Day 136

Okay, I zero’d yesterday in Great Barrington. On the day I got there, I was able to shower, do laundry and find the leak in my sleeping pad and patch it. By then, I was hungry for dinner and then ready for bed. It was my most expensive town stay by far but I enjoyed it. The price of the Marriott hotel was absolutely ridiculous even with the “hiker rate discount” but I was happy to have a tub to use to find the leak in my pad, the buffet breakfast, jacuzzi and swimming pool. I took advantage of all of it. The Chinese restaurant was good but pricy too. At the local brew pub, I tried their beers, had a salad, bacon cheeseburger and chips and then took on the challenge of eating a 2 pound double chocolate stout cake slice. I devoured it to the astonishment of the locals. I know I couldn’t have been the first hiker they’ve seen with hiker hunger!

Today, a couple who were leaving the same hotel to go back to trail had a shuttle coming to get them and offered for me to join them as long as the driver didn’t mind. I paid half the shuttle price. It saved me 4.5 miles of off-trail street walking so it was worth it. The hike today wasn’t bad at all. A bit of a climb first thing but that’s always the case when leaving town.

I had my first bear encounter today. It could have cared less that I was there. It must have just crossed the trail and I banged my poles and yelled, “hey bear” to scare it off. It just stopped, looked at me, turned away and continued its slow meandering around the area. I just continued facing it while walking slowly along the trail until I was well passed it and then continued on. I tried to get it on camera too, and did, but not very well. I need to get better at aiming my camera while looking at something and not my phone. Anyway, glad I got my bear encounter. Now I just need to see a moose when I get further up the trail. I pushed 4.1 miles further than the shelter I was going to go to since I saved 4.5 miles not having to road walk. That will give me a short 10.4 mile day tomorrow as I really REALLY want to stay at Upper Goose Pond where I could swim if I like or what I really want to do, take a canoe out onto the water. I’ll push an 18+ mile day after that to make up for the short day. It’ll be worth it.