Date: 2018-08-29
From: Near Becket, MA

To: Upper Goose Pond, MA
Miles today: 13.0

Barred owls calling as I woke this morning. Another warm morning. The birds were singing as I packed up. I headed out just before 7 a.m. as the sun was coming up over the eastern ridge. It was warm and soon I was sweating. Since I got a late start I decided to stop at the Cookie Lady's house. Not so much for cookies but for water. I arrived about 8. Cars were in the open garage but no activity. I got two liters of water and annexed a military hydration powder someone left in the hiker box. I signed the register and waited. Finally I headed back to the trail and continued cookieless. The trail had its mud today but nothing terrible. I stopped at October Mountain shelter. There was Andrew. I met him in the 100 mile wilderness in Maine. He walks shelter to shelter and stays a day or two. He was ahead of me because he skipped a few states. I wrote in the register that today there is a heat advisory and a mud advisory. As I continued I saw plenty of tea colored water coming out of beaver ponds. No way was I drinking or swimming in there. One pond the trail stayed above and I could see it was a large pond. The trail dipped down to it once but it was muddy access so I continued. Then the trail swung away and I wished I had gotten in. A short distance later I crossed an old grass road, Finerty Trail, that went downhill; I assumed correctly it was downhill to the pond. I dropped my gear and followed the road, took a quick left on another and I was at the pond; Finerty Pond according to the book. As I started to go into the water the rocks were sharp. Then I tripped and went head first into the water at a deep spot. Though I went under I didn't hit any rocks. Again, like yesterday, I felt clumsy and refreshed. Back at my pack I got dressed and headed up Becket Mountain. Steep at first but a refreshing breeze on top. Dropping down I crossed Tyne Road and found the first good water since the Cookie Lady's. I rationed what I had from her house since this morning. Dropping still, I crossed US 20 and then separate bridges over the westbound and eastbound lanes of I-90. It was hot there as it was in the open and twice I was walking along the interstate about 20 feet from the guardrail and the loud traffic. A steep climb up the mountain. I was soaked in sweat. Shortly I hit the .5 mile side trail to Upper Goose Pond Cabin. It was 3:36. At the cabin was Steamer, who jumped ahead because he did that section last year, and Beaver. Beaver actually was across the pond getting about 20 gallons of water at a spring for the cabin. The caretaker and her two friends were there as well as two big Irish Wolfhounds. I went out back and got a campsite near Steamer"s and Beaver's tent. Beaver came into the dock and unloaded the water. Later I went down and carried a bunch of the jugs of water up the hill to the cabin. Some others helped as well as Beaver. This is something done nearly everyday and everyone is expected to help. Later I went down to the pond and jumped in hoping to rinse all the sweat out of my clothes. I was refreshed and didn't fall in this time. The pond is more like a lake. It is preserved forever. A channel goes out to another lake which has houses surrounding it and motorboats. This lake only electric motors are permitted. A good day though the heat made it tough. Sometimes I wasn't sure if I wanted to push on with the humidity and the heat. But I made it and happy and grateful for such a beautiful place. Tomorrow morning pancakes or hotcakes. And cooler weather.