Start: Dalton, MA
As is normally the case when leaving the town, the trail went straight up first thing this morning. We climbed almost 1000 feet and then walked along the bumpy ridge. 6.2 miles in we had a gorgeous view of the Hoosic River Valley and Mt Greylock from high outcroppings of marble called The Cobbles. The trail then descended into the town of Cheshire, MA. We were walking with No Whistle and EMT and just as I walked past a tree, it fell down with a thunderous BOOM!!! I narrowly escaped getting hit in the head with a tree as everyone else yelled, "WATCH OUT!!!!!" Crazy!!! After that scare we decided to stop for what we thought would be a quick lunch. We only ordered sodas and a few appetizers but it took FOREVER!! By the time we left it was over two hours later at 4:15 pm. The original plan for the day was to climb up Mt Greylock but now we wouldn't be able to summit it until around 10 pm tonight. The four of us decided to call it quits for the day after 8.8 miles and save Greylock for tomorrow. It was a short day, but after yesterday's 19 mile day, my legs don't mind. We are staying in North Adams tonight so we had to hitch 10 miles to the town. My pretty hitching thumb (as Brian likes to call it) worked well again and I was able to get us there in one hitch within 10 minutes. Thank you Derek! Tomorrow we will start in Cheshire and walk over Greylock into North Adams. Looking forward to the views!!!
End: MA 8, Cheshire, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
August 6, 2012
Start: US 20, Lee, MA - Berkshire Lakeside Lodge
The day started at 9:20 am with a 700 foot gradual climb. The weather today was absolutely perfect. It was 80 degrees, low humidity and there was a nice breeze blowing. Once we were on the ridge, we stayed there for most of the day. We took a short break after 5.3 miles and talked to two day hikers from Brooklyn. The "Cookie Lady" was only 4.2 miles away and I was ready for some cookies, so we got started again. The Cookie Lady is a women who makes chocolate chip cookies for hikers for free and also allows hikers to tent in her yard. She also sells blueberries that you can pick yourself, hard boiled eggs, soda, and ice cream. We took a 40 minute break and enjoyed some soda and snacks. No Whistle was there when we arrived so we hiked out together. It was time to conquer an additional 9 miles to make it a total of 19 miles today. Our biggest day yet! The trail continued to follow the ridge with a few minor climbs until it was time to descend into Dalton, MA. We reached the town at 7:45 pm and had achieved our 19 mile day. We were hungry and celebrated our day with a delicious dinner. Now we are showered and exhausted.
Today was another amazing day on the trail. As the wind blew in my face and I felt the warmth of the sun shining on me, all I could think was how lucky I am to be out here experiencing this! We saw 2 garden snakes, many orange newts, walked a beautiful part of the trail, and were treated like royalty by complete strangers. I'm not sure a day could be better. I'm starting to get a bit nervous about my transition back into "normal life." Six weeks ago, September 1st seemed so far away. Now, it appears to be quickly approaching. I do miss my friends, family, kitties, and bed, but this trail life is exactly what my wild spirit craves. It will be hard to leave the trail. For now though, I will live in the present and enjoy each day, not worrying about the future. Living in the present moment is another trail lesson I have learned.
End: Dalton, MA - Shamrock Village Inn
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
The day started at 9:20 am with a 700 foot gradual climb. The weather today was absolutely perfect. It was 80 degrees, low humidity and there was a nice breeze blowing. Once we were on the ridge, we stayed there for most of the day. We took a short break after 5.3 miles and talked to two day hikers from Brooklyn. The "Cookie Lady" was only 4.2 miles away and I was ready for some cookies, so we got started again. The Cookie Lady is a women who makes chocolate chip cookies for hikers for free and also allows hikers to tent in her yard. She also sells blueberries that you can pick yourself, hard boiled eggs, soda, and ice cream. We took a 40 minute break and enjoyed some soda and snacks. No Whistle was there when we arrived so we hiked out together. It was time to conquer an additional 9 miles to make it a total of 19 miles today. Our biggest day yet! The trail continued to follow the ridge with a few minor climbs until it was time to descend into Dalton, MA. We reached the town at 7:45 pm and had achieved our 19 mile day. We were hungry and celebrated our day with a delicious dinner. Now we are showered and exhausted.
Today was another amazing day on the trail. As the wind blew in my face and I felt the warmth of the sun shining on me, all I could think was how lucky I am to be out here experiencing this! We saw 2 garden snakes, many orange newts, walked a beautiful part of the trail, and were treated like royalty by complete strangers. I'm not sure a day could be better. I'm starting to get a bit nervous about my transition back into "normal life." Six weeks ago, September 1st seemed so far away. Now, it appears to be quickly approaching. I do miss my friends, family, kitties, and bed, but this trail life is exactly what my wild spirit craves. It will be hard to leave the trail. For now though, I will live in the present and enjoy each day, not worrying about the future. Living in the present moment is another trail lesson I have learned.
End: Dalton, MA - Shamrock Village Inn
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
August 5, 2012
Start: US 20, Lee, MA - Berkshire Lakeside Lodge
The weather for today was calling for severe thunderstorms but we planned to hike out anyway. That quickly changed when No Whistle, Miles Supertramp, and Carver were hanging out for the day and when we found out the price for a second night for hikers was $30. A zero it was. This was definitely the best zero we've had on the trail. It all started the night before when Miles, Brian, and No Whistle wanted Chinese and Carver and I wanted McDonalds. I first called McDonalds and asked if they would deliver to hungry hikers for a good tip. The answer was no. Next idea... Order Chinese and ask them if they will make a stop at McDonalds. Success! Everyone in the room doubted my ability to get this done, but I proved them wrong. The next morning, the shenanigans continued. No Whistle and I wanted to go to town to do laundry and resupply. We were going to hitch the 5 miles into town, but Diana, the motel owner offered to give us a ride in. Thank you Diana! We did some much needed laundry and then went to Rite Aid to resupply some food. While we were waiting for laundry to be done, we decided to go to McDonalds. Our packs were full with heavy loads from Rite Aid so we put them in a shopping cart and wheeled them to McDonalds. We must have been quite the sight. The looks we received from the cars driving by were hysterical, but they were nothing compared to the look that the 5 year old girl inside Mickey D's gave us when we wheeled the cart inside. Lunch was delicious and then it was time to get our laundry. When we were done, I asked a guy who appeared to be nice if he would drive us to the motel. It turned out he is a hiker and was happy to help us out. Once back at the hotel, a nap was next on the "To Do" list. We relaxed for the rest of the day and for dinner we all enjoyed pizza together. Brian, Miles and I all took kayaks out on the lake. I had my feet hanging over the side contemplating a swim, but I must have contemplated too far and I capsized the kayak. Swimming it was! After the sun went down and the nearly full moon came out, we decided to do some night canoeing and swimming. We had an awesome time! The reflection of the mountains and the moon on the flat water was amazing. I'm glad we took this zero because we really had a great time with our trail family, shared many laughs, and created memories that will last forever. Tomorrow is a big 19 mile day, so bed time it is.
End: US 20, Lee, MA - Berkshire Lakeside Lodge
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
The weather for today was calling for severe thunderstorms but we planned to hike out anyway. That quickly changed when No Whistle, Miles Supertramp, and Carver were hanging out for the day and when we found out the price for a second night for hikers was $30. A zero it was. This was definitely the best zero we've had on the trail. It all started the night before when Miles, Brian, and No Whistle wanted Chinese and Carver and I wanted McDonalds. I first called McDonalds and asked if they would deliver to hungry hikers for a good tip. The answer was no. Next idea... Order Chinese and ask them if they will make a stop at McDonalds. Success! Everyone in the room doubted my ability to get this done, but I proved them wrong. The next morning, the shenanigans continued. No Whistle and I wanted to go to town to do laundry and resupply. We were going to hitch the 5 miles into town, but Diana, the motel owner offered to give us a ride in. Thank you Diana! We did some much needed laundry and then went to Rite Aid to resupply some food. While we were waiting for laundry to be done, we decided to go to McDonalds. Our packs were full with heavy loads from Rite Aid so we put them in a shopping cart and wheeled them to McDonalds. We must have been quite the sight. The looks we received from the cars driving by were hysterical, but they were nothing compared to the look that the 5 year old girl inside Mickey D's gave us when we wheeled the cart inside. Lunch was delicious and then it was time to get our laundry. When we were done, I asked a guy who appeared to be nice if he would drive us to the motel. It turned out he is a hiker and was happy to help us out. Once back at the hotel, a nap was next on the "To Do" list. We relaxed for the rest of the day and for dinner we all enjoyed pizza together. Brian, Miles and I all took kayaks out on the lake. I had my feet hanging over the side contemplating a swim, but I must have contemplated too far and I capsized the kayak. Swimming it was! After the sun went down and the nearly full moon came out, we decided to do some night canoeing and swimming. We had an awesome time! The reflection of the mountains and the moon on the flat water was amazing. I'm glad we took this zero because we really had a great time with our trail family, shared many laughs, and created memories that will last forever. Tomorrow is a big 19 mile day, so bed time it is.
End: US 20, Lee, MA - Berkshire Lakeside Lodge
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Saturday, August 4, 2012
August 4, 2012
Start: Shaker Campsite, MA
Another great day in the trail life of Flicka. We woke up at 7:10 and were out of camp at 8:20. The trail was flat initially, but quickly gave us a 500 foot climb and descent. Three miles into the day, a trail maintenance crew was out and one of the maintainers, Mother Nature, gave us delicious cookies from a bakery in Great Barrington! Yeah!! Thank you Mother Nature!! The trail magic has been amazing in New England! Those cookies gave us some energy for the almost 1000 foot climb that followed. Once we reached the peak of Baldy Mountain, the trail continued with some small ups and downs. After 10 miles we reached the .5 mile blue blazed trail to Upper Goose Pond. What a hiker haven! The cabin is awesome and the caretakers (Bonnie, Rob, and Max) were great. We enjoyed a couple of hours there and then we moved on. It was 1.6 miles to the road where there was a motel 0.1 miles from the trail and delivery pizza. Last night, I had trouble falling asleep because of thoughts of pizza so we were happy to be able to get some. No Whistle was at Upper Goose Pond Cabin, so she also hiked down for a shower and pizza. Miles Supertramp and Carver are also here tonight. I'm thinking it will be a great night with great company to follow a great day of hiking.
End: US 20, Lee, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Another great day in the trail life of Flicka. We woke up at 7:10 and were out of camp at 8:20. The trail was flat initially, but quickly gave us a 500 foot climb and descent. Three miles into the day, a trail maintenance crew was out and one of the maintainers, Mother Nature, gave us delicious cookies from a bakery in Great Barrington! Yeah!! Thank you Mother Nature!! The trail magic has been amazing in New England! Those cookies gave us some energy for the almost 1000 foot climb that followed. Once we reached the peak of Baldy Mountain, the trail continued with some small ups and downs. After 10 miles we reached the .5 mile blue blazed trail to Upper Goose Pond. What a hiker haven! The cabin is awesome and the caretakers (Bonnie, Rob, and Max) were great. We enjoyed a couple of hours there and then we moved on. It was 1.6 miles to the road where there was a motel 0.1 miles from the trail and delivery pizza. Last night, I had trouble falling asleep because of thoughts of pizza so we were happy to be able to get some. No Whistle was at Upper Goose Pond Cabin, so she also hiked down for a shower and pizza. Miles Supertramp and Carver are also here tonight. I'm thinking it will be a great night with great company to follow a great day of hiking.
End: US 20, Lee, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
August 3, 2012
Start: MA 23, Great Barrington, MA
We had a late start this morning (usual for leaving a town). Once we were packed up, we ate lunch at Subway with Miles Supertramp. After lunch, we ran some errands on our way out of town. As we walked up to where US 7 and MA 23 meet (we thought this would be the best place to hitch a ride back to the trail), everyone seemed to want to talk to us about the trail. Earlier in the morning, I had already spoken to a man at the hotel who was asking about the trail. He told me he could see my love for the trail all over my face. Another older man at the hotel asked, "Why would you want to walk that far?" Now as we walked through town, our waitress from last night, a lady walking to the bakery, a landscaper, and a delivery man for Rite Aid all asked us about the trail and wished us well. As we continued down the main street, a car swerved to the side, causing the car behind her to beep at her. She rolled down the window, asked where we were going, and told us to jump in. Unsolicited rides = trail magic! The lady who picked us up, known as Shamrock on the trail, hiked 175 miles of the trail in 2008 and now spends many of her mornings bringing ice cold water to Guilder Pond Picnic Area for hikers. Turns out, we drank her water just the other day! Thank you Shamrock for the water AND the ride! We started at 11:50 and climbed 500 feet. The trail continued with a gradual ascent and of course, some pointless ups and downs. After 3.3 miles, we reached Mt Wilcox South Shelters. We checked out the new shelter and took a short break. When we were leaving the shelter, another hiker was taking a break in the middle of the trail. Trying to step around him caused Brian to fall. When he got up, he had a large scrape on his forearm. While I was concerned and wondering if he was ok, he was more concerned with getting a picture of the new battle wound. Boys! 1.8 miles later we reached Mt Wilcox North Shelter. We took another short break. We planned to do 9.1 miles today, so we were in no rush. A mile after the shelter we reached East Brook and filled up on water. Massachusetts has been pretty dry and we wanted to make sure we had enough water for the remainder of the day and for the start of tomorrow. We had 2.8 miles left with our heavy, water filled packs. We had to descend about 900 feet in a little more than a mile. There was also a 200 foot climb and extra descent thrown in there... That's how the AT rolls. : ) On the way down to the campsite, the forest surrounded us with lush, green ferns and these beautiful tall grasses. The switchbacks traversed through the beautiful green and before we knew it, we had reached the campsite. We are staying at Shakers Campsite and it is a great spot. There are tent platforms, which means no sloped sleeping tonight. Today was a short day, but a great day. Tomorrow, we will hike 10 miles to Upper Goose Pond Cabin. I've read and heard so much about the cabin and how amazing it is so I am very excited!
End: Shakers Campsite, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
We had a late start this morning (usual for leaving a town). Once we were packed up, we ate lunch at Subway with Miles Supertramp. After lunch, we ran some errands on our way out of town. As we walked up to where US 7 and MA 23 meet (we thought this would be the best place to hitch a ride back to the trail), everyone seemed to want to talk to us about the trail. Earlier in the morning, I had already spoken to a man at the hotel who was asking about the trail. He told me he could see my love for the trail all over my face. Another older man at the hotel asked, "Why would you want to walk that far?" Now as we walked through town, our waitress from last night, a lady walking to the bakery, a landscaper, and a delivery man for Rite Aid all asked us about the trail and wished us well. As we continued down the main street, a car swerved to the side, causing the car behind her to beep at her. She rolled down the window, asked where we were going, and told us to jump in. Unsolicited rides = trail magic! The lady who picked us up, known as Shamrock on the trail, hiked 175 miles of the trail in 2008 and now spends many of her mornings bringing ice cold water to Guilder Pond Picnic Area for hikers. Turns out, we drank her water just the other day! Thank you Shamrock for the water AND the ride! We started at 11:50 and climbed 500 feet. The trail continued with a gradual ascent and of course, some pointless ups and downs. After 3.3 miles, we reached Mt Wilcox South Shelters. We checked out the new shelter and took a short break. When we were leaving the shelter, another hiker was taking a break in the middle of the trail. Trying to step around him caused Brian to fall. When he got up, he had a large scrape on his forearm. While I was concerned and wondering if he was ok, he was more concerned with getting a picture of the new battle wound. Boys! 1.8 miles later we reached Mt Wilcox North Shelter. We took another short break. We planned to do 9.1 miles today, so we were in no rush. A mile after the shelter we reached East Brook and filled up on water. Massachusetts has been pretty dry and we wanted to make sure we had enough water for the remainder of the day and for the start of tomorrow. We had 2.8 miles left with our heavy, water filled packs. We had to descend about 900 feet in a little more than a mile. There was also a 200 foot climb and extra descent thrown in there... That's how the AT rolls. : ) On the way down to the campsite, the forest surrounded us with lush, green ferns and these beautiful tall grasses. The switchbacks traversed through the beautiful green and before we knew it, we had reached the campsite. We are staying at Shakers Campsite and it is a great spot. There are tent platforms, which means no sloped sleeping tonight. Today was a short day, but a great day. Tomorrow, we will hike 10 miles to Upper Goose Pond Cabin. I've read and heard so much about the cabin and how amazing it is so I am very excited!
End: Shakers Campsite, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Thursday, August 2, 2012
August 2, 2012
Start: US 7, Great Barrington, MA
Another awesome day! We had decided last night that we would do the 8.4 miles between US 7 and MA 23 and spend the night in Great Barrington again. Since we would be staying at the same place, we just hiked with water and some snacks in our packs... They were super light and I feel spoiled now. We walked out to the road at 9:50 and we were able to get a hitch back to the trail within 5 minutes. As if that wasn't fantastic enough, there was a cooler with ice cold sodas in it at the trail head!! We each took one to drink at the top of East Mountain. The first 1.4 miles were mostly flat and went in between corn fields and tree cover. The next 2.9 miles went UP though... Over 1000 feet! As we were climbing, I just about put my foot down on a baby garden snake. As soon as it slithered out of the way, I made a high pitched, girly, horse neighing type of sound. I'm not sure what the sound was, but we both got a good laugh from it. We reached the peak of East Mountain at 1800 feet and had an awesome view. It was so clear that we could even see Mount Greylock (the highest point in MA about 50 miles away) where we will be in a few days. As we sat admiring the view, enjoying the shade, cool breeze, and pepsis, a golden eagle flew right over us making loud shrieking sounds. So beautiful! After about 40 minutes we decided to get going again. There were some ups and downs along the ridge, but none were over 100 feet high. We came to the Tom Leonard Shelter where we met Castaway and Kleenex. We talked for a few minutes and then continued on. The last two miles were a nice gradual downhill on soft pine needles. My favorite! I was so happy that I couldn't help but sing again (sorry, Wenk!). I started with the usual, "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid," but then I wrote my own lyrics and it went something like this... "There was a hiker and he was fast, Brian was his name-o, B-R-I-A-N, B-R-I-A-N, B-R-I-A-N, and Brian was his name-o. As I continued to sing, I replaced the letters with a clank of my trekking poles rather than with a clap. Brian said that I must have reached a new level of boredom, but I think I was just enjoying the day so much I felt like singing. We reached MA 23 and within 5 cars we got a hitch back to Great Barrington. There is a car show going on in town today with a lot of traffic, so we had the trail angel drop us off at the start of town and we walked to our hotel. The word to describe today would be PERFECT! Two easy hitches, trail magic soda, an amazing view, slack packing (not carrying all your gear with you when you will end up at the same place you started), and some great laughs.
End: MA 23, Great Barrington, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Another awesome day! We had decided last night that we would do the 8.4 miles between US 7 and MA 23 and spend the night in Great Barrington again. Since we would be staying at the same place, we just hiked with water and some snacks in our packs... They were super light and I feel spoiled now. We walked out to the road at 9:50 and we were able to get a hitch back to the trail within 5 minutes. As if that wasn't fantastic enough, there was a cooler with ice cold sodas in it at the trail head!! We each took one to drink at the top of East Mountain. The first 1.4 miles were mostly flat and went in between corn fields and tree cover. The next 2.9 miles went UP though... Over 1000 feet! As we were climbing, I just about put my foot down on a baby garden snake. As soon as it slithered out of the way, I made a high pitched, girly, horse neighing type of sound. I'm not sure what the sound was, but we both got a good laugh from it. We reached the peak of East Mountain at 1800 feet and had an awesome view. It was so clear that we could even see Mount Greylock (the highest point in MA about 50 miles away) where we will be in a few days. As we sat admiring the view, enjoying the shade, cool breeze, and pepsis, a golden eagle flew right over us making loud shrieking sounds. So beautiful! After about 40 minutes we decided to get going again. There were some ups and downs along the ridge, but none were over 100 feet high. We came to the Tom Leonard Shelter where we met Castaway and Kleenex. We talked for a few minutes and then continued on. The last two miles were a nice gradual downhill on soft pine needles. My favorite! I was so happy that I couldn't help but sing again (sorry, Wenk!). I started with the usual, "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid," but then I wrote my own lyrics and it went something like this... "There was a hiker and he was fast, Brian was his name-o, B-R-I-A-N, B-R-I-A-N, B-R-I-A-N, and Brian was his name-o. As I continued to sing, I replaced the letters with a clank of my trekking poles rather than with a clap. Brian said that I must have reached a new level of boredom, but I think I was just enjoying the day so much I felt like singing. We reached MA 23 and within 5 cars we got a hitch back to Great Barrington. There is a car show going on in town today with a lot of traffic, so we had the trail angel drop us off at the start of town and we walked to our hotel. The word to describe today would be PERFECT! Two easy hitches, trail magic soda, an amazing view, slack packing (not carrying all your gear with you when you will end up at the same place you started), and some great laughs.
End: MA 23, Great Barrington, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
August 1, 2012
Start: Sages Ravine Campsite, MA
Today was a hard, long, great day! We did 14.6 miles but it felt much longer with the two big climbs and long, rocky descents we had. We started the day at 8:40 am from the campsite. Walking along the stream in the ravine was beautiful. We were surrounded by rich green, lush flora and the sound of the moving water was calming and captivating. Great way to start the day. We then started the climb up Mount Race and reached the summit and beautiful views at 2365 feet. The walk along the ridge was our first exposed ridge of the trip and the views were worth the climb. In true AT fashion, we descended 400 feet just to climb 700 feet up Mount Everett. It was a steep climb up ledges with the peak reaching 2602 feet. Just before the peak a bird pooped on the back of my neck. Brian was already at the top so I had to wait until I got there for him to wipe it off me. They say it's good luck... Maybe I should go play the lotto?!?! We had a quick snack at the top and then continued on. At the Guilder Pond Picnic Area at the bottom of the mountain, an awesome trail angel left ICE COLD water for thru hikers!! It is incredible how being out here on the trail really makes you appreciate the simple things in life like ice cold water. We hiked on through the afternoon and met up with Miles Supertramp, one of our favorite trail friends. We hiked the remainder of the day with him, enjoying views from Jug End and eventually the relatively flat trail into Great Barrington. Once we reached the road, it took less than 5 minutes of holding out my thumb for a pick up truck to pull over. The three of us loaded into the back for the 3 miles into town. My favorite part of today (aside from the bird poop, of course) was seeing such diverse, beautiful landscapes in 14.6 miles. We started the day in a lush ravine, then climbed into an alpine zone with awesome views and an exposed ridge, then back down into the woods, up into an alpine zone again, down into a cornfield, into a dense red pine forest, through a swamp (the mosquitoes were vicious!), through some more fields, and finally into town. How many people get to experience such varied flora and fauna in one day?!? We decided to spend the night in Great Barrington since we earned it with hiking this time. Miles is staying in town too so the three of us indulged in some delicious town food. We are ready for a good night sleep now!
End: US 7, Great Barrington, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Today was a hard, long, great day! We did 14.6 miles but it felt much longer with the two big climbs and long, rocky descents we had. We started the day at 8:40 am from the campsite. Walking along the stream in the ravine was beautiful. We were surrounded by rich green, lush flora and the sound of the moving water was calming and captivating. Great way to start the day. We then started the climb up Mount Race and reached the summit and beautiful views at 2365 feet. The walk along the ridge was our first exposed ridge of the trip and the views were worth the climb. In true AT fashion, we descended 400 feet just to climb 700 feet up Mount Everett. It was a steep climb up ledges with the peak reaching 2602 feet. Just before the peak a bird pooped on the back of my neck. Brian was already at the top so I had to wait until I got there for him to wipe it off me. They say it's good luck... Maybe I should go play the lotto?!?! We had a quick snack at the top and then continued on. At the Guilder Pond Picnic Area at the bottom of the mountain, an awesome trail angel left ICE COLD water for thru hikers!! It is incredible how being out here on the trail really makes you appreciate the simple things in life like ice cold water. We hiked on through the afternoon and met up with Miles Supertramp, one of our favorite trail friends. We hiked the remainder of the day with him, enjoying views from Jug End and eventually the relatively flat trail into Great Barrington. Once we reached the road, it took less than 5 minutes of holding out my thumb for a pick up truck to pull over. The three of us loaded into the back for the 3 miles into town. My favorite part of today (aside from the bird poop, of course) was seeing such diverse, beautiful landscapes in 14.6 miles. We started the day in a lush ravine, then climbed into an alpine zone with awesome views and an exposed ridge, then back down into the woods, up into an alpine zone again, down into a cornfield, into a dense red pine forest, through a swamp (the mosquitoes were vicious!), through some more fields, and finally into town. How many people get to experience such varied flora and fauna in one day?!? We decided to spend the night in Great Barrington since we earned it with hiking this time. Miles is staying in town too so the three of us indulged in some delicious town food. We are ready for a good night sleep now!
End: US 7, Great Barrington, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
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