Date: 2014-07-02
From: Dalton, MA

To: Mark Noepel Shelter, MA
Miles today: 13.9

We checked out of the motel mid-morning as I was in no big hurry to get back on the trail wanting to visit with my mother and Robin. We settled at McD's for breakfast and we sat visiting until it was lunch. After lunch they dropped me off on the AT where I had left off yesterday near the down town church on Main Street Dalton. We said our goodbyes and I started north for a five day push to Manchester Center, VT. My mother finds me being so close a real treat since we only usually get to visit twice a year or so and this usual entails a 4-hour plane ride from NH to Houston. Now for each town resupply they are only a short car ride away. As a result, it appears they will be meeting me at my future resupply stops up through NH. This works fantastic for me. Not many thru hikers are fortunate to have this type of support. As I followed the trail through Dalton, MA I met a number of thru hikers (Calamity, Shaman Raman and Chez-it) slack packing southbound for the morning. They ended up putting in 13 or so miles plus they will spend another night at the motel in Dalton. This was a smart move on their part as thunderstorms were forecasted that afternoon. Once the trail entered the woods again it was a climb up out of the town valley. I made it up to the top of the hill only a few miles out of town when the thunder and lightning began. I passed a power line clearing and I could see the rain off in the distance on adjacent mountains. I estimated I had about 10-15 more minutes and the rains would be upon me. So I put on my rain poncho and pushed on. The winds picked up and suddenly a heavy deluge began. Rather than trudge through the heavy stuff I found a log to sit on and simply sat beneath my poncho until the worst of the rain passed. A 1/2 hr later the rain lighted up and I moved on. The trail in this section is generally mild with no major rocky sections. However the undergrowth beside the trail (often small sticker plants and sapling trees) encroach on the trail making it a small sliver as well as wet going when the leaves brush against you as walk. The trail drops down from the hills and through the small town of Cheshire, MA. There are two spots on the trail through town (gas station and a small sandwich/ice cream shop) for thru hikers to get a cold drink and/or snack and I made a short pitstop at the ice cream shop. I couldn't help myself plus it gave me a brief reprieve from the rain.   When leaving Cheshire it was a steep climb as I approached Graylock Mt, which is the tallest peak in MA. I would not reach the peak this evening as it would behave been well past dark to make it there so I settled into the Mark Noepel Shelter. The shelter is about 4 miles from the mountain peak but it is close to the same elevation as Graylock. At the shelter I met fellow thru hikers 5er, Boomer, Smudge and Just Dave. There was also a group of trail maintenance personnel. I have observed a number of trail maintainers over the last week. They tend to be young high school or college age folks. The trail maintainers had their own tents so we had the large 10 person shelter to ourselves.   I plan to get up early tomorrow and make it to the summit of Graylock in hopes of getting some great views.