We were out early again this morning, as we’ve been trying to get as many miles as possible in before the days get too hot. There were some brutally steep climbs this morning, and after each one it seemed we had to lose all the altitude that we had gained just so we could climb another steep hill. We were drenched in sweat pretty much all day. We only got a few views to make the effort worth it, but we also hiked through some interesting forest, with big tall pines and little undergrowth.
At one road crossing near Tyringham, MA some enterprising person set up a self-service, honor system refreshment shack complete with a running mini fridge full of sodas and gatorade, and a power strip to charge devices. You just left your money in a little sack to pay for whatever you took. We ate our lunch here, and enjoyed a few cold beverages which were just what we needed .
It rained just a bit on us in the afternoon as we hiked, but nothing too crazy. Our destination for the day was Upper Goose Pond cabin. It’s a half mile off the trail, but very much worth it. It’s a very popular stop for thru-hikers, and in fact there’s probably close to 20 here tonight. The cabin is a fully enclosed cabin with a 14 bed (with mattresses) bunk room on the second floor. The first floor has a common area, a nice porch, and a kitchen area. There are privies, a cooking area, tenting space, and a nice porch to relax on. The best part is the pond just below the cabin which is nice and clean. We went swimming, and they have canoes that can be taken out to explore. It’s easy to see why so many hikers are willing to hike an extra half mile to stop here for the night. I think another big reason might have something to do with the caretakers making pancakes in the morning.
We’re starting to run into more and more SOBOS (southbound hikers) and in fact there’s a few staying in the cabin tonight. It’s interesting to hear about what lays ahead of us right from people who have just hiked it, and it’s fun to give them advice on what we’ve seen. I expect we’ll be seeing more of these SOBOS over the next couple weeks.
