Date: 2005-06-30
From: Mark Noepal Lean-To

To: North Adams
Miles today: 9.6

The Redwood Motel Room 1         North Adams   A Good Day!   I had company last night. First came Snail NOBO thru hiking from Florida. His degree is in Sociology, but he is not sure if that is what he wants to do ¢ so he took a job to finance his hike and is now figuring out ¢what next¢ He is particularly sensitive to bugs, and changed into his full length rain gear ¢ even though I could hardly detect any biting critters at all ¢ and elected to tent out. Then came Brad ¢ also NOBO thru hiking ¢ and the first such one that I have met this far north without a trail name. He manages a Farmer¢s Market in Bloomington in Indiana and got married 1.5 years ago. They intend to buy and run an organic farm, and he knows that once he does that, he will be in a full time occupation. So, with the support and encouragement of his wife, he decided to hike the trail now.   As soon as it got dark we had a horrendous thunderstorm. I mean the ¢flash¢ and the ¢boom¢ were simultaneous and you could feel the vibration deep in your chest, making your ears ring, and I swear that I could almost smell the sulphur! I fell asleep in the middle of the storm, only to awake to the arrival of two very wet and very exhausted section hikers. A young couple, they just lay down and slept on the floor. Snail had dashed back into the shelter to be out of the storm. They did not seem to know that they would be a lot better off up in the loft ¢ or maybe they were just too tired to care.   They were still sleeping soundly when we three got ready to leave this morning, and Snail pointed out that all of their clothing, even their blanket, was cotton. Not a smart choice for the mountains at any time of the year.   I got an early start on the uphill, and then it was up and down along the crest. One of the ups was Saddle Back Mountain, the first time over 3000 feet since North Marshall in the Shenandoahs. Finally it was the summit of Greylock where Snail and Brad joined me for a break at the Bascom Lodge and I left a phone message for KT.   It was a good day ¢ warm and sunny, but a little humid because of all the recent rain was being steamed off by the sun. It was good going to Wilbur Clearing Lean-To, where Hell Boy and Beast caught up with me after a late start from Bascome Lodge.   It was a very tricky descent down off the mountain and on to MA2. It was very steep and the rocks and leaves were slick from the recent rains. I had almost made it to the bottom, and was beginning to think of a hot shower, when I slipped and fell on a relatively easy section. I went down heavily on my right side on top of the pole, but this time the handle missed my right ribs, so I avoided a repeat of the Dragons Tooth injury. I was pretty well shaken up, but no significant injuries.   So on to MA2, where I met in sequence, Brad - who had hitch hiked a ride to a restaurant for lunch ¢ and Snail ¢ who had stopped for a nap at Wilbur Clearing ¢ and even Hell Boy and Beast ¢ who were visiting the supermarket. So we were all once again at the same spot at the same time.   Checked into the motel, they did give me a room with a phone, and have eaten, resupplied, done my laundry ¢ got a ride there but had to walk the 1.0 mile back ¢ and have spoken with KY.   During the latter part of the day I was able to drink my water ¢ad lib¢ because of a large intake of fluids at the Lodge, I felt so much better with unrestricted water access that I realize that a lot of my lack of energy is due to an inadequate intake of water. I was reminded of Peg Leg¢s admonition ¢ from his Army days ¢ that no matter what the problem was, the solution was always ¢Drink More Water¢   Which brings me to my:   Thought for today ¢    ¢A Pint of Plain Is Your Only Man¢I think that the poet had Guinness in mind and not water!!