Date: 2016-06-08
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Tom Levardi's, Dalton, MA 
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: moderate rain

When I woke up around 6:45, I was surprised to find most people already out of their bunks and downstairs getting ready for breakfast. Apparently P-Stout has to get up at 4:30 for work every morning so that's when he awakes even out here. As promised, Bambi was up making blueberry pancakes, and I packed up as people began to eat. I decided to play "clean up" on the pancakes and ate about five when my turn came around. I could've eaten a dozen more, though. I packed up and made ready for a day that looked like it threatened rain all day long. P-Stout, Melted Soul and I all left the cabin together and made our way back to the trail. We paced each other the first rise and down to the Massachusetts turnpike, which is only a half mile or so as the crow flies from the cabin. You truly wouldn't have any idea it was there. I pulled ahead of the two going up the first big climb and passed Ibu and Pak, who had stayed the night at the Berkshire lodge, just next to the Pike. The day was almost entirely flat and muddy, muddy, muddy. Tons of rock hopping and skirting around pits of the stuff. As I reached Washington Mountain Road, it began to drizzle on me, and I threw on my raincoat and made my way a hundred yards east to the home of the Cookie Lady, who usually gives out fresh cookies to thru hikers. With no real indication that it was the place from the outside, I walked up with some trepidation, but once I saw the AT symbol, I felt more comfortable, and set my pack down on the porch out of the light rain. It didn't look like anyone was home, and after signing their register, I made ready to go when I saw the garage door go up. Out of the garage slowly walked an older man who, after I caught his attention, introduced himself as Roy and told me he'd go get me some cookies. He returned a few minutes later with a small wicker basket with chocolate chip cookies! By that time, P-Stout and Soul had rolled up, and they wanted to eat lunch, so I decided to just stick around and eat. Soul and I each also bought a can of coke and two hard boiled eggs from Roy. We had a very nice lunch, and the rain had mostly stopped. The three of us paced each other for almost the entire rest of the day, only splitting at the very last climb before dalton, when Soul took off and I had to get out my raincoat because it had begun to rain again. We all met up again right as the trail hit the train tracks of Dalton, though, and talked through our plan of attack. I had heard that a trail angel named Tom let hikers stay in his yard just a block or two away, and was hoping that would work, but I had also heard that he stopped doing that. P-Stout was more intent on finding a hotel, Soul on stealth camping. We all walked the few minutes to Tom's, and found a tent already in his yard, and him in his front porch, chatting with a young British hiker. The next bit was awkward as we skirted around asking Tom if we could camp at his house. Finally, the Brit mouthed to me that if I wanted to stay here I should just ask, and Tom said it would be no problem at all. Soul and P-Stout decided to just stay as well. Tom is probably the most amazingly dedicated trail angel I've ever met, but he does not tend to express that doing this work makes him happy, though it surely must. He will do anything for you, but never really shows that he's happy to do it. Anyways. We profusely thanked Tom and set up our tents before heading off down the streets of Dalton to Jacob's, a homey restaurant that Tom had suggested. The Brit tagged along for our company. We had a lovely dinner (during which s very inebriated fellow told us to use some of his 40$ in credit on the jukebox) and then dropped by the liquor store before heading back to Tom's, where we sat out drinking beers on the porch. I had been planning to go to WalMart, and Tom said he would drive me after he returned from a shuttle drive from Great Barrington. But as 9:30 rolled around, I figured Tom wouldn't really have time to drive me there. It was ok, I just decided to wait til North Adams, 1.5 days north. Tom came back and had some beers with us. The three folks he picked up came and talked to us, "informing" us in that mildly condescending "I've done trail that you haven't so I'm better" type of way that it was "Vermud" and not "Vermont." Thanks. We all went off to bed, I feeling incredibly grateful that everything had worked out better than I ever could have hoped with Tom!