T+36 Brassie bonanza

T+36 (July 4, 2020)

Navigation Report:
Start Point: Limestone Spring Shelter (mile 1498.4)
Target Destination: One of either of the following:
     1) Riga Shelter (mile 1505.8)
     2) Ball Brook Camp (mile 1506.4)
     3) Brassie Brook Sheller (mile 1507.0)
     4) Sages Ravine Camp (mile 1509.2)

Travel Log:
11:15 Break Camp
11:30 Rejoin AT (mile 1498.4)
MISSED Giant's Thumb (mile 1499.0)
12:05 Billy's View (mile 1499.4)
1:20 US Route 44 (mile 1501.9)
1:30-4:20 Resupply in Salisbury
4:35 Rejoin AT
5:25-5:35 Stream [water resupply] (mile 1504.1)
6:00 Lion's Head (mile 1505.0)
6:10 Ledges (mile 1505.2)
7:00 Brassie Brook Shelter (mile 1507.0)

Daily Mileage: 8.6
Total Mileage: 352.7

Commander’s Report:
I spent quite a bit of time this morning chatting with the two young women and Waldo. I learned that one of the women's trail name is Share Bear. The other remains a mystery. Even though I broke camp at 11:15, I still managed to beat Waldo out of camp.

It was a heck of a climb down to this shelter, so the climb back up was...rough. I prefer to start mornings pretty slowly, but there was no chance at that this morning. Fifteen minutes later and I was back on the AT.

The first sight to be had today is called the "Giant's Thumb", a giant erect stone phallus that our puritanical ancestors tried to pass off as a thumb. Sign me up! Unfortunately, I somehow missed the stupid thing. Oh well, next time...

Unlisted in the guide is the fact that the AT runs along a farmer's field in between the Giant's "Thumb" and Billy's View. Of course I took pictures of this. Many pictures. Here's a select few.

​The panorama I took here is one of my favorites so far. I may blow this up and frame it (if I remember about it when I get off the trail).

​Just a bit north is Billy's View. I don't know who Billy was, but he seriously got hosed in getting this bit of mountain named after himself!

​After Billy's View it is 1.5 miles of pretty easy hike, to US Rt. 44. From the junction with US 44, it’s a 0.7 nile walk into Salisbury, MA for resupply. I just stopped in to LaBonne's Market for the deed. It was a fairly quick resupply for 4 days. Unfortunately, they didn't carry gas canisters or KT Tape. The latter should be fine at this point as I'll be receiving several strips in my next mail drop. 

Here's everything I got, splayed out on the table. (Everything in cardboard will be transferred to Ziplock bags to both pack better and ensure no surprises.)

​After the resupply goods were obtained and packed into my food bag, I faced a decision: get back on the trail immediately or stay a while and get some posts uploaded while waiting for my battery bank to recharge. I chose to stick around and make future Tedward happy.

On the way out of town, I saw this sign in the driveway of a picture framing shop. It reminded me of my middle brother (though I’m pretty sure hard hats are against his religion), so I decided to share with the class.

Unfortunately, in making future me happy, I screwed myself in terms of getting to camp at a reasonable time. I got back on the trail at 4:30 with about 5 miles to go in order to get to camp. I started off strong getting 2.2 miles done in under an hour.

This haste meant that I only allowed myself one picture of a pretty field that the AT traverses on the way out of town (oh, the horror!).

​The Lion's Head had some really nice views. I mucked up the panorama and didn't notice this at the time, so these regular pictures will have to do.

​The views from the ledges right adjacent to Lion's Head have totally different views. Much more claustrophobic in places, with glimpses of what terrain is awaiting me up the trail.

Obligatory Sea of Trees (TM) pic

View up the trail from the ledges

If you look VERY closely in the above photo, you may be able to see Mt. Greylock WAY off in the distance. (It’s off to the right in the gap that the trees form.) For MA, this is both the tallest and final mountain on he AT in the state. If feels weird already being able to see the mountain. Seems like it should rightfully be further away.

First glimpse of Mt. Greylock

​In the end, I opted to stop at Brassie Brook Shelter for the night. I'd hoped to make it to Sage's Ravine camp, but just didn't think it to be prudent to keep pushing tonight considering the time I rolled into Brassie Brook.