Overtax.

The beginning of my hike in Massachusetts had me going up and down Mount Everett. It had been raining the last few days, and the descent was quite steep and rocky. I slipped and fell on my side. I wasn’t injured, just a few scratches, but it was a jarring experience. From here on out, I’ll be extra careful on the downhills.

However, I was anticipating a much-needed reprieve. My mom and aunt were coming to visit me for a few days. They picked me up off the trail near Great Barrington, MA, and got a couple of rooms at a nearby hotel. It was great seeing them, but it was also doubly great to enjoy long, hot showers and sleep in a real bed for a few days. I did have a few chores to do: classic laundry, resupply, and hunt for a few needed items. But we did have time to enjoy bits of the Berkshires. The two days went by quickly, but it was a much-needed and much-appreciated visit. I love you both

The night after getting back on the trail, I arrived at Upper Goose Pond Cabin. It was a four-walled cabin with a caretaker who cooked pancakes and coffee for the hikers the next morning. It was a terrific decision to stop there, and I also clicked back up with Fresh and Talley Joe, whom I would end up hiking with or around for quite a while afterward.

I then rolled into the town of Dalton, where I camped in a man’s backyard. Tom Levardi has been allowing through-hikers to camp in his yard for over 30 years. A group of us were there and enjoyed visiting local restaurants and getting ice cream. The next morning, I even took a shower at the local recreation center, which provides its services to through-hikers free of charge. It was a perfect trail town.

I soon found myself climbing Mount Greylock toward the end of a long day. This ended up being the first big climb in a while and also set the stage for what the rest of the trail would have in store. It was rather tiring, and I may have bitten off a little more than I could chew. The next day I woke up exhausted and unmotivated. I trudged a few miles to a grocery store, where I bought a few snacks and simply sat down for a few hours. It had been raining on and off for the past few days as well, which did not help my motivation to keep moving.

I only hiked 5 miles the day after I hiked Greylock. I just didn’t have it in me that day, and I will have a few more days like that in the future. But that’s okay. The mental and physical strain really can add up over time, which occasionally leads to days when I hang out in front of a grocery store all day like a homeless person.

Editor’s note: I’m still behind on posts, about a couple weeks. Just wanted to give a live update that all is good and I’m (hopefully) in my last month of my hike.