Date: 2018-07-03
From: West Branch Road

To: Cheshire Post Office - Williamstown, MA
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: clear sky

It was 0830 when I resumed my hike. The elevation profile was mainly flat for the first six miles of the hike. The trail moved in and out of pine strands and crossed multiple small streams. The ground was marshy and foot boards sporadically lined the path along the way. Roots and wet rocks kept my focus on the ground. Although the temperature was not as high as previous days, the humidity was turned up and I was drenched in sweat within an hour. The trail led me to Warner Hill about six miles into the hike. Although it was classified as a hill and the climb up was insignificant, it felt more like a mountain at the top. At an elevation of 2,005 feet, the opening of the summit offered an excellent view to the north. Mount Greylock was clearly visible across the valley below The top was rocky and had an arid look. Blueberry bushes engulfed the path.Just off the crest of the hill, a field of ferns cast a bright green hue, in sharp contrast to the rugged landscape just 100 yards to the top. These are the views/experiences that make a long sweaty hike worth it for me. As usual, my first thought is, ¢This is awesome.¢ My second thought is, ¢I wish WW was here to see this.¢ From Warner Hill it was another six miles, mostly downhill, to the town of Dalton, MA. The steady descent was interrupted by a short rocky climb over a ridge, where I caught up to a mother-daughter pair of section hikers. They were the first and only hikers I saw all morning. Departing the woods at the outskirts of Dalton, the trail crossed some railroad tracks and once again crossed the Housatonic River. It then worked its way to the downtown area. Like the rest of the towns in this area, Dalton is clean and charming. Cute wooden homes, decorated in a patriotic flair, line the streets of this hiker friendly town. The best part for me was in the middle of town, where I would meet WW for lunch. We hung out together at Angelina¢s Sub Shop for about an hour before I watered up and finished my hike out of town. After crossing the railroad tracks, the trail followed along roads and sidewalks for a total of 1.5 miles. After walking a mile from downtown on concrete and being exposed to the scorching sun, it felt good when I finally hit the wood line again. Once in the forest, the trail started a long ascent to Crystal Mountain. Just as I was beginning the climb, another hiker raced downhill towards me. As he got closer I noticed that he was wearing a bug net. As he approached, he greeted me with, ¢The mosquitoes in this area are gnarly!¢. He looked like a long distance hiker so I asked him where he started his hike. As he flew by he answered, ¢Katahdin!¢ Looking back now, I said, ¢You¢re the first SOBO end to end hiker I¢ve met¢. Still moving away at breakneck speed, he looked over his shoulder and said, ¢There are two or three in front of me¢. Looking ahead now I murmured, ¢Gnarly¢. I was excited to see my first, of what will be many, Katahdin SOBOs. But, I had hope to have a longer conversation with him. It was clear that the SOBO did not want to take time to talk to me. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I figure he was in a rush for one of three reasons. First, he was making a beeline for a cheeseburger, fries, and a milkshake. Second, he wanted to be the first SOBO to reach Springer Mtn. and needed to catch the 2-3 hikers in front of him. Finally, he was trying to outrun a swarm of gnarly mosquitoes! The third reason had me alittle concerned. My fear slowly subsided as I worked my way up the mountain and never ran into the said ¢gnarly¢ skeeters. When I came to Gore Pond, the perfect staging area for all things gnarly, I came to the conclusion that the SOBO was delusional. Then the seed of a new fear was planted. Had the White Mountains psychologically scarred the poor hiker?!?!By the time I reached the top of Crystal Mountain I was drenched in sweat again. By now, my shorts were soaked through and the dreaded chafing was reaching the gnarly level. It was especially bad around my waist band on my hips and low back. I stopped to lather on some Lanicane, adjust the hip belt on my pack, and tuck in my shirt. It helped.After a short descent off of Crystal Mountain, I took a side trail to the Cheshire Cobble. This massive marble outcropping had a great view to the west. The little village of Cheshire was nestled below, with Mt. Greylock looming behind it and the Cheshire Reservoir to its south. Once again, I thought if WW were here...I¢d try to talk her into staying put right here as the sun set in front of us...then she would say, ¢No, we are going to that town to get pizza.¢ Oh, Which Way! I was brought back to reality and the fact that she was waiting in Cheshire for me. It was a steep descent from the cobble and my feet were feeling it from a long day of hiking. Once it hit the edge of Cheshire, the trail continued on the streets of the cute little village for another third of a mile before reaching the post office. That is where I linked up with my cute little shuttle driver!  We drove to Williamstown, where I will take a zero on Independence Day.Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 2,820Descent - 3,780Grade - 6.2Weather:Day - 90 / SunnyNight - 66 / Partly CloudyOver The Horizon: Mount Greylock, MA