Summary: Hike 7 mile to Mass Pike to met Dave and April and drive 40 mi with Dave back to North Adams to reunite with my car. Thank you, Dave!
05:49 – wake up alone in a shelter. Strangely, the sleep was not good or sound. I was tossing and turning, woke up 3 times to see the stars and saw nothing.
I filtered another 16 oz. of murky water from the blader to have some for the road and still there was some water left to wash my hand and face.
06:09 – I gather all the things very quickly; we discuss the pickup details later today after 11AM on a parking lot with Dave and April, and their granddaughter.
06:49 I am departing the camp to start the hike. Two more just retired day hikes arriving from a parking lot. Strangely, they want to walk and stretch before going to work. Are they really retired?
07:16 -07:30 – hiked 0.98 / 6.4 to go. It is such a pleasure to keep moving. I am completely free when I am on the move. There is no one around. I am taking a break for morning abolitions. The trail here is very simple and rather flat. There is nothing that could stop me from finishing the section today. As a sigh of soon return to civilization – a bunch of messages and emails are starting to ping and chime on the phone.
07:58 I am crossing unremarkable Country Rd. Sing on a tree indicates 5.4 more miles remaining to the end.
08:39 I cross a road marked with orange triangles, likely a snowmobile route. On the map, it appears to be School House Trail.
09:00 – 09:16 – hiked 3.95 – 4.1 mi / 3.3 mi remains Elev. 1976′. +16°C – it is comfortable, even a bit chilly. I am on a random stop right on the trail. I landed on a large flat stone almost blocking the trail. So far, I’ve met 5 hikers today. I keep my cellphone on if David or April would need to call me. As promised, the rain will start only tomorrow at 1PM. LRCX in pre-market falls to 304. I place two LRCX orders to enter at $303 and at $288 if it continues to fall.
NOBO hiker number 6 just passed me. For the next 2 miles there will be a light climb.
[This was the last entry in the notebook done while still hiking. The next entry is written at 13:28 when I am sitting by Cheshire Reservoir on route 8]
09:33 I hear a characteristic chime on the phone – one of the trade orders executes 3 minutes after market opened.
10:00 only 1.9 mi remains
10:13 I am on top of Becket Mtn. 2180′. From here, it will be straight down for another 1.3 mi.
10:28 On the way down, I am crossing Becket Rd. 0.6 mi remains.
10:47 Ok. The hiking is coming to an end.
10:49 I can see route 20 and . . .
10:52 my bike is still here – hidden in the woods.
I have time to assemble the bike, attach my backpack and walking sticks, and I roll gracefully into route 20 parking lot that is not even 0.2 miles away. The whole group is already waiting for me in their folding chairs between their two cars. It is a happy reunion.
11:13 Dimond Dave helps me to load and attach the bike to his van.
12:32 We drove 40 mi in about an hour, and as promised Dave dropped me off by my car on Pattison Rd. in North Adams.
12:42 ODO 163.7 – +22°C – start driving home using route 8 this time
13:19 – 13:46 – ODO 178.1 +24.5°C – I am making a deliberate long stop in a tree shade at Cheshire Reservoir. LRCX that I bought at 303 is now at 315.
16:41 – ODO 315.2 +29.5°C – I arrive home in a light Friday morning traffic against the major traffic flow in apposite direction.
Navigate through the List
- 01 2026-07 Re-route work and appointments to free up time for 5th trip (2026/07/13)
- 02 2026-07-14 TU sudden start of the trip to Western MA (2026/07/14)
- 03 2026-07-15 WE - southbound over Mount Greylock to Cheshire and beyond (2026/07/15)
- 04 2026-07-16 TH - almost flat map section around Dalton, MA (2026/07/16)
- 05 2026-07-17 FR - finish one of the last AT sections in CT, MA, VT, NH and ME (2026/07/17)
- 06 2026-07 Fifth AT trip in two months (2026/09/18)
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