Date: 2005-08-11
From: Kent, CT

To: Great Barrington, MA
Miles today: 64.0
Weather: few clouds

7 AugI am so ready to sleep in a bed. We were up early, and CH took off to the Kent PO on a rumor that it is stocked with almond sneakers bars. We ran into Dandy, Bulldog and History at the road, and hiked on with them. Relatively easy terrain to the next shelter for lunch, walking along the river in a pine forest ¢ it is gorgeous! Met a day hiker with a dog that agreed to take Just Amazing and Starchy (he¢s getting off the trail) back to JA¢s car in a couple of miles, so we walk on and enjoy a bit of trail magic ¢ soda and lollypops ¢ right near the pickup point. It¢s sad to see them go back to their civilized lives, but it was so wonderful to have them visit! After they left, CH and I caught up to Bulldog, Dandy, and History at a river crossing in a pine forest ¢ this area is absolutely breathtaking; the New England forest is very distinct, and I¢m enjoying its coolness. The pines are very large and tall, with little undergrowth other than ferns, which look bright green against the orange pine needle floor. The air is pink ¢ it¢s like golden hour every hour of the day. Every so often there¢s a stream, full of moss-covered rocks, and the water is very clear, very cold. The rest of the hike this evening is thru this pink forest, to a campsite, where I cowboy for the first time in 3 weeks. The mosquitoes are vicious! It¢s too hot to sleep in a sleeping bag still, but I get in and leave only a small opening for my nose between the bag, a bandana, and a shirt, and the mosquitoes still crawl in and bite! After a few hours of trying to sleep, I am up ¢ done feeding them ¢ feed myself, and walk out of camp. Hiked on to Falls Village in the morning coolness; getting shin splints, even though I¢m walking rather slow. Walk up to the ¢vine-covered building next to the hydroelectric plant transformers¢ where a shower is rumored to be, but the building is a tractor garage with half a dozen men on lunch break. Turns out the shower is on the side of the building, but it¢s perfect for section-showering and laundry. The sleepless night is catching up, so I nap on a picnic table across the river. I kid myself, saying ¢Maybe I¢ll sleep in the daytime and hike at night¢. A man drove up from the plant to bring me an ice tea, we chat, and it turns out that he¢s going to Maryland for the weekend too, so I now have a ride to MD to see my parents for their 25 wedding anniversary. Life is amazing like that ¢ ask and you shall receive. This new arrangement gave me energy, and I ran past the Great Falls (biggest waterfalls on the trail so far), and uphill. History and CH caught up, and we hike on past Fester & Co to Plateau Campsite (with fresh peach and carrots trail magic from RARA, who is now off the trail).9 AugThe bees are officially insane. Back in NY I saw a bee stinging a barely-crawling cicada in the eyeball! Then, a swarm of bees were devouring a black salamander frozen in rigor mortis. And this morning, a bee knocked a young grasshopper out of the air, and the two of them landed on the rock I had planned to cook on. The bee kept stinging the hopper, chewed off one of its hind legs, then the other. Then, in a single wrestling-like move, the bee twisted off the grasshopper¢s head, flipped it upside down, and sucked out the brains (or whatever is in a grasshopper¢s head), and flew off still clutching the head!The Plateau Campsite is really a joke name for a gravel slope on which we tried to sleep. Mosquitoes were bad again, even though it rained, and I tried to hide under CH¢s tarp and netting.Out of camp early again, and walking in search of a breezy spot to sleep. Found one on the north side of Lion¢s head, and passed out. Gotta do something about these bugs! Maybe it will get cold soon, maybe I¢ll run out of blood to feed them. Not sure which one will happen first.Entered Massachusetts along a clear little river with intermittent waterfalls and swimming holes (my mother would love this!). Sat for over an hour atop Race Mtn, which is rugged, and provides a great view, a nice breeze, and hawks flying eye level (and blueberries). On to Glen Brook shelter, situated on soft, orange, pine needle carpet. Camping with Dandy and CH ¢ our first night without music ¢ but we set up the mosquito net so that both of us could fit underneath it. Turned off the lights, and saw stars all across the rafters and the ceiling of the shelter (thanks Moonshine!).10 AugHadn¢t had such good sleep in a while! Hiking with Dandy out to Great Barrington and the famed Corn Crib, where we munched on fresh fruit and ice cream while we waited for Dandy¢s ride and for everyone to catch up. Some crazy local tried to convince us to camp in his back yard; said he was struck by lightning, which ¢opened up all of [his] doors and windows¢; his stories only made us hike on faster out of there. The guys end up hiking on ahead, and I¢m dragging my feet. I think knowing that I¢ll be getting off the trail for some zeros soon is making me relax more than I should. I was exhausted, and ended up taking a break on a rock to rehydrate and eat the rest of my cheese and chocolate. The rock turned out to be some 200 yrds from the shelter, and Yah-Child¢s passing inspired me to walk the remaining 200 yrds. I¢m actually going to eat all the food I still have with me by breakfast time (and I'm sure I'll still be hungry). I think my tiredness is from these hot muggy afternoons and dehydration. Sleeping under CH¢s mosquito netting again, in return for a morning trip to the spring, which was 0.2 miles directly downhill.11 Aug2 mi to the road through a red raspberry corridor, and on to DC to see my folks.