Record breaking 21 miles hike from Tom Leonard to Upper Goose Pond Cabin.
05:29 wake up in Tom Leonard shelter. During the night I carefully went out one time into the dark. It was a very quiet night, no rain, and it is a bit warmer – 7-13°C. My neighbor – Cruser – already woke up and is deliberately gathering his things. The young hikers upstairs are still sleeping.
06:11 I walked to Sherril’s tent and wrote down numbers for shuttles covering Connecticut to Vermont section of the AT.
06:43 start the hike with an immediate goal to reach the next shelter in 5 mi to have some breakfast. For the first half an hour the trail goes down from 1550′ to 950.
07:09 – in 1.5 mi I am crossing Lake Buel Rd. and smaller roads. Continue down till the next forest road in excellent condition.
07:28 I am crossing route 23 by entering Monterey, MA sign. Here is a large AT parking lot with a kiosk and trail magic. Here I found several jugs of fresh water. I replenished my water, replacing stinky water from the shelter. Also, I took multiple layers of clothing off.
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A map for today from Tom Leonard to Upper Goose Pond Cabin |
Mile-by-mile breakdown from CT to Mass Pike |
08:13 I am crossing Blue Hill Rd. Here I see the next shelters are at 2.1 and 3.9 miles. IT is going to be up and up from here.
09:15 I’ve reached Wilcox North Shelter, but I decided not to go in. I will continue to the next shelter in 1.8 mi. I’ve already completed 5.3 mi today.
After 10AM young hikes overtook me. I’ve tried to keep up, but I just couldn’t.
10:23 – 10:55 Taking a break right on the trail. I called Lira to offer to her to drive to Becket, MA and start hiking South towards me. That way we can spend the day together and she can drive me to my car. But she is OK to stay at home and wait for my return home.
11:24 Beartown Mountain Rd.
13:07-14:55 I am at Shaker Campsite. In 6.5H I completed 11 mi and can take a rest for the day. Instead, I will cook my dinner here (Indian Lentils) and continue the hike. Here there are two tent platforms and a picnic table. One bear was seen here back in 2018, but the sign “Frequent Bear Sightings” is still hanging on the tree. Water source – a spring – is about 0.1 mi along the trail to the North. Water still has a taste of rotten leaves, but it is clear and good for cooking and filtering.
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| At Shaker Campsite the bear was last seen in 2018 but the sign is still there | Dinner at 1 o’clock. To keep going till 8PM I need to eat now. |
It is 9.5 mi ahead of me to the next cabin. Can I reach there before dark. The sunset today will be at 20:17.
15:28 first obstacle – is Tyringham Cobble. That is a climb from 820′ to 1350′ and back down to 900′.
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| Changing socks on top of Tyringham Cobble | Crossing into private pastures via two-sided ladders. Cattle can’t cross these “check points”. |
15:39 – 15:48 – a quick break on the bench on top of Tyringham Cobble. Clear boots. Removed all extra layers of clothing.
By 4PM I am crossing Jerusalem Rd. and see “8.1 mi” sign to the Cabin. It is 1.4 mi in an hour. From this point I will try to cover 2 mi in hour to reach the Cabin by 8PM. Here we are crossing private lands, and you are crossing wooden ladders that people can climb, but cattle cannot.
16:28 – Good news. I am done with easy part on private lands, but I was able to complete 1.1 in 24 minutes.
17:00 – 5.8 mile remains to the Cabin
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| AT is free to hike and shelters are free to use, but someone still has to pay for all this upkeep. | It is 4:30 PM and I still have to go 7 more miles today |
17:27 – I am crossing Webster Rd. where it is not clear where to go next. Passing motorist mistakenly points where to go, but I quickly correct my steps.
18:00 – 3.9 miles to the Cabin
18:19 – 3.2 mi remains. I am moving at a speed of 1.9 mph. For this break I will drink water, apply bug spray, and rest. FarOut elevation profile shows there is one bump to climb forthcoming.
18:37 – I am Crossing Goose Pond Rd. Sign shows 4.3 to Mass Pike. It means I already covered today 22.1 – 4.3 =~ 18 mi.
19:00 – 1.9 mile to the Cabin
19:48 – I am approaching Goose Pond with picturesque sunlight on the water
19:58 – I am turning from AT to a side trail to the Cabin.
20:00 – only 0.2 mi to the Cabin
20:11 – I’ve reached the Upper Goose Pond Shelter
20:22 – I’ve checked in for free, selected the bunk on the second level and now I am ready to boil water for my tea.
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| As you getting closer to the Cabin, you get a glimpse on the pond. | The door that I wanted to reach last several hours. Just grab your bank, cook your food, relax. |
21:03 – In the dark, I am among the last ones to boil the water and settle. Today I’ve completed 21.7 mike of hiking. My personal record.
On the red back metal ladder, I caught a weak cell signal to complete my Duolingo for the week. And of course, the rain started while I was on the deck. I am removing all the clothes from the rails and stuffing them into bags to use as a pillow.
Navigate through the List
- 2025 CT to MA Appalachian Trail trip preparation (2025/05/21)
- Day 1 - 2025-05-22 Thursday - start the hike from Salisbury (2025/05/22)
- Day 2 - 2025-05-23 Friday - cross into MA (2025/05/23)
- Day 3 - 2025-05-24 Saturday - hike 14 miles to be in the hut (2025/05/24)
- Day 4 - 2025-05-25 Sunday - hike 21.7 miles to a cabin (2025/05/25)
- Day 5 - 2025-05-26 Monday- bike back to car (2025/05/26)
- May 2025 AT trip - lessons and consequences (2025/05/27)
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