| August 24, 2005 |
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August the 24th and I'm standing on
top of Mt Greylock elevation is 3,491 feet and it's colder than
Sades. Here lies the peak of the highest mountain in Mass.
The other plaque says 'A beacon standing for peace.'
Can't
make out the rest, to much wind interference. Kathy
There is 360 degree view from the top of this mountain all
the way around. It is lined with pine trees. A lot of yellow
butter cups are blooming up here. Also golden rod and black
eyed Suzan's. The sky is over cast. There's a lot clouds
up here. I'm actually in the clouds. I can see them
rolling by. I have a feeling this hike is going to be all the
way down since I'm starting on the top. |
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I'm hiking down hill on a stone path
through a lot of spruce trees. Undergrowth is pine, some weeds
where the light can get in. The sun is shinning today, a
little warm, but very cold right on top of the summit. I'm
getting into some big boulders now in the trail. There's a
pretty marble rock. So far it's just steps down, but rock all
over. |
 I came down on the hill from some very good
size boulder tops. As I cross the I'm getting into some board
planks where the water stands in this area quite a bit when it
rains. It's damp. No wonder it was wet and soggy,
and they needed a boardwalk, here is a pond right on top of this
mountain. This a beautiful little place, it has a little New
England type of shanty shelter right on the edge of it. It's starting to sprinkle. I'm glad I brought
my rain jacket. Cold up here. A nice little cottage
house on this pond. The water in this pond is very dark.
This terrain changes fast, I'm going up
hill of large boulders, a lot of weeds, and dense pines. A lot
of roller coaster through here. Something really smells good
in this area. I don't know what it is. I know one thing
I won't be fooling around up here to long today, it's cold up here! |
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I'm down far enough now where the breeze in
not hitting me like it was before. I'm seeing some white paper
birches among the spruce. Also getting into some hemlocks.
There's pool right in the middle of the trail. Amazing how
much water there is on top of this hill. I standing beside on
of the biggest patches of lady slippers that I've ever seen.
All in one place that is. This is also an area where there's a
lot of marble out cropping among the rocks and trail. |
|
From this vista where I'm standing now I
can look back at the war memorial tower back on Greylock. It
is surrounded by clouds, some rather dark grayish color. Then
above it is bright blue sky. When I was up there I could feel
the clouds go by my face. |
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I would not want to come here at night by
myself through these pines. It would be very dark and very
spooky. A lot of roots from the pine and birch trees in the
trail and that make it easy to trio and fall over those roots.
I'm surprise at how much roller coaster and how mush level there is
through here. |
|
Just passed the Mark Noepel Lean-to going
south. This is real level section that I'm hiking through, but
there is a lot wind damage where it's uprooted trees, they're just
laying on their side. Coming down the hill you had to either
hike around them or through them. |
|
I've met 3 of my friends going north that
I've been hiking with, wished them a safe journey and that I would
probably see them when I flip flop. The trail is taking me
down on long switch backs, however I would not want to teeter to my
right either way because it's straight down over the hill. |
|
Coming off this hill it's a huge hemlock
pine forest, very mature with no undergrowth, so everything looks
brown and dead. Simon is no where around. He's probable
in town ahead of me. I looked around and found a blaze at a
switch back turn. |
|
I think Simon must have ice cream on his
mind, because he's been up ahead of me all day. For one thing
the only thing he has in his pack is water. One on each side.
He is enjoying the slack packing today also. |
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I'm getting close to civilization, I passed
my first stone boundary line fence today. Now back into the
pint trees and the roots. |
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I can tell I'm in lower ground now.
It's muddy, also a lot of undergrowth. Looks almost like a
thicket. The heat wave just struck coming out of the woods.
This sky is beautiful today. Goes from a bright blue down to a
real light blue at the edge of the mountains. Big old puffy
clouds that look like marshmallows. Just gorgeous! This
is the clearest day in northern Mass. that I have seen along the
trail. |
|
I just leaned today how to take a video with my
camera. So I tried it in a couple of different places just to
see what I with it. I think I just about to come into the
small village of Cheshire. Where Bob and Laura Garrity will be
meeting me. |
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They have been just wonderful hosts.
They came and picked me up at the launder mat yesterday morning
drove me back to their house in Pittsfield and I was able to get a
hot shower and wash my clothes. Then yesterday evening when
Bob came home and we took a ride in the car to see the area where
they grew up. Then we came back and went to the grocery store
and Laura fixed a wonderful home cooked meal with fresh corn, fresh
squash, and turkey with gravy and rice. That really tasted
good. Simon and Bob really get along well. It's been a
good hiking day. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A little less
strenuous than I thought it was going to be. |
|
We'll be going back to Laura's house this
evening and my husband will be coming tomorrow afternoon. I'm
going to slack pack again tomorrow back into Dalton. Laura
helped me do the channel 9 interview this morning before we left.
She sews burial for preemies to new born. She does excellent
work. I just wish all of COHC could see some of these garment
made for these precious children. A lot of love, a lot of time
goes into making these little delicate clothing. |
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I'm going to call it a day. I'll be talking to
you tomorrow. Going to get Simon and myself some ice cream! |
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August 25, 2005 |
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I slack packed the next day from Dalton Mass. to
Cheshire. and went north. This was easier for Bob to go to
Dalton in the morning than Cheshire. He picked me us at
the ice cream stand that evening and Simon and I had ice cream and a
chance to hike on RR trail there for about an hour. |
|
Swing'n Jane and
Simon |
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