Man vs. Wild

We went for a hike on a small portion of the Appalachian Trail with our neighbors John and Jonah. We drove to Western Mass. and parked my car near Lee. Then we drove about 20 miles north to Dalton and left John's car near the Crane Paper Museum, which was supposed to be near the trail according to John's map. Unfortunately, the map was old, and it took us about an hour to find the trail. Once on it, though, we quickly made it the 4 miles to our first night's destination - the Kay Wood Lean-To. We got our tents set up just in time for the rain. The showers slowed long enough for us to build a fire, but then it rained on and off most of the night.

The next day, we set out around 8AM for a long day's hike. Our goal was to make it to the October Mountain Lean-To by lunch time. We covered the 9 miles in about 4 hours, and we took a long break, enjoying the fire that John started (I took the opportunity to dry out my socks). Then we set out around 2PM to cover the next 10 miles to our final destination, Upper Goose Pond Cabin.

To say the hike was tough would be a severe understatement. Max and I did not do any training for the hike, so it took a lot for us to cover all 20 miles that day. My pack was about 35 pounds, and I paid for my gluttony. But we made it, and the cabin was a real treat. Staffed by volunteers, the cabin has 20 bunks (yes - real bunks with real mattress pads) and sits on the edge of a beautiful, serene lake. Taking a cool dip never felt so good.

We met the most wonderful couple there who were on a 6 month hike of the entire Trail. They "dropped out" in March and have been hiking since. Kelly is a school teacher and Ron is a graphic designer. They both had such a kind and gentle way about them, and it was a pleasure to keep company with them for a few hours that night and the next morning. After hiking only a tiny part of the Trail, I envy their courage and determination. They keep a running blog of their experiences here.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. I doubt I would run out to do it again, but it is certainly something we will always cherish.

Click here for pictures.