Day 88 – Relentless

Start Milepost: 1585.9 Time: 05:58
End Milepost: 1606.3 Time: 15:45
Miles hiked: 20.4
Miles to go: 583.5
Weather: sunny
Temps: 40’s°, High 70’s°
Blue Side trails:
Resupply:
Overnight: Tent at Congdon Shelter
Map: Click on map pin

The Greylock Hostel where we stayed last night was rather unique. It had space for nearly twenty hikers; there were only three occupying bunks. The bunk-room was above a sun-room porch that also served as a presentation room. There was a guest speaker not unlike those at Len Foote Hike Inn. Once the speaker concluded his presentation, the attendees adjourned to the adjacent dining room where loud conversations were the norm. Any hiker upstairs in the bunk-room expecting to go to sleep before 21:00 is a loon. But it was a very clean and efficient hostel. No frills: shower and a bunk. Don’t try to open the windows – they don’t. Don’t try to hang your clothes and a towel in the one-person shower rooms while showering; the hooks are insufficient. Don’t drop the silver-dollar sized piece of soap; if you do, it will shatter.

Relentless, aka Papa, led the hike again today. He relentlessly climbs hills without stopping. About all I saw all day were either the place where my next foot would step, or where Relentless’ feet were. Often his feet were out of my view as he climbed swiftly up the mountains. That left me with my rhythmic breathing, racing heart and German boots trying to stay in his proximity. Great fun!

For the most part, there was little to see all day after photographing the rising sun. We are now in Vermont with the Green Mountains our area of activity. Many hikers refer to the state as Vermud due to the countless portions of the trail that consist of swaths of mud pits with an occasional slippery stepping stone tossed in it to tempt hikers to use them!

I also passed the 1600-mile point without noticing it. Perhaps it was mudded over. While it is notable that there are less than 600-miles to go, it is also irrelevant.

We took less than an hour of breaks to drink delightful colas left trail-side in North Adams, eat lunch and hold several, brief conversations with SOBO hikers.

I am still working thru my change in diet. Today was the first time I recall not having a PopTart for breakfast. I went with a breakfast square and a protein bar. Not too long afterwards I went for peanut crackers. Later still I ate Honey & Oats bars, a Cliff bar and then lunch consisting of bagel-thins and tuna salad out of a pouch and a snicker bar. Afternoon snacks included another Cliff bar, peanut crackers, Honey & Oats bars and another Snicker (double). Supper consisted of a Mountain House stew and M&M peanuts. Papa’s diet does not include the bagel and tuna or the Snicker bars, so I have no clue how he manages with just Cliff and protein bars. All said, I still did not eat all the food allocated (purchased and carried) for today. Nevertheless, I think eating is more fun than hiking, but I can’t do the former without the latter.

Camp tonight is beside a creek that helps drown out voices from the shelter population. Skeeters know we are here which made supper a quick event. Papa had pulled up a rock and we dined together – a first shared supper for me since last winter.

Tomorrow will not be as long or as tough as today although as fatigue continues to build, we have to be careful not to slack up on foot placement even early in the day.

And the iPhone battery charging process continues to delight me. Good for morale!