On Top of Mount Greylock

 View of the top of Mount Greylock...from halfway up Mount Greylock.

   Today was another short day of hiking, with a little over 7 miles under our feet.  The highlight (and really the only goal of the day) was climbing Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts.  It stands about 3,400 feet tall and has a war memorial at the top.  We planned to give ourselves lots of time to make it up this peak, since it's been awhile since the only mountains I've conquered lately are mountains of medical memorization.  To my pleasant surprise, we made much better time than I anticipated, taking a few breaks on the way up but not suffering too much.  It was another gorgeous day out, so I could hardly complain.  We were in the woods until we reached the summit, which greeted us with some wonderful views. 

View of the top of Mount Greylock...from the top of Mount Greylock.  In front of the War Memorial.  89 steps to the top with 360 views out of narrow windows.    

 

View from the summit...complete with hang-glider about to launch.  He actually never did launch.  Apparently the winds weren't right.  But his hang-gliding companion managed to launch before this gentleman suited up. 

 
    Since we made fairly good time to the summit, we were able to enjoy our lunch with the views and the breeze.  Trail Angel met us at the top and we had peanut butter and honey sandwiches, courtesy of our good trail friend and master beekeeper Hooter.  Tonight is also pretty special because we are spending the night at the Bascom Lodge on the summit.  It's a recently renovated stone building owned by the state of Massachusetts but privately run.  There was a presentation by some ladies from the local Botanical Society about the various historical gardens in the area, and we had dinner in the lodge's restaurant while we spent some time talking to some locals and fellow travelers.  All in all a successful day at the roof of Massachusetts.
   

Goodnight from Mount Greylock. 

Searching for Motivation

Nano and Amicus starting another day on the MA AT.

     Today was a rather short day, hiking wise.  We only hiked about 9 miles, but it was another beautiful day in the Massachusetts forests.  The day was also short on energy for me.  For some reason, I felt like I was dragging all day.  The trail wasn't too difficult today, and it definitely took me longer to hike those 9 miles than it should have.  Maybe there's a disconnect between my mind and my body right now.  My mind says "Hey, let's do this!" and my body says "Wait, I thought we discussed this.  I thought we are all about solitary time in questionably lit and quiet rooms surrounded by medical textbooks now.  Let's not."  I know we'll all get on the same page soon.  I think the first few days of something like this are always the most difficult.  Whatever my muscles might say right now, I'm so glad I'm here.
      We hiked past a very large pond full of lillypads and bullfrogs.  The pond was so calm you could see the reflection of the clouds on the surface.  The bullfrogs were croaking, and it was the middle of the day.  I'd love to hear what that pond sounds like at night.

Bullfrog Pond

  During our hike, we passed two work crews out doing maintenance on the Trail.  I can't even imagine how much work it must take to keep 2,100+ miles (or even 1 mile) of trail maintained so well.  The AT experience surely wouldn't be as wonderful without them.  Towards the end of our hike for the day, we were on the lookout for something called "The Cobbles," which was supposed to have a nice view.  We passed something that we thought was it, but it was so heavily wooded that there wasn't really a view.  We thought it was rather anticlimactic, but hiked on.  We almost missed The Cobbles, because we later realized it was on a bit of a side trail.  I was so glad we took a minute to go off the beaten path, because the view was definitely worth it.
     

MA Valley View

     Since it was a pretty short hiking day, we got done at a decent hour and were able to spend some time thinking about how we're going to approach the next week of hiking, which looks like it might be pretty tough.  We had some delicious tomatoes from home for supper and even got to explore the area a little, which is always fun.

Beautiful old Victorian house in town.  It looks like something from a Zombie movie.  

Treats of all sorts.

Paper Factory in Dalton, MA.  Apparently this is where the paper for US currency is made.

    Today was another beautiful day on the AT.  We hiked about 11 miles today, all of it in the shade of the woods.  It was about 80 degrees again.  Another perfect hiking day.  This day was a great one because it was full of treats.  Before we started our hike, we visited the home of "The Cookie Lady," who lives about 100 yards from the AT.  She and her husband have been serving homemade cookies to weary hikers for 30 years.  Last year, they said they dished out over 1,500 cookies.  They also give out water and provide a yard for camping for those that need it.  Thats some serious Trail Magic right there.

Trail Angel and Nano at the Cookie Lady's house. 

     Over the course of our 11 mile hike, we got to enjoy our first panoramic view of this section.  Since the hiking yesterday (and most of today) was in the thick woods, it was so nice to turn the corner and walk out to open sky.

Enjoying the view.

    We also passed a particularly interesting area that had been completely destroyed by beavers.  All of the trees within about 30 square yards (that we could see) had been completely chewed up and bore the distinctive marks of beaver teeth.  We climbed a couple of small hills and passed through some swampy ground, grabbing lunch on a rock in the middle of the woods.  Part of our hike today passed right through one of the small local towns, and Trail Angel met us and walked with us for a bit.  That was a treat too.  To top it all off, we got to go have some tasty Italian food and see "A Chorus Line" at the local theater.  True trail treats indeed.  

Sea of ferns.

Back on the Trail!

Nano and Amicus back on the Trail.

With Trail Angel!

   So much has happened in the past year.  I moved to a new city.  I bought a house.  I started medical school.  I managed to finish an entire year of medical school.  Now, with a few precious weeks until Medical School Round #2, I find myself back on the Appalachian Trail, this time with Amicus *and* Trail Angel.  After spending 11 months under fluorescent lights, being outside feels absolutely wonderful.  We started where we left off almost exactly a year ago, in Western Massachusetts, and hiked about 10 miles.  It was a perfect day to return to the Trail.  It was sunny and about 80 degrees.  The entire section of trail was in heavily wooded forest, so we were in the shade for most of the day.  It doesn't get much better than that.  

   

View from the rock where we had our second breakfast.

    We saw several people on the trail today.  Several Northbound Thru-hikers, which surprised and impressed me.  Most Northbounders start in Georgia in March or April, which means they've been on the trail for 4 months at most.  To make it over 1500 miles in 4 months is quite an accomplishment.  Katahdin opens in May, so the Southbounders are probably already past this point, though I bet we see a few while we're here.
     I found myself very unsure of myself and my feet on the Trail today.  When I came off the Trail in October 2010, I remember being able to think 4-5 steps ahead.  Hiking out here is often more than just putting one foot in front of the other.  There are rocks, roots, trees, bushes, steep inclines and declines and critters to watch out for.  After 6 months straight on the Trail, I think my feet knew what they needed to do without having to consult my brain too often.  Today, I found myself having to concentrate all day to avoid a misstep.  That, combined with the fact that I've had my nose in a book for 11 months, which isn't exactly conducive to cardiovascular conditioning, made for slower going than I would have liked.  Hopefully my trail feet come back to me quickly.  One thing is for sure, I am so glad to be out in the open air and so thankful to have the chance to be back on the Trail during my break.
 

Nano's Back!

A Week with Hooter

 Trecking Trio

     This post is extremely overdue.  It will actually recount an AT adventure that happened a year ago - in July 2011.  I'm sorry it's taken me so long, and I hope I remember all the good stories.  Bear with me.  

 Massachusetts with a view.

     We were able to rendezvous with our hiking friend Hooter for a week of backpacking on the AT in Massachusetts.  Over the course of 5 days of hiking, we made it about 50 miles.  We spent 3 nights camping in the MA wild.  

 Massachusetts Wild, now complete with swamp paths. 

     Over the course of our week on the AT, we came across some wild blueberries that were perfect for snacking, some nice views, and even some history. 

 The site of Sherman's Rebellion

    We were extremely fortunate that the weather treated us well.  There was a very brief rain shower on our last night camping, but the rain only came upon us after we had made camp for the night.

 This way to Maine!

   The weather was wonderful for hiking, but not so wonderful for staying hydrated.  Our week of sun and no rain was not a fluke.  Apparently, Massachusetts had been short on rain for quite some time.  On our third full day of hiking, all of the creeks and streams we passed, and were counting on for our water sources, turned out to be dry.  By 1pm, we were all out of water.  We still had over 6 miles of hiking to accomplish before we made camp for the night.  It was the first time since I started the AT that I had legitimately run out of supplies, and the most important of supplies at that.  Luckily, there was a great water source where we made camp for the night, but by the time we got there, we were all very, very parched.  I think Hooter drank 4 liters of water right there by the creek before taking any back to camp. 

 Laskeside rest stop. 

 Onward to Maine!

       We camped in a pine forest on the side of the trail, on top of a cliff, and in a valley by a stream.  It was hot and sunny the entire week.  On our last morning out, we got to have salmon for breakfast, which was a real treat.  We saved it for the last day so the bears wouldn't follow the smell home.  On our last day of hiking, we also passed a large lake called Goose Pond.  One of the most famous shelters on the AT is there.  It has a staff during hiking season, and it is known for its delicious pancake breakfasts and swimming hole.  We didn't get to stay there this trip, but maybe someday.  After we came off the trail in Lee, Massachusetts, we made a beeline for the nearest ice cream vendor and had ourselves some sundaes with all the fixings.  I'm so glad we got to come out to the AT for a few days, especially with our friend Hooter, who always makes things so fun.  I can't wait to do it again. 

Happy Hiker Friends after a great week.

Last Day Deja Vu

1,500 Miles!

Today was our last day of hiking for this round of Trekking. Amicus has to go back to work. I have to move across the state for medical school. Unfortunately, just as spring is arriving on the Trail, begging us to stay, the real world comes knocking and demands that we leave. It was a beautiful day and we hiked 14 miles. One of the longest days this month. Within those 14 miles was the end of the Connecticut section of the AT and the beginning of Massachusetts.

Welcome to Massachusetts. Where hopefully we don't have so many silly rules about where you can and can not go in our State Parks.

We saw a huge owl this morning. It swooped down onto the Trail in front of us and killed something. Then it saw us coming and proceeded to stare us down from a tree right above our heads until we had walked passed it. I think it was worried that we were going to steal its breakfast. Later in the morning, we came across about a mile or a mile and a half of Trail that was completely charred. It still smelled like a campfire, so it had been burned recently. Even more interestingly, there were miles of firehose curled up alongside the trail, and a 500 gallon plastic reservoir (complete with a small pump in a nearby creek that kept it full) in a clearing in the middle of it all. Clearly something happened here. Whether it was a contraband fire (campfires are illegal on the AT in Connecticut) that got out of hand, or a planned, controlled burn for ecological reasons, I do not know. The smell of smoke was still thick in the air though, so I'm very glad we didn't happen to be hiking this section of Trail yesterday.

Scorched Trail

The second half of our hike was pretty difficult. It included two big climbs, one up Mount Everett, which was over 2,000 feet in elevation, and the only time this month that we've climbed that high. The ascents seemed to go on and on. There were lots of false summits, or high points that seem to level off so you think you've reached the top, only to round a corner and reveal that you have several hundred more feet to climb. I have to admit though, some of the views were spectacular. Just like last October, it's almost as if the Trail knows we have to leave today, and was sending us off with something amazing to remember her by.

Last Climb

It took us 9 hours to hike our last 14 miles. We definitely took our time. We stopped at every overlook, pretty view, interesting sign and babbling brook. The fact that I have a small cold probably contributed to the multiple breaks, but I was glad for the chance to savor the day. Somehow, this ending isn't quite as emotional as our last ending. Maybe it's because my Trail Angel isn't with me this time, so I feel like my team is incomplete. Maybe it's because we were here one month instead of five, and hiked 200 miles at once instead of 1,300. Maybe it's because I'm becoming accustomed to meeting the Trail in these spurts. One thing is for sure, it is not for lack of love of what I'm doing. Just like last time, as I stomped down the final hill, there was no epiphany. I still haven't "found myself" on the Trail. But once again, I feel like maybe my "self" was never lost at all. I am so proud to be here. So proud to have done this, to have the ability to do this, to have an amazing family that supports me in doing this. It is time, once again, to thank everyone who follows this for tagging along with me on this incredible adventure. I have absolutely no idea when I will be able to come back out here. Maybe I will have a few more weeks to trek before I start the next great adventure of my life at medical school. Maybe it will be a year from now. But I know the Trail will be waiting. And again, I leave with a promise to return. Like a childhood friend who loves you unconditionally, no matter how much time you spend apart, I know we will greet each other again soon and pick up right where we left off, like nothing ever changed between us. I am blessed. This world is beautiful. Life is beautiful. And I've only begun to dig my toes into the surface of it.

Nano and Amicus. Adventure Friends Always.

Miles from Springer: 1,503.4

Miles from Katahdin: 674.6

Quote of the Month (Paraphrased from a wise man name Whitman)

AFOOT and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose...

...Mon enfant! I give you my hand!
I give you my love, more precious than money,
I give you myself, before preaching or law;
Will you give me yourself? will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

Trekking with Zizzle

Nano and Zizzle on the Trail

Today we hiked a little over 10 miles, in the good company of our friend Zizzle, who came all the way from Pennsylvania to hike with us today. It was another beautiful spring day. The Trail was a bit easier than yesterday, with one big hill to climb with relatively flat Trail on either side. We passed a very fancy boarding school (which are apparently very popular up here), a hydroelectric power plant, and a very old, jam-packed cemetery. So there were lots of interesting things to see today. We even walked right by (and up onto) a very beautiful waterfall at a place aptly named Falls Village.

At the Falls. The Trail actually goes up to the top of the waterfalls, which was very neat.

We took our time. We spent almost an hour at the Falls. We stopped for lunch at the top of the big climb. When it's so nice out, it's hard not to dilly dally a bit so you can soak it all in. After we reached our destination for the day and did the dance of the vehicles to get everything in place for tomorrow, we meandered back to the RV and grilled some tasty burgers and roasted marshmallows on the campfire. We wanted to give Zizzle the real wilderness experience. Although we had it so nice today, I'm afraid he just got the impression that we're living the cushy life out here. Which, I have to say, some days I think so too.

To prove it, here's another picture of beautiful springtime on the Trail