**Facebook Post 100417 at 9:49AM**
Camping… It’s in tents!
(Intense… Get it? Huh! Huh! Huh!)
Seriously, I’m a total hobo now. Last night I basically slept in a church yard next to a parking lot. What’s next? The intention was just to go there to charge my phone, so I didn’t have to draw on my battery packs, but they immediately offered sleeping arrangements to me before I could even think about asking. So, I told them I would charge up, maybe use the bathroom and think about staying the night… They got me. It was just too easy.
It also helped that my “girl issue” decided to show up unannounced and completely at the wrong time, again, as I’m using the bathroom. Good timing at least. The whole reason I’m on birth control this year is to avoid that damage, but apparently my body, for some unknown reason, whenever I hike, likes to go with the flow, often and at random. Even the pill doesn’t work. Awesome. There goes $30 down the tube, per month.
The church, Saint Mary of the Assumption, is located in Cheshire, MA. Really cute little town where literally the gas station and like two other stores make your shopping choices. I’m sure there is more somewhere on some other side of town I’m not seeing, but from what I’m being exposed to, this is it. Between the three stores, I grabbed a couple odds and ends (thanks girl time) and am managing to leave town with a hot coffee and a breakfast sandwich in my belly. Yum.
The Appalachian Trail goes straight through town. And actually, yesterday on my way off trail and before venturing in, I had made my first stop at the brand new Dollar Store. This morning was the convenient store (HD Reynolds), which wasn’t so convenient. They were more of a pawn/hardware store. I was there for girl products. Not the right shop, which brought me full circle to the Shell that also happened to be a Dunkin’ Donuts… Shangri La.
Anyway, it was freaking cold as hell last night which meant only one thing… Condensation. My everything was wet this morning. The church had an outlet near its back door and I woke up super early with the intent of charging my phone while I attempted to dry my stuff somehow and pack. Their outlet, which was on the exterior of their building by the back door, pretty much juiced my phone in a trickle. I was left hanging about, killing time. Finally, I’m thinking it’s well after 8AM, time to go, wet tent or not, charged or not.
Packing it up, I headed for HD Reynolds, and like I said, they didn’t have what I needed. Which leaves me in this Dunkin Donuts, Shell Station, sipping on a Pumpkin Machiato and writing. Unlike the trickle electric I found at the church, Dunkin’s is on fire. 94% means it’s time to consider downing what’s left of my coffee and heading out.
I’m going to say, I can tell being at my family’s has gone two ways for me. One, I got spoiled and went soft and seriously have my doubts about wanting to finish the remainder of my miles. Plus, I find myself looking for any little reason to say sleep in a church parking lot rather than on trail. The other, two, is I do feel refreshed and a lot cleaner. Since it’s cold, none of my hiking is leaving me with that all over gross slimed feeling of sweat soup. For the most part I’m feeling OK.
The foot hurts on and off again. Still pretty sure I broke or fractured something, but I’m not letting that stop me anyway. I reached out to Fox to see where she was. Maybe she’d be close enough to catch up, but she said she’s still in Vermont. And my two buds who I walked into Williamstown with have finished.(Hell yeah guys!) So, I’m rolling solo.
Solo is cool, but like I said I was just with family. That side of my family is huge. I remember thinking as I’m brushing my teeth in the bathroom the other day at my aunt and uncle’s, how it sounded like a busy restaurant downstairs. Next thing I know I’m talking to myself in the woods, alone. Culture shock.
Well, enough babble…. My Machiato is at chugging level and the woods are calling. Let’s lay some miles. Shall we?
**Facebook Post 100417 at 10:44AM**
Water, water, anywhere???
BTW… I am carrying twice the water weight right now. Clean water has been getting harder and harder to come by. If you are behind me going south, just keep this in mind.
I’m cool with collecting out of desperation from some sources, but if it’s a choice to collect questionable water or hike on, I usually hike on and ration, but when source after source, after source, seems questionable, you do what you have to. So, I’m carrying heavy, rationing from the start and hoping to get to another town or an actual clean source before crap hits the fan and I’m out. Of course, I will try my best not to let that happen, but… Luckily, there are more towns close to the trail coming up. Plus, I know this is actually a bad habit, but I don’t drink as much as I should anyway. I’m almost never in a state of thirst. I’m usually forcing it down. So, rationing is never a problem for me. AND it’s cool out, so not a lot of sweat.
Wish me luck! And good luck to you other south-bounders who are making your way down! May clear waters find you!
**Facebook Post 100417 at 12:45PM**
Several years ago if a bug flew down my throat, I’d stop in my tracks and gag and almost vomit trying get it up. Then I’d spend the next 15 minutes spitting, hoping somehow it had come up. Today I swallow.
(Shut it Jason Kreider!)
4:45PM Start Day 46 (100417)
•4:45PM (Estimate) Dalton, MA
(Mile 621.1)
•6:30PM Day Mountain near Barton Brook footbridge (Mile 623.6) sleep
•5:00AM Wake up, pack up
•6:45AM On trail
•4:45PM (Estimate) Upper Goose Pond Cabin (Mile 641.7)
4:45PM End Of Day 46
APPROX 20.6 Miles
