Date: 2018-06-27
From: Kay Woods shelter

To: St Mary's Assumption church Cheshire mile 1577.5
Miles today: 11.8

I slept well getting up once to pee and then going back to sleep. We had a quick cold breakfast this morning knowing that it was a 3 mile hike to Dalton and eggs and bacon. I'm excited to have a huge breakfast and be well fueled. All 4 of us left camp at 7:30. A short 3 miles later we crossed a set of railroad tracks coming into Dalton and a nice trail head board with a color coded map of area businesses was there for us and really helpful. As we walked thru a residential area of Dalton we noticed several AT stickers and related signs on the homes and it was immediately welcoming. The guy who picked River up the day we stayed at the community center in Great Barrington told her there was a guy named Tom who owns a white house on the street and he welcomes hikers to tent in his yard. We saw the tents and met Tom, even got a stamp for our passports. Highlander was there and I thought that odd since she was hiking south when I met her. But she was dropped there last night by one of the ridge runners I met who is picking her up and bringing her to Boston today. Very kind!We continued on thru Dalton and off trail .5 mile which seemed like forever to the Dalton restaurant. I remember thinking it had better be worth it because street walking hurts my feet. We took the corner booth called "pig pen" which resembled how disgusting we felt. I had a meat lovers omelet with home fries and a side of bacon. It was strange to even hear myself order it, but I ate all but the bacon which I packed out for later. We got our water filled, phones charged and some nice pictures of us. On the way back to the trail we stopped at a sub shop/juice and Java place and packed out lunch! A win win. The trail walks thru the residential area and back into the woods. I met up with River, Alligator and Eddyman for lunch on some logs and we all enjoyed our fresh sandwiches and some foot rest. I don't recall how but somehow I ended up passing alligator and Eddyman later and getting into Cheshire before everyone. It could have been because I saw in the guide there would be an ice cream place we'd walk by but I'll never admit to that. The forcast was for showers after 3pm and they we're right on time. I reached Diane's Twist after spilling out of the woods and taking yet another painful asphalt walk thru a residential area and turning onto High St towards St Mary of the Assumption Church. I ordered a medium twist in a dish with strawberries and seated myself at a picnic table outside under a maple tree. I was half done when Alligator and Eddyman saw me and joined in. River followed before we were done and enjoyed an ice cream too. We met Snowplow there who we watched hobble in. He's having serious foot issues and just got new Merrill Moab shoes today. I hope it helps. He's also headed to the church for the night and to zero tomorrow. A rail trail bike path runs past the ice cream shop and a couple out cycling stopped to talk with us. After ice cream we walked to St Mary's Assumption church about a block and a half away. We read the posted notice for hikers on the door, and entered the hall. The lights were off and there was no one there. Eddieman thought it would be a good idea to set up our tents along the side of the building close to the building so that at least we could block the weather from one side. Because the roof is flat, we wouldn't get any additional rain flow from that. So we went outside and set up our tents in the drizzle, which meant that I set up my rainfly first and my tent underneath it to stay dry. I staked out my rain fly and vestibules, but I didn't quite have enough room so there was a little slack in both sides. I'm missing a couple of tent stakes, I just never had them with me, so I use sticks to stake out the ends of the rain fly where my head and foot are to pull it away from my tent and make sure that I shed water well. I'd like to stay dry, and the weather is supposed to be pretty nasty tonight. Right after we had our tents up we went inside and use the facilities and hung out in the classroom that's available inside the hall charging our phones and organizing our backpacks. I still had half of my sandwich from lunch, so I ate that and some snacks for dinner and I didn't have to cook. Other hikers started to arrive, and set up their tents along the side of the building in line with ours. Before long the entire side of the building was filled with tents and hikers enjoying each other's company inside the hall. Some ordered Chinese food, others used the picnic table outside to cook their dinner and enjoy it inside away from the rain. The facilities were extremely nice and the church is extremely generous. The bathrooms were well-maintained and very clean and because of the weather the gentleman who was supposed to lock the doors at 7 pm Left them open for us until 10 pm and agreed to come in the morning to open them at 5: 30 so that we would have access to the restrooms and the hall all day if we were taking a zero or at least so that we would have the access before we headed out for the day. Very thoughtful and kind.Wee had been told earlier in the day that there was a Dunkin Donuts inside the Shell station not far from the church. Because I needed a resupply I needed to go in that direction, and Eddy man loves coffee so he River and I all walked together to the Shell station. Eddieman bought us all a coffee while I did my resupply and then we sat together at a small table and enjoyed the warm beverages until the last drop. When we returned to the church, I got ready for bed and a little after 8 I was in my tent. It was already raining, and I laid there until 10 updating my journal. of course, right after the doors were locked my bladder decided it was full. I convinced myself to go to sleep anyway, but I woke up a few hours later and had to utilize a gallon ziplock bag. It was absolutely pouring rain most of the night and there was no way that I was going to run out there and pee on the church lawn. I hope the weather breaks in the morning, because we're going to be hiking up Greylock, and I'd rather not hike through trail streams.