It's been quite a while since I've posted anything. I'm starting a new hiking challenge: I'm going to attempt to hike all the trails in the Lee Ranger District of the George Washington National Forest.
Please visit my new blog page to track my progress https://leerangerdistrictchallenge.blogspot.com
Dave
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Monday, August 1, 2016
July 28, 2016 - Bennington, VT
Vermont's Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
Well my trip has come to an end, three months is enough. I've hiked over 560 miles on this trip alone. I'm now north of Bennington VT in the Green Mountains. I've been forcing myself to continue for a while, but really, I'm tapped out. I had my eye on Killington VT as my final destination. I gave myself two more full hiking days just to be sure I really am really done. The mountains have gotten a lot bigger here in Vermont and are even bigger in New Hampshire. I came to dread camping out because I just couldn't get enough sleep. Both my knees are swollen inside. I had to take off two days for every two or three I hiked to let my knees rest. Also, I haven't been able to improve my daily mileage much beyond 10 miles. At 10 miles per day I could never have made it to Katahdin before it closes for the season.
AT hikers say "Never quit on a bad day."
That's why I hiked the last two days. July 26, and 27.
The weather was fine, trail was amazing, met lots of great people, but yes, I am still ready to go home.
I've had a really great time and have no regrets. Perhaps I'll section hike the rest of the trail or maybe the AT is now off my bucket list and I'll go on to do something else.
I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.
- Thoreau
Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.
- John Muir
These notes are a mix of after the events and notes I made while hiking so bear that in mind.
July 10
Zero a Great Barrington Travelodge Motel
Zero a Great Barrington Travelodge Motel
July 11
Finished 9.5 miles today, added an additional mile to shorten tomorrow's hike.
2600 ft total elevation gain today, not too steep.
Finished 9.5 miles today, added an additional mile to shorten tomorrow's hike.
66 more miles to Vermont
July 12
Slack packing out of Jess Treat house in Sheffield MA
10 miles today , my knees hurt
Slack packing out of Jess Treat house in Sheffield MA
10 miles today , my knees hurt
July 13
Zero day in great Great Barrington MA out of Jess Treat house in Sheffield MA, waiting for swelling in knees to ease.
Zero day in great Great Barrington MA out of Jess Treat house in Sheffield MA, waiting for swelling in knees to ease.
July 14
Left Jess Treat house and packed to Beckett MA today
Got rained on and got soaking wet.
Left Jess Treat house and packed to Beckett MA today
Got rained on and got soaking wet.
I'm staying at the Becket Motel, the owner and his wife picked me up at the trail.
July 15
Met a middle school summer camp group, about 8 kids and 2 leaders.
I went swimming in my boxer shorts and the kids showed up to get water so I just stayed in the lake till they left. It was fun talking to them and watching them.
Saw them again later in the day at a shelter.
"Gun shy" and "No Regrets" were there too, I met them at Jess Treat house.
Met a middle school summer camp group, about 8 kids and 2 leaders.
I went swimming in my boxer shorts and the kids showed up to get water so I just stayed in the lake till they left. It was fun talking to them and watching them.
Saw them again later in the day at a shelter.
"Gun shy" and "No Regrets" were there too, I met them at Jess Treat house.
July 16
Met Falcon today
Hot day
Really dragging today, it's good thing there is not much climbing today.
Good view of Mt Greylock today, highest point in MA.
Summer camp kids from yesterday caught up to me a lunch today.
The trail goes right in front of a fancy pub restaurant.
Met Falcon today
Hot day
Really dragging today, it's good thing there is not much climbing today.
Good view of Mt Greylock today, highest point in MA.
Summer camp kids from yesterday caught up to me a lunch today.
The trail goes right in front of a fancy pub restaurant.
They let me in with my pack and sweat drenched shirt!
Three other hikers just came in and are going to sit with me :)
Two from Canada one from Georgia (they are camping at "Toms" house)
Three other hikers just came in and are going to sit with me :)
Two from Canada one from Georgia (they are camping at "Toms" house)
Tom is a trail angel that is well known.
Staying at Shamrock Village Inn tonight then zero tomorrow.
July 17
Zero at Shamrock Village Inn, feeling like quitting after Greylock Mtn, if so then there is only 2 more days of hiking.
Zero at Shamrock Village Inn, feeling like quitting after Greylock Mtn, if so then there is only 2 more days of hiking.
I met 2 hikers that moved in next door to me at the Shamrock inn ("squeak knee" and "bear song")
We were outside on lawn chairs on the porch when Falcon joined us.
After a while I went around the corner to get a sandwich for dinner and I ran into "No Regrets", "Gun Shy" and another hiker I hadn't met. When I got back they had joined the group on the porch. We talked for a while when the three hikers (Sunshine, Colonel Mustard and ???) that had dinner with me last night walked up the side street by the hotel. We invited them to join us too. They had slacked 17 miles that day and had just by chance came up that side street. I got them cokes and cups of ice and we let them use our showers since they were camping down the street at a trail angels Tom's house. The hotel was happy to provide extra towels, soap and shampoo. We had a great evening.
We were outside on lawn chairs on the porch when Falcon joined us.
After a while I went around the corner to get a sandwich for dinner and I ran into "No Regrets", "Gun Shy" and another hiker I hadn't met. When I got back they had joined the group on the porch. We talked for a while when the three hikers (Sunshine, Colonel Mustard and ???) that had dinner with me last night walked up the side street by the hotel. We invited them to join us too. They had slacked 17 miles that day and had just by chance came up that side street. I got them cokes and cups of ice and we let them use our showers since they were camping down the street at a trail angels Tom's house. The hotel was happy to provide extra towels, soap and shampoo. We had a great evening.
July 18
Zero at Shamrock Village Inn
Zero at Shamrock Village Inn
There's a guy in a wheelchair here that waters all the
plants at the motel. He gets out the hose drags it across the parking
lot and waters everything every day. He has only one leg.
July 19
Met Brother, Sister and Hawk
Had dinner in town, a scallop sandwich.
Went to bed early, Slacked from Cheshire MA to Dalton
Trail angel Tom shuttled me to Cheshire
Met Brother, Sister and Hawk
Had dinner in town, a scallop sandwich.
Went to bed early, Slacked from Cheshire MA to Dalton
Trail angel Tom shuttled me to Cheshire
July 20
Tom again shuttled me, we dropped my gear at the top of Greylock Mtn at the lodge then he dropped me back down in Cheshire
Short hike of 6.5 miles but wow 2600 ft up to the highest point in MA. What a climb!
Staying at the Bascom lodge bunk room tonight and dining there too.
"Brother", "Sister" and "Hawk" passed me today. It's always nice to see familiar faces.
Tom again shuttled me, we dropped my gear at the top of Greylock Mtn at the lodge then he dropped me back down in Cheshire
Short hike of 6.5 miles but wow 2600 ft up to the highest point in MA. What a climb!
Staying at the Bascom lodge bunk room tonight and dining there too.
"Brother", "Sister" and "Hawk" passed me today. It's always nice to see familiar faces.
When Sister passed me she told me that she had eaten too many donuts and had been vomiting.
Had a fantastic dinner at the lodge, seated with a couple my age and two other women who worked together at a local college. Great dinner conversation.
I had the bunk room (sized for 12) to myself, only $35.
July 21
Just finished coming down from the Greylock summit.
Only a 6.7 mile decent but a decline of 3463ft, oh boy do my feet hurt!
Just finished coming down from the Greylock summit.
Only a 6.7 mile decent but a decline of 3463ft, oh boy do my feet hurt!
July 22
Hottest day yet 89 degrees.
7 miles, heat made it difficult
Had nice chat at shelter around campfire
Helped young man get the fire started
Crossed into Vermont today!
Hottest day yet 89 degrees.
7 miles, heat made it difficult
Had nice chat at shelter around campfire
Helped young man get the fire started
Crossed into Vermont today!
July 23
Not enough sleep last night
Today's hike seemed to go on forever.
12 miles today.
At about 7 miles I stopped to rest with a woman who was hiking the long trail. We talked for a long time. She was a retired lawyer. Had already hike the AT a couple years back. She was headed south. Two men my age stopped to talk too. They were going north too.
At a shelter I caught up to the men. One was ex army (40 years of service) he reminded me of my father. I helped him get his hiking app working and showed him how to use it (Guthook). It kinda felt like I spent 15 minutes with my dad. It was a good moment.
Rained for 2 hours.
Not enough sleep last night
Today's hike seemed to go on forever.
12 miles today.
At about 7 miles I stopped to rest with a woman who was hiking the long trail. We talked for a long time. She was a retired lawyer. Had already hike the AT a couple years back. She was headed south. Two men my age stopped to talk too. They were going north too.
At a shelter I caught up to the men. One was ex army (40 years of service) he reminded me of my father. I helped him get his hiking app working and showed him how to use it (Guthook). It kinda felt like I spent 15 minutes with my dad. It was a good moment.
Rained for 2 hours.
A horrendous crazy down hill for the last 0.7 mile to the
highway that took over an hour. Got some trail magic lemonade in the rain and
tried to call a cab. No cell signal...walked on the highway for a mile,
hitchhiking. Finally got a signal and the cab picked me up in 2
minutes. He happen to be close by.
July 24
Zero at Bennington VT
Nice hotel with pool
Saw the new Star Trek Movie
July 25
Zero at Bennington VT
Nice hotel with pool
Saw the new Star Trek Movie
July 25
Zero at Bennington VT
Knee swelling had gone down, mostly...
Knee swelling had gone down, mostly...
July 26
Hiking south from Forest Service Rd 71 to Goddard Shelter
Hiking south from Forest Service Rd 71 to Goddard Shelter
10.1 miles
Really a nice day, didn't go all the way to the shelter, I stopped at the Glastenbury Mt fire tower at the end of the day and had some good views just after sunset. A thru hiker couple was camping at the base of the tower and they gave me a bottle of water to set me up for the night. It was a tough day, 3000 foot of
Really a nice day, didn't go all the way to the shelter, I stopped at the Glastenbury Mt fire tower at the end of the day and had some good views just after sunset. A thru hiker couple was camping at the base of the tower and they gave me a bottle of water to set me up for the night. It was a tough day, 3000 foot of
elevation gain! After the first 3 miles I knew I was ready to go home.
July 27
Hiking south from Glastenbury Mt Fire Tower to Vermont Rt 9
Wow, what a long day, 3700 foot of elevation loss and 1300 of elevation gain!
I fell and thought I'd cracked my head but it was just a full water bottle falling out of my pack and hitting a rock next to my ear. Two other hikers were just behind me a offered to help but all I had was a small cut on my hand. I met one of them the next day at the hotel and we had a chance to talk for a couple of minutes
Passed an ex army guy hiking the trail.
Reached Rt 9 exhausted and started hitching and hiking towards to get a cell signal. The army guy I met during the day had a ride and spotted me. They gave me a ride all the way to the hotel and a bag of chips too....magic.
I'm really ready to home.
July 27
Good decision, I'm limping badly.
Left knee is swollen again
Going to rent a car tomorrow and drive home.
The AT along the Housatonic River
Nice Valley View
Crossing a beaver bog
A flowering tree (in town)
Mt Greylock far off in the distance (highest point in Massachusetts)
I looked for moose but never spotted one
An entire mountain side covered in stinging nettles
Town and graveyard in the valley below
One of the earliest transformers is in a museum in Massachusetts.
I spent a few hours in a local library and found this photo there.
Jess Treat, a literature professor in Massachusetts.
She rent out rooms to hikers in the summer months.
I had a great swim in this lake.
I swam in just my boxers and was forced to stay in the water while a group of middle school backpackers stopped by to get water.
I had a great swim in this lake.
The trail crossing a lot of mud
Toad
Dried fungus
Poisonous berries
Getting closer to Greylock
The trail traversing a fern covered mountain side
The trail traversing a fern covered mountain side
These hikers joined me for dinner
These hikers were staying at the same hotel as me
Flowers in town
For Sale
The trail crossing a corn field
Storm damage (I took the day off during the storm)
Storm damage (I took the day off during the storm)
Storm damage cleanup crew
Looking down into the Valley while climbing Mt Greylock
Looks like a moose skull to me
Almost at the summit of Mt Greylock
Lodge at the summit of Greylock
Bascome Lodge at the summit of Greylock
My dinner companions at Bascome Lodge on the summit of Greylock
View from the summit of Greylock
Bascome Lodge
War Memorial at the summit of Mt Greylock under construction
Bronze model of Mt Greylock
View from the summit of Mt Greylock
View from the summit of Mt Greylock
Emergency Shelter at the summit of Mt Greylock
View from the summit of Mt Greylock
View while descending Mt Greylock
Bench along AT
Hikers are offered bicycles for free to get around town
The trail decends the mountain at the end of the street and follows this street.
Children decorated this bridge on the AT
It's been so dry it was wonderful to find a stream with so much water flowing
Trail ascending a bolder tumbled slope
Fungus
No moose
This little tree was attempting to grow on a thin layer of moss on a boulder
Bennington "Knotty Pine" Motel
Bennington "Knotty Pine" Motel
Bennington "Knotty Pine" Motel
McDonald's Lobster Roll Sandwich
Lots of mud in Vermont
Lack of sleep
Vermont's Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
View from Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
View from Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
View from Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
View from Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
View from Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
I stayed atop the tower for a long time.
I knew it was the end of my trip and wanted to savor it
I stayed atop the tower for a long time.
I knew it was the end of my trip and wanted to savor it
View from Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
Last campsite
Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
View from Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
View from Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
View from Glastenbury Mountain Fire Tower
Near where I fell for no good reason
Luckily I only got this one small cut when I fell
Fungus
Fungus
The last bridge I crossed before going home
View from the last bridge I crossed before going home
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