July 15, 2011 (Dalton, MA to Williamstown, MA) Daily Miles: 23.0 – Total Miles: 1,584.2

I got up just after sunrise. The other hikers were all still asleep. I wanted to thank Tom Lavardi for his hospitality, but after seeing him attack that bottle of peppermint schnapps the night before, I was sure he was passed out somewhere. I creaked open the screen door and continued following the white blazes down the the street in the cool, misty morning. I had over 23 miles to hike that day, including a big climb of Massachusetts’ highest peak, Mount Greylock, so I was pushing pretty hard. Knowing that I would see my family and eat a real meal was also great motivation. Once the mist burned off, the day became sunny and warm. For the entire morning I did not see another person, but knowing how fast the other hikers were, I knew it would not be long before they caught up to me. Around the middle of the day, I came to a huge field where the trail slithered up a hill. It was a gorgeous area and I stopped under a large tree to have my lunch. I only took a short break, but it was nice to sit in the shade and enjoy my pepperoni sandwich.

My picturesque lunch spot right before climbing Mount Greylock.

After the small hill was the beginning of the slow climb up to the summit of Mount Greylock at 3,491 feet. It wasn’t a huge challenge compared to climbing some of the five thousand footers in the South, but it was a good slog that was spread over a number of miles. It was a warm day and as I hiked, the sweat began to drip down my face. The trail was nicely shaded and in the woods for the entire climb, but the day seemed to grow more and more humid by the minute. This was one of the few times on the trail that I had to make it to my goal because I was meeting people. I enjoyed challenging myself, but I was pushing harder than I ever had before. Around the middle of the afternoon, I approached the summit of Mount Greylock. I knew that it was a popular, touristy kind of place for families to visit, but I was not expecting to find a road and a lodge at the top. As I wandered around the grounds, I ran into Derek and Jeremiah.

A cool looking pond near the summit of Mount Greylock.

I was happy to see some familiar faces and we all investigated the grounds together. We climbed the stone tower, sampled the bathrooms and snapped some photographs. Apparently, they were also meeting some friends in Williamstown, so we were all excited to get to town as fast as we could. Derek, Jeremiah and another hiker whose name I don’t remember, but I will call him “Eagle Breath,” joined me as we left the crowds and hiked back into the woods. We still had 6 miles from the summit of Mount Greylock to Williamstown, but the time flew by. Again, we all built on each other’s momentum and more or less ran down the mountain. We all hiked pretty closely together and everyone was talking and joking the entire time.

Here is a picture of me in the parking lot at the summit of Mount Greylock.

Before I knew it we had been spat out of the woods and were walking down a sleepy suburban street. I said goodbye to the crew and I walked down the main street toward the center of town. My parents had booked a motel room for us, and I walked down the street and found the place. It was a typical, doors on the outside, two level motel, but it looked clean enough. Since my parents were still a hour or so away, I decided to find a bite to eat. Right before the motel, I found a little diner where I stopped to enjoy a meal. The place was fifties themed, and full of people, which is always a good sign for a restaurant.  I ordered a BBQ bacon cheeseburger with fries and a shake. I don’t know if it was good, because I ate everything in under 2 minutes.

After dinner, I sauntered over to the motel and checked into the room. It was a small, clean room and I was happy to have made my goal. I had hiked 23 miles over some challenging terrain and arrived before dinner time. I was pretty proud of myself. The timing was good too, because I got a chance to hop in the shower before my parents arrived. When I had washed the dirt and sweat off of myself, I sat in the air conditioning and watched “Frasier”, until I heard a knock on the door. My parents were happy to see me and I was happy to see them too! We talked and caught up on all the news, I told stories, they told stories and we laughed a lot. It was a great evening.

The boys and I enjoying a nice view on our hike down off the summit.