North Adams, MA to Seth Warner Shelter

My plane landed in Boston @ around 12:30 am (I should have flown into Albany). It was good to see Pop. His hair has gotten more white and I was reminded how jealous I am of the white hair. After a very late McDonalds dinner we made our way to Springfield, MA before renting a hotel room for the night. I was in a furry the next morning as I tried to tie up loose ends from NIWeek. We had a late breakfast (11:30 am) at Cracker Barrel and made it to North Adams by 1:30. We bumped into the trailhead by luck (we didn't know where it was) also were lucky enough to find a nice business where the ladies let us fill our water bottles. After calling the police to let them know where we were leaving our car, we did a quick pack check and took off. Pop had a few extra things but for the most part we were good to go.

I picked a heck of a first day! I think we did somewhere around 2500 ft of elevation gain and about 7.1 miles to Seth Warner Shelter. Pop and I were both very tired but I have to say Pop impressed me. He never gave any sign of giving up even though I could tell he was hurting. As for me, although my body started to wear I was constantly fresh and excited mentally. I was finally out there! I could have pushed the body further just because of my frame of mind. I had forgot how beautiful it is here.

It rained all morning but by 2:00 it was done so it was wet but probably around 70 deg so it was cool/fresh. When my legs brushed the ferns I could feel hundreds of droplets on my legs which were chased by the cooling rush as my motion blew air over them. We followed a gorgeous stream for the first couple of miles. The forest here is so comfortable for me. Your are completely embraced by the trees. the canopy, the vegetation the thick moss on the ground, the muffled sounds as they are quickly absorbed. I immediately felt a million miles from civilization and content with my decision to be here.

We arrived at the shelter around 7:00 and were glad to be here. We have a shelter buddy (Connie from upstate NY, used to be in the Air Force but is retired and she started the Long Trail today! She plans to finish all 270 miles of it in 26 days.... more power to her!)

I am grateful to be out here. Grateful to Anne for letting me go. Grateful to Pop for coming and grateful to our Heavenly Father for this place. At one point we actually had a break in the tree cover and I was able to see the valley covered in a dark green blanket of trees. This place is full of life and I feel it too. I look forward to tomorrow. My goal is to cross VT-9 and camp at the shelter just past that. I will have to see how we do.

Things I forgot!
- Butt paste (for treating chaffage)
- Cell phone charger (for when I get out of the woods)
- A watch

Appendix:
- To keep the critters off of food, the shelter has a little contraption which is basically an inverted tin can suspended from the roof. The rope used to suspend the can extends through the top and below the can where a stick is attached and where you can tie up anything you would like to. The can keeps opportunistic "mini-bears" from getting your food.