Date: 2022-06-18
From: Glen Brook Campsite

To: Tom Leonard Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: broken clouds

I show you. We do it together. You show me. Last night was the coldest yet. It was certainly in the 50s and may have been cooler than that. I do not have a sleeping bag but have been sleeping in a down jacket and a bag liner. It¢s been a good combo for the warm nights. Last night I borrowed some down jackets from the boys and stayed toasty. Early in the day we came to a rock face that overlooked a wide valley. Jasper asked ¢are we about to hike through that?¢  We checked the map and he was right. We could see the whole day¢s walk laid out before us - our path down the mountain, river and road crossings, and the return to higher ground across the valley. Great Barrington was in view to the northeast. We descended quickly to the valley floor and found where the mountain met the flat. It was nearly a crease. We crossed a gravel road and started down the trail on the other side and found a trail magic cooler! We enjoyed the treats and emptied trash. The cool temps, good sleep, cloudy skies, trail magic, and profile convinced us a good day was ahead. We stepped into several miles of hemlock forest. Hemlock is a beautiful tree. It lays down a carpet of fine needles and softens the step. The wind through its needles is a whisper instead of the rustle that an oak will give. It smells healthy. Caterpillars hate it. It¢s feathery branch-ends start a fire more readily than anything else in the woods. They are so delicate that the heat from the match can dry them out when wet, starting a fire in a storm. This forest was a welcome contrast to the torturous trail from yesterday. Just before lunch we passed the site of the last battle of Shays Rebellion. The trail skits the battlefield. I won¢t recount the particulars here but it made for a good history lesson.We lunched in a mowed field. Our emptying food bags tell the time left to the next resupply like sand in an hourglass. Soon after lunch the land began to rise. We could look back to the south and see Mt Race and Mt Everett, could spot where on that ridge Glen Brook must be, and could even spy the morning¢s rock face from where we previewed the day. It was a rare experience, especially in the late Spring, to be able to see the trail so clearly for miles ahead and behind. As we climbed towards camp we were all feeling strong. We started contemplating the possibility of hiking out to the road that evening. Karen and Neal Denowitz plan on meeting us tomorrow morning at the road and shuttling us 5 miles into Great Barrington. They have gear and food for us. We thought we could instead get a shuttle to free camping in town tonight. This means hamburgers and a full zero day tomorrow (instead of a nero). I started texting and calling shuttle drivers. Unsurprisingly, no one was keen on picking up 5 hikers ant 5:30 on Friday evening on short notice. Uber is ¢not yet available in my area.¢ So we settled for the shelter site, Mexican Rice & tuna, and another night on the trail. Disappointment was felt on varying degrees. There is a large group of camp counselors here on a training trip. They are having authentic stir-fry for dinner. Skillet, rice pot, fresh veggies, soy sauce - they don¢t know what they¢re doing to the 10 thru hikers here and none of us are talking about it.The rain is starting. I¢m tenting with Baxter and Grayson tonight. The strong wind and cloud cover today ensure a chilly night tonight. Great Barrington tomorrow!