We sat around the dining room table talking. I was eating a sandwich and drinking a Coke when Key-Mho-Saw-Bee hinted it was about time I took a shower. :-)I was ready too, so I headed back to my room and shaved and got all cleaned up. I didn't have to wash my clothes in the shower with me because they even have a washer and dryer here! Wow....such technology! :-) I ended up lying down for an hour and took a nap. I even remember dreaming, so I guess I needed that nap. I checked a few things on the computer when I woke up. I was surprised when Mother Hen said dinner was ready. She's quick! :-) We sat down to a really nice dinner of grilled pork chops, salad, fresh corn on the cob and excellent potato salad. :-) Dinner with Key-Mho-Saw-Bee and Mother HenKey-Mho-Saw-Bee, Mother Hen and I sat down in the living room for about three hours talking about hiking....can you believe it! I couldn't believe the time went by so fast. I also had fun looking through Wingfoot's '95 Trail Guide that Key-Mho-Saw-Bee used on his hike. There's been lots of changes in those 13 years. I can't thank Mother Hen and Key-Mho-Saw-Bee enough for hosting me tonight. What great memories! :-) Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)