Date: 2007-08-20
From: Salisbury CT

To: Vermont Border
Miles today: 92.7

"Ranger Jan Rides Again"         Ranger Jan Reporting   Well, I'm back on the trail......at least temporarily. My father is recovering and undergoing therapy for a stroke and is doing well. So after 26 zeros (days off), I drove back to the trail from Michigan.   And it's been tough. Having to leave so suddenly and for such a dire reason felt like being yanked out of quicksand....bones creaking and breaking. Returning has been just as hard. My 22 mile slack-pack from the Vermont border back to my car in Dalton was brutal; my knees were screaming and I felt like I'd never hiked before. Where was all that conditioning? Sure, 26 zeros is a long break, but I rarely have any knee disconfort, let alone crippling pain in both. Was old age finally catching up? Would Ranger Jan, a hiking machine, finally suffer the same vagarities of joint and muscle so many of his companions have endured? My first day back was less than auspicious and my enthusiasm was seriously waning.   I returned to Dalton to rest my weary legs. After one day back on the trail, I already needed aday off.....pathetic. Robert Bird's free hostel "Bird Cage" proved to be the perfect environment for licking my wounds (of body and pride) For seven years, Rob has pampered hikers like adopted children and all for the joy of doing it. Coach, Kim-Chi, Mate, Genesis, Seashot, Woody, Sketch, Faithful, Snack-Time, and others were in residence. Many displayed their considerable music talents and joined Rob (has a cover band) in many a song. My spirits were lifted.   Cured, I rejoined the trail in Salisbury, CT, where I had gotten off. My plan was to hike north, back to Dalton and the Bird Cage. After including the painful initial 22 miles north of Dalton, this 4 days of hiking would pretty much complete Massachusetts and my 11th state. I felt strong again and the hiking was pain-free and enjoyable.   I crossed Bear Mountain, entered Sage Ravine and left Connecticut behind. Almost immediately came Race Mountain and Mt. Everet in Massachusetts. The sun shown and the views were great; slabs of flat rock skirted the ridgelines providing an almost sidewalk-like walking experience. That evening I arrived at the Hemlocks Lean-to. To my surprise, greetings of, "Hey, it's Ranger Jan." rang out before I reached the shelter. Tony-the-Tiger, Skip and Handyman, who I hadn't seen since McAffee's Knob, were waiting. It was a pleasant reunion. Toba and Big Foot were also staying the night.   A cool front and rain moved in that night, but by morning nothing but sun shown over my northward trek. The rock slabs and ridges eventually gave way to a river walk along the Housatonic. After stopping at the Corn Crib for fresh fruit and refreshment, I continued on to the Mt. Wilcox South Lean-to. Arriving to find the ridge-runner (individuals paid to patrol the trail) sitting in front of a brand new shelter and a crackling fire, I knew, as on the night before, that the evening and the company would prove exceedingly amiable. Peace Train was also there and I felt at home again, back on the trail.   Goose Pond is probably my favorite spot on the Massachusetts AT. The AMC maintains a cozy cabin on the pond and hikers appreciate the warm and inviting undeveloped pond. Not long after arriving, I was backstroking over the pond's calm surface, savoring the mash-potato clouds as they floated through the rich, late afternoon sunlight. The "Hobits", three thru-hikers just arriving, took enjoyment in a canoe provided by the AMC caretaker. Serenity reigned. Next morning we all enjoyed another feature of this special place....blueberry pancakes for breakfast.              Ponds, wetlands, swamps, and rooty, rocky trails had become the dominant AT features and the last day into Dalton was the same. The elevations had moderated and the trail wasn¢t overly scenic. So, as I racked up the miles, I entertained myself with tales of Sherlock Holmes on my iPod. Rain threatened as I arrived at the ¢Cookie Lady¢s¢ house, hoping for a midday respite. For years the Cookie Lady has plied hikers with homemade cookies and soda at her blueberry farm. It didn¢t rain, fortunately, but unfortunately the ¢Cookie Lady¢ was gone, a big ¢closed¢ sign in her driveway. Oh well, on I walked, and soon made Dalton. The ¢Bird Cage¢ was quiet, only one hiker, Topo, lounging on the sofa, enjoying a DVD. Soon the Hobbits (a trio of old high school friends) rolled in. After greetings, lively conversation, and showers, we finally rallied ourselves and ordered 4 x-large pizzas. We had paid our dues, 20+ miles worth, and now we settled in to a comfortable evening of eating, laughing & joking, and DVD mesmerized, couch-sprawling zone out. Long distance hikers know how to unwind and tomorrow would be a much appreciated zero day.   The highlight of our zero was the ¢Godzilla Omelet¢ at the nearby Misty Moonlight Dinner. A dozen eggs, 12 filling, home fries, toast and an orange slice make up the Godzilla. It¢s huge, it¢s good and anyone crazy enough to shovel it down in under 30 minutes gets a free t-shirt. The Hobbits, young and foolish took the challenge. One, an eating machine named Tim, was successful, inhaling the 5-6 pound mass in less than 16 minutes. It was a new record for 2007 and his smiling, slowly green-turning countenance matched the color of the free t-shirt.      Since previously completing the section of MA immediately north of Dalton, I was done with 11 states. Only Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine remain. I must leave the trail again, however. The time of my big Sierra Nevada Adventure, long in the planning, was fast approaching. Time and fate have intervened, making the successful completion of my 2007 thru-hike more and more unlikely. Less than 600 miles remain, but even if I rushed back from the Sierras at the end of September, it would be a Herculean effort to finish the AT this year before the weather turns. All my hiking companions will be finished or far ahead. That¢s my only real regret. I have nothing to prove, having already thru-hiked once; I¢m sure 2008 will be a great year for a section hike, just to complete the journey and give continuity to the movie I hope to make of my adventures. The end is always a little sad; mine just seems to have come early.      So, stay tuned for more. I¢ll be relating stories from the Sierras, and who knows, maybe even more AT 07¢.