Date: 2015-07-06
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Kay Wood Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: light rain

7/6, 17.6, Kay Wood ShelterWhat a restful, peaceful stay we had at Upper Goose Pond Cabin. Our host was Grampy, a volunteer for the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and he was a most gracious host! He was up this morning fixing coffee and pancakes for anyone staying in the cabin, or tenting nearby. By 6:15 I was sipping coffee at the dining table cutting my pancakes and enjoying the company of JP, IB, Wayfarer, Maps, Mops, Penguin, Otter and Woodchuck. We are all over 40 hikers so hiking today was fun as we bumped into each other many times along the way. IB, JP and I were the last to leave the cabin and we were on trail at 7. Todays hike was planned for 17 miles and presented only 2 significant climbs over an otherwise "level" path. The only slowing factor was the rocks, roots and mud which we encountered over much of the day. By 11 we had covered the 8 miles to the first shelter where we joined Woodchuck, Penguin, Maps and Mops. Otter hiked in soon after so it was a familiar gathering for lunch. We laughed and enjoyed each others company and then realized we were only 2 miles from the "Cookie Lady's" house. Our guide reports that she has homemade cookies most days for hikers and soda and ice cream bars for sale just 100 yards from the trail at a road crossing. We all salivated and headed to the cookie lady. We arrived there around 1:15 and sure enough she had oatmeal chocolate chip cookies fresh baked which she served to the front porch in a linen lined basket. Thru hikers getting that kind of service feel they have arrived in heaven to the great banquet feast! We each had a cookie and ordered cokes, Ice cream and a few of us even took advantage of the hard boiled eggs she offered. Wayfarer wandered in shortly and in talking with the cookie lady discovered she would slack folks to the next town. Since he, Penguin Mops and Maps were heading to town they shared the expense and loaded up to be on their way. JP, IB and I were heading for the shelter this side of town so we set out for the remaining six miles. JP was leading all day and after two cokes and an ice cream bar he rocketed up the trail very quickly while IB and I hiked a little quicker and talked all afternoon about running. In order to stay in shape after the trail I hope to train for a half marathon sometime next spring which will keep me active training and as a triathlete IB has a lot of sound, first hand information that I find valuable in that pursuit. By late afternoon JP had hiked quite a ways ahead of us so when we saw him stopped on the trail looking into the woods we knew something interesting was afoot. As we approached he directed our attention to the black pointy furred creature at the base of a tree about ten feet away. Yes, it was our first porcupine sighting. We have heard many other hikers relate stories of these sharp haired beasts and observed the gnawing evidence of them on shelter floor edges but this was our first sighting. I got a pretty good photo of the slow poke as he ambled away from our advances and will share it in my next photo upload.We arrived at the Kay Wood Shelter relatively early at 4:30 having covered the 17.6 miles in nine and a half hours including extended breaks for lunch and cookies. Otter, Woodchuck and Hay Bale have joined us but we expect others will hike in. Tomorrow we plan to hike in to town, 3 miles, for second breakfast and pick up a resupply at the post office. After a quick trip to the grocery we will hike back out to a hostel 8 miles further north in Chester, MA. The weather was perfect today, sunny and low 70's but rain is forecast tomorrow afternoon making it a good day to end in a hostel. Physically IB and I are both getting better each day but besides the aches and pains of age and miles we are also anxious to return to loved ones and life after the trail. It is good to have someone to share experiences with, good or bad, when we know they can relate to all we are experiencing and in this case, it makes it more likely we will both endure to the finish. I also have the added benefit of sharing the journey with each of you so I hope you are enjoying it and will pray for our successful finish! God Bless!Silverback.