Sunday – 23 June
Destination: Great Barrington (1528.0)
Start Location: Great Barrington (1528.0)
Today’s Miles: 0.0
Trip Miles: 43.2Breakfast at the hotel was better than expected. The small area has juices, a waffle maker, sausage, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and pastries.
Bob’s guest commentary for today follows my regular update.
Breakfast at the hotel was better than expected. The small area has juices, a waffle maker, sausage, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and pastries.
After figuring out our food needs for the next section, it was a mile walk to the Big Y grocery. Impressive, like Wegmans back home. Bob and I will pick up sandwiches on our way out of town for lunch and dinner. After resupplying back to the hotel to switch rooms. Only next door so it was convenient. Relax before figuring out lunch. Today is hotter than yesterday, up to 90.
Bob and I headed to Momma Lo’s Southern Style BBQ. The ratings are great and yesterday when we walked by, they were sold out. A good sign. Pulled pork sandwiches with collard greens outside made a perfect lunch. We were even to full for ice cream on the way back.
Dinner was Miller’s Pub. A small British style pub. A beer and then some Mexican for dinner. No room left for ice cream on the way back.
Tomorrow morning Papa Joe picks us up at 10:00 to return us to the AT for a four mile hike into Upper Goose Pond Cabin. Two more nights camping after that and then we meet another Bob, a coworker from 35 years ago. We are looking forward to getting together after all these years.
“Just Bob” Guest Commentary. Sunday June 26
It feels good to have completed backpacking all 52 miles of Connecticut and to enter another state, Massachusetts, one of 14 comprising the Appalachian Trail. We two +67 years senior citizens can hike as fast as 2 miles per hour if the terrain and conditions are not “difficult.” However if there are steep rocky ascents and descents, it’s hot and humid and wet walking surfaces with wet leaves, we slow down considerably to about 1 mile per hour. These times include breaks to catch our breath, rehydrate, and to relieve ourselves and to sometimes drop packs. Regardless, there’s a lot of time to think (although Al and I always have many spirited discussions attempting to solve the world’s problems). In this hike, as usual, I thought about my wonderful wife of 40 years, Janice. She is very understanding and supportive of my desire to go on these adventures. And my two daughters Sarah and Nicole who are supportive and encouraging. This time I also thought about Al and I hiking and camping over 50 years ago with primitive equipment, much of it Boy Scout issue. We slept in a heavy canvas tent with no floor and a single big aluminum pole in the middle. Scout mess kits for cooking. Sterno cans for cooking. The backpacks had external frames; big and top heavy. Chunky heavy leather boots that never dried if wet. No trekking poles! How did we do it? We were so young and so capable. And too poor to afford anything better. But loved it nonetheless. Frequently we see young hikers cruise by us like we were standing still. Making +20 mile days. So fast with great balance. Admittedly I am jealous. But, I/we are out here on the trail. Slowly enduring. Forward. Up and over.