Day 6 – Hike #8 Slackpacking Massachusetts
Day 6 – Appalachian Trail – Cheshire to Mt Greylock 8 miles with 3,048 gain and 528 loss.
“We’re leaving together, but still, it’s farewell. It’s the final countdown.” – Europe
It’s our last and final day hiking together. “You have to take what the day gives you,” Linda said. And boy/oh boy, today gave me much more than I ever expected.
It was a winter of heavy snow in 1850 when Herman Melville planted himself at his writing table. As he wrote, snowcapped Mount Greylock, resembling a white whale breaching the surface, was always with him. Today, we hiked Mount Greylock, the majestic peak that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby-Dick.
The majority of the day was spent with fresh scents of evergreen and balsam fir, as we climbed 3,048 feet to the summit. Maybe the climbs seemed easier for me, because I couldn’t stop thinking about my husband and how incredibly challenging his climb has been. Cancer is an unpredictable adversary that doesn’t follow a path or have a clear summit. Unlike a mountain, where the goal is visible and the climb measurable, cancer’s terrain is filled with uncertainty, sudden changes, tons of opinions, and many moments of despair. Hiking the AT tests the body’s strength and endurance, but battling cancer challenges the very essence of one’s spirit and will to live. Words cannot capture the overwhelming joy I felt when he reached the summit and received the news that he was cancer-free. He is my hero, and of course he is the one cheering ME on every day with words of encouragement and love. I am a lucky girl.
Compared to some of our longer days, the day was very enjoyable. The General’s quote was quite fitting for the long climb. “A good plan now is better than a perfect plan later, a simple plan violently executed is the key to success.” Our goal was to vigorously conquer Mount Greylock, and we did just that. Towards the end of our hike, Linda marveled at the beautiful quartz rocks jutting from the ground. We encountered another snake and scrambled over countless rocks, reminiscent of my Pennsylvania treks on the AT with my husband. Chef Claire Bear treated us to refreshing lemonade about a mile from the summit, and we triumphantly finished our journey together at the top of Mount Greylock.
Each one of these Appalachian Trail hikes is an extraordinary feat of physical endurance and mental fortitude, of which my new AGC friends should be very proud. We did it. We hiked 66 miles in Massachusetts! We were a team from beginning to end.
We returned to the house and relaxed on the front porch, enjoying some appetizers. As I headed upstairs to grab a jacket before dinner, Tori suddenly rushed up, exclaiming, “Kim, there’s a bear. Hurry!” I dashed down the stairs like a bat out of hell. We all snuck out onto the front porch, and I nearly knocked Donna over to get down the stairs.
Pam and I sprinted through the yard in search of the bear. When we reached Lisa’s yard (Lisa, our neighbor and the owner of the house, had called to say the bear was back), I held my phone up and began snapping pictures while scanning the area. I caught sight of the bear, but just as I clicked for the next shot, she ducked behind some brush. Lisa quickly ushered Pam and me into her house and out to the back stoop. She pointed out the rustling branches where one of the cubs had just scrambled to the base of a tree. We had seen the mother bear and two of her cubs. Wow! Seeing a bear in the wild has always been a dream of mine. It came true, on my very last evening here.
What an amazing day, which ended with an incredible drawing by Chef & Artist Claire Bear which included our trail names, the famous Pam Sandwich, and Jody’s favorite chips.
Then we all went to dinner at 51 Park Restaurant & Tavern, a lovely restaurant in downtown Stockbridge, Massachusetts. I am very sad to leave, but filled with forever memories.
Plus, I now have 84.15 total miles logged on the AT, and I got to see a bear!!! Her name is Bearniece.
