Dalton, MASS

Hello from Massachusetts! Well, I have to admit we've been having a rather soggy time of it lately. It was great staying in Kent at Sprout's friends' home, they treated us well and drove us back to the trailhead. Unfortunately there was quite a bit of rain thereafter, mostly beginning on the day we left CT. It was actually a pretty dangerous situation, because mostly the trail runs over rocks wet with rain, and of course usually up or down a steep slope, sometimes to the point of climbing hand-over-hand. I remember saying at one point how lame it would be to slip and fall to my death there, in Connecticut, the geek of all the AT states. I mean, there's no big mountains, the views were only alright, it's a very short state in terms of miles... really it has nothing going for it. Of course no sooner had the words left my mouth, when I slip on the rocks again and nearly fall. I apologized profusely to the state, assuring it that I found it to be cool and dangerous.

Well, since then we only had one day of sun, not counting today, as I hear it's going to rain later. Massachusets has been probably my least favorite state thus far. The Berkshire Hills are more of a plateau than a mountain range; even at elevation you're mainly on flat ground, at least thus far; I know Mt Greylock will change all that. But there's just a ton of ponds, marshes, and swamps up there, meaning mosquito hell. It's supposedly the worst state for them on the AT, I hear. And all the rain is not helping. You stop for a break or to catch your breath on a hill and you're immediately swarmed.

And then the rain, for God's sake, the rain. Ok, we haven't been caught out in much of it, but it still is making life difficult. Yesterday was the worst. After recieving some awesome trail magic from Freefall's parents (brownies, soda, chips, pretzels, hummus, and fresh fruit), about 9 of us left in a train of thru-hikers, making for the shelter (a 3 sided lean-to, which are to be found along the entire length of the trail spaced roughly 10 miles apart, like bunkhouses) 1.8 miles away. We were sped along by the rumbling thunder in the distance that seemed to be moving closer and closer. About a half mile from the shelter we were moving very fast, dodging all the flooded sections of the trail as best we could. We began to hear the rain falling ahead, moving towards us as we hurried towards it; imagine 9 hikers at a dead run up up a steep rise trying to make the shelter that finally is in sight. And we made it, too, to watch a half hour of torrential rain and pea-sized, then golfball-sized hail.

As soon as it finished, Enoch, the one of us with any motivation left at this point, says "lets go," so we saddle up and grudgingly head out. The trail was a river, I quickly gave up any notion of keeping my feet dry and just waded through the ankle deep puddles. Which was fortunate since we soon came to a dirt road, actually now a raging river a foot deep in a brown rush of water. There would be several of these to come, some roads, mostly streams, the stepping stones or plank bridges underwater. The trail itself was under water for abouty 4 miles, either flowing or puddled, and freezing cold from the hail. We laughed our way through it, mostly, but as the 9 miles to the next shelter, home for the night, dragged on my mood fell. So did I, several times, once very hard on a wood bridge. Thought I broke my elbow, and took a long time getting up. But thanks to good friends, I was feeling better before we reached the lean-to, cold and wet though my feet were, and hungry as I was. Knowing I was close to done for the day helped too.

But Marsh-achusetts has definitely become my least favorite state so far. I don't think we've even had a view in the last three days, just trees, mud, mosquitos, and swamps. I'm excited to get to Vermont and some real mountains again.

Today we're in town for a quick resupply. Well, not quick, been in town for hours now, but as soon as I finish this I'm heading to a church hostel in Cheshire, about 9 miles away. My boots are still soaked, and I hear the trail is a muddy, wet mess the next 20 miles or so, but I'll push on. I feel kinda bad; we've been traveling in a pretty big group lately, with Neon, CC Rider, Orangedust and her dog, KBomb, Enoch, Icarus, and Sprout, and have been having one hell of a good time; but I think we're about to split up. CC is sick with some intestinal bug, and Neon, who's been his hiking partner for a long time, will stay with him, as will Orangedust probably. And Sprout gets off the trail today, her section hike over. Figures, all the girls are staying behind. Hopefully we'll see them down the line soon. I guess that'll have to be it for now, I want to try and beat some of this weather if I can.

PS: I did get the tent safe and sound, thanks mom. And for the cold-weather gear, I'm going to need my gloves, long johns, and the thick wool socks. I'll let you know which town to send it to when I get that figured out.