Just an easy day today, a quick 12 miles. I want to leave time to visit the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. I'm also staying with my sister and her family in Pittsfield. My mom is visiting them as well. I want to leave time to spend with everyone. After a downpour this morning as we were getting ready, the rain seems to have stopped, at least for now. I imagine the trail is pretty muddy today, so I decided to leave Madison with Lynn.
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I was hoping I would run into 'The Lady and the Tramp' again today, and I did. Because I didn't have Madison to distract Duke, I was able to get a picture of Jess and Duke together.
I liked the trail name 'The Lady and the Tramp' so much that I've been thinking of using it for myself. Where Madison is a female dog, she would be the Lady and I would be the Tramp. I wanted to check with Jess before I used it. She said it was fine with her since she 'stole' it from Walt Disney. I've gone back and forth with trail names before, so I'll think on it and maybe give it a try.
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This was the longest boardwalk I had been on since the one over Pochuck Swamp in NJ.
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I crossed Tyringham Road where I saw a hiker putting his pack in the trunk of a car. I saw a long yellow wiffle ball bat. It had to be Mr. Wiffle who I had met a few days earlier. I walked over to the parking lot to say hi.
"Hi Mr. Wiffle! I met you and took your picture the other day." I said.
"Oh yes. I remember you now." he said
"I didn't notice until I looked at your picture later that you carry a wiffle ball bat. I'm sure that's how you got your name. Do you play in the evening at the shelters?" I asked.
"When I started my thru hike, I met a couple other sobos. We talked about playing wiffle ball. I bought a bat in the next town and haven't seen them since."
Mr. Wiffle was being picked up by a bunch of friends and was getting off the trail for the rest of the day. I wished him well.
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Then it started to rain and rain and rain. I've been fortunate on this trip. I hadn't had much rain and at least I had my raincoat.
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The rain must be bringing out these orange salamanders. I've seen a bunch of them.
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After a couple hours, the rain stopped. I took off my raincoat and stuffed it in my pack. A few minutes later a hiker came up behind me and acted like he knew me.
He could tell I didn't recognize him. He then whipped off his hood and said, "It's Surge."
It was great to see my sobo friend again, but he was heading north like me.
"Surge, it's great to see you! But aren't you going the wrong way?" I asked.
"I'm slack packing today. I'm trying to get in 40 miles today." he said.
"FORTY, Wow!"
He was hiking at quite a clip. He had to if he was going to hike 40 miles. He was going much faster than I usually hike. I was looking for some company and figured I could keep up for at least a little while. We flew passed Upper Goose Pond so I didn't get a picture of it. We then stopped at the intersection with the trail that leads to Upper Goose Pond Cabin which apparently serves pancakes in the morning.
Surge was hoping for some leftovers, but the cabin was a half mile off the AT. Since the rain had stopped, Surge decided it was a good time to change his wet socks.
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I moved on ahead while he changed his socks. At the rate he was moving, he would catch up in no time. I made it up and over another hill before reaching Interstate-90.
I crossed over I-90 East . . .
. . . dropped down a little . . .
. . . crossed I-90 West . . .
. . . dropped down some more . . .
. . . and went under the bridge I just walked across.
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I briefly went back into the woods and crossed one more bridge.
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I came out on Route 20 where Lynn and Madison were waiting for me. I knew Surge was right behind me, so we got some food together to resupply him for the day. He came out of the woods a minute later and was very appreciative of the food. Between Lynn and myself, we had run into Surge four different times on this trip, but knew this would be the last. Tomorrow I have just an 8 mile section to do which Surge had already done. Then Lynn, Madison, and I head back. Surge remembered my website that I gave him a few days ago. I told him my email address was on there and that we would love to hear from him. We offered to give him a ride if he felt he needed to abort his forty mile day, but he was determined. Lynn asked Surge the other day how he liked the trail. He said that it was the best thing he has ever done. Surge, good luck and safe hiking on the rest of your journey!
Lynn and I then went and enjoyed touring the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. Photography isn't allowed in the building so I don't have any pictures. I love his paintings, and it was fun seeing so many of his originals rather than prints.
