7/14/01
Awesome is the only word to describe this mornings hike on the AT! I was up early after hearing Lone Wolf and The King packing up their gear around 6:00 a.m. Phantom was still sleeping as I took down my tent and repacked the backpack. As I took my bear bag down from the tree near his tent I spoke to him and asked if he wanted to get an early start today. Phantom responded in the affirmative, so I walked to the vista to eat breakfast and locate the yellow jacked nest from last night's sting. I found the hole between some rocks and used several sticks to mark the nest so others wouldn't suffer an attack while viewing the magnificent valley below. Phantom soon joined me at the rock outcrop with his breakfast, then we left for the climb up to the top of Race Mtn. Near the top we reached an exposed cliff with even better views than those we had last night. The cliff reminded me of Tinker Cliffs back in VA and I thought about Hip as we hiked close to the steep dropoff to the side of the trail. We descended to the gap after crossing Race Mtn. only to go straight up the face of Mt. Everett. Mt. Everett is the second highest peak in MA behind Mt. Greylock which we will cross in a few days. The view from the top was not as spectacular as the climb across Race, but the growing cumulus clouds prevented the maximum view opportunity from the top. The descent down the north side of Everett was equally as steep as the climb and much more difficult for me. I am much slower going down the steep descents because it only takes one slip to end the journey and I've come too far to not take great care on the tough downhill sections. Finally the trail leveled some and the miles passed as we reached the valley floor. Around 2:30 p.m. we reached the US 7, the road crossing to Sheffield, MA and Great Barrington, MA.
My food pickup was at an outfitter 1.8 miles toward Great Barrington, so we started attempting a hitch. The road was busy but the majority of the cars appeared to be filled with tourists from New York, so I didn't hold much faith in getting a ride. Phantom and I started walking as we attempted hitching. The road had some businesses along the way and about a half mile into our road walk we passed a nursery. A woman was waiting to pull out onto US 7 as I walked by first. She saw me and then saw Phantom. I had already passed her car and apparently she knew we were hikers trying to get into town, so she rolled down her window as Phantom neared her car and asked if we wanted a ride. Soon we were at the outiftter and Susan (an antique shop owner) offered to take us the remaining five to six miles to East Mtn. Retreat Center later if we were unable to obtain a hitch. I retrieved my food at the outfitter and got some help from the owner Rick with my pack. Apparently my loss of body weight and mass is causing the pack to not fit me properly anymore, so he and I tried making some adjustments. As Phantom and I had no luck with a hitch, we walked to the antique shop and made arrangements with Susan to pick us up at 4:00 p.m. in downtown Great Barrington. From her antique shop we hiked the mile into town and went to Subway for two subs each, one to satisfy our immediate hunger and the other was for our dinner later at the Retreat Center. On cue, at 4:00 Susan arrived and took us to the East Mtn. Retreat Center. We snooped around until we located the office but no one was home. We found the signs directing us to the back of the house and once inside found the shower and laundry room in the basement. After 10 days, yes, I said 10 days, without a bath or shower, FINALLY it was time to get clean. I had been fed up with smelling bad and feeling sticky and grimy, so the shower was the number one priority. Since all of our clothes were dirty, Phantom and I each found a towel to wear while all of our rank clothing went in the washing machine. Phantom showered first, then I got my turn.
What a difference clean clothes and a clean body make for a happy disposition! It only took those two things to make my day. The trail really simplifies our wants and needs and we can find joy and happiness with gifts such as showers, clean clothes, a soda by the roadside, or some other small token of trail magic. Normally these are things we take for granted in our modern world. I even get excited when we reach a shelter that has a picnic table to sit and cook on. Anyway, Reverend Lois Rose arrived and came downstairs to collect the $10 hostel fee which we gladly parted with. Since the house and grounds are a retreat, she requested that we not speak with anyone we met since silence is part of the retreat. Phantom and I relaxed the balance of the afternoon and evening with out subway sandwiches. Rev. Rose brought down some leftover pizza from the previous night's thru-hiker group so we hungrily made it disappear as well. Around dusk a section hiker, Condor from California, arrived. The three of us relaxed the balance of the evening and I managed to pack up my gear and get in a real bed by 10:00 p.m. Phantom and I both desperately needed the hostel's offerings and they restored our spirits and got us ready to get back out on the trail tomorrow. Today's stats: low 52, high 75. Partly cloudy, breezy, gorgeous blue sky. Today's mileage: 12.6; cumulative mileage: 1,502.2.
