Bunny doesn’t make any logical sense. More than likely, I can expand that to women don’t make any logical sense. We pay for a night in town with a bed, shower, and toilet and Bunny wants to get up early. We camp on the ground in the woods and she wants to sleep in. If I pay for town, I want to get every minute. However, I’m not in control.
Bunny was up at 7 feeling refreshed and chipper. I tried to ignore her which only made her louder. If she tells me to sleep, I sleep, no questions asked. Good husband. I told her to go back to sleep, I got a lecture about how we need to get miles behind us (the same lecture I used in the first 6 states on the trail when I was told I need to chill—now that I’m chilled, I have to get a sense of urgency…bad husband). I gave in and got up…good husband.
We were the only ones up in the house. It was still raining outside. I packed up and got dressed only to hear the rain stop. Dammit, this will only encourage her. We walked up the street to the coffee shop for some breakfast. The rain stayed quiet playing into her hand. I got overheated drinking the coffee yet got no sympathy. “We need to hit the trail by 9, man up.”
When we walked back into the house, Sandra took my side and said if we wanted to relax for a few more hours, she had other things she could do. Sir Stops a Lot came down and said he was taking a zero after he looked at the weather. Bunny tried to act reasonable, but in the end, she said we should go.
The drive back to the trail was too quick. I wanted to go sightseeing. Show me Meryl Streep’s house. It didn’t matter, everyone had already forgotten about me. Still no rain. Sandra dropped us off and drove away. Of course, the rain started as soon as her car was out of sight.
The goal is to make it over half way to Great Barrington, MA. To do this, we only need to climb 3 mountains. The tallest mountain in CT, an even taller one in MA, followed by the second tallest mountain in MA—Mt Everett. It sounds ominous to me. Too close to Everest. I look at the map. If we climb Mt Everett 8 times, we still wouldn’t be as high as Everest base camp. I’m starting to feel optimistic. The rain intensifies.
Not 10 minutes up the first mountain, we come to a 20’ rock wall we need to get down. It’s raining harder and slick as snot. We can’t find a way that looks safe. Bunny suggests we go back and wait out the rain. Oh hell no. We’ve come this far, we’re not going to wait four days. We back track a bit and find a path down through the woods and back up. I’m guessing if we have lots of obstacles like this, our speed will be around 1 mph. It’s going to be a long day.
We pass a guy in his hammock that hasn’t given any indication of moving. Up another rise, we pass two guys standing in ponchos looking a little confused. I cheerfully said “only 4 days of this and then we’ll have good weather.” What? We need to make it to Great Barrington tomorrow. I’m optimistic now, feeling invigorated by the rain and lack of bugs. “No problem, it’s only 20 miles.”
The trail gives, and the trail takes. The rain couldn’t decide what it wanted to do, so the trail took my good attitude and gave us high humidity and just one fly to make sure I was miserable again. We decided to stop for a break after 4 miles which had been a continuous climb (albeit, moderate). The three guys we passed earlier camping now all passed us. The two guys turned out to be from France so we talked a bit about our visit there last year. When we mentioned that we really loved the Tour du Mont Blanc one of them was very excited and said he already has plans to hike it when he gets back to France.
This was how the rest of the day went. Rain like mad until we get out our umbrellas and then immediately stop. We walk with umbrellas until we get overheated from the humidity so we stop to put them away. Mosquitoes swarm us while we are stopped. We start to walk, wipe sweat off of our faces, and then the rain starts. Repeat cycle.
After descending Bear Mountain, we entered Sages Ravine. This was an absolutely beautiful valley filled with a pine forest. There was a Brook cascading down the ravine with several deep pools ideal for swimming. This was the first and only time I wished it was warmer so we could go swimming. When we crossed the creek, we entered our 11th state—Massachusetts.
We had played leapfrog with the two French guys and talked with them each time. They are both college graduate students living in Paris. Alain is going to hike the TMB in August. Like all the French people we have met, they are fit, friendly, and quick with a laugh. They really got me reminiscing about the GR10 because Alain and his brother have hiked several sections of the trail.
As we were nearing the exposed ledges of Mt Race, we could look over our shoulders and watch the “rain event” approaching us. It wasn’t a storm, no lightening (which would have made me freak out as bad as Bunny in these circumstances). Stepping onto the first ledge (with a 500’ vertical fall to out right) three things met at once: us; the two French guys, Alain and Raphael; and the main rain event. Our only choice was to keep moving forward. If we die, it will be in good company. If we survive, it will be a memorable event that gets thrown in my face every summit we climb from this day forward.
It was very stressful finishing the climb and then descending the back side of the mountain. We all decided we were too tired to go on, so we skipped the climb up Mt Everett and headed down a side trail to Race Brook Falls Campsite. Things happen for a reason. If we had kept going, we would not have gotten to know Alain and Raphael. They are two young gentlemen with bright futures. They are both well travelled and well informed. Raphael has lived in London for 3 years where his father is a journalist. He plans to follow in his footsteps.
We were all wet and tired. There was a break in the rain which gave us a chance to set up camp and eat. Before we went to bed, Alain invited us to join them for coffee in the morning. We had high hopes because every refuge, gite, and alberge we stayed at in France had an espresso machine. Their packs were big and they are French. As soon as we got in the tent, the rain started again and we fell asleep dreaming of cappuccinos.
EFG
My home territory. The Riga Plateau is where my first backpacking trips were taken. Sages Ravine, Bear Mountain, Race Mountain, Mt Everett. I know them all well.
It caught us off guard. Beautiful and rugged area.