July 8 - On Top of Old Greylock

Post date: Jul 13, 2012 3:58:35 AM

The direction for "Five Pair" and "T” for the first half of the day? Up.

At The Cobbles yesterday they saw their quest for this day, Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts with its 3,491 foot summit. As the hikers worked their way upward, Trail Magic appeared consisting of a Coke and a Snicker bar. While "Five Pair" spent little time beginning her attack on the Snickers, the increased elevations also meant lower temperatures and windier conditions and the combination left "Five Pair" to carry the ice cold Coke. At the summit of Greylock, a cup of hot chocolate was the drink of choice and the Coke continued to be luggage.

Much like other high points within a State, Mt. Greylock is accessible via car and visitors are plentiful motivated by the view encompassing five states. Mt. Greylock is also noted for the uniqueness of its boreal forest, one of the southernmost occurrences of this forest type in North America and typically found on the southern edge of tundra areas. These visitors also find the thru-hiker to be a bit of a curiosity and questions are abundant. "Five Pair" and "T” are held up somewhat by friendly questioning visitors and the delay results in "Five Pair" describing their progress atop of Greylock as "moving like snails."

Leaving the summit of Greylock the hikers traveled over downward trending rocky ups and downs and into the valley floor where they traversed the Hoosic River via footbridge. Their day ended with a 1,000 foot elevation climb over the next 1½ miles to end the day tenting at the Sherman Brook campsite.

Another number mark achieved today as "Five Pair" passed the less than 600 miles to hike mark. Tomorrow: Vermont and the 1,600 miles hiked mark.

1589.5 miles complete/594.9 miles to go