The Berkshires - July 8

Last night was a nice cool night.  It got down to the low 70s. That would be too warm ordinarily, but was welcome now. I bag eleven hours of sleep. 

Nothing is dry in the morning. My hiking shorts and shirt are just as sweaty as when I took them off. My shoes are soaked from rain. But I do have clean dry socks.  

This area, The Berkshires, is a vacation land for Connecticut and Massachusetts with little villages and B&Bs catering to tourists. There are both recreation and cultural attractions. For example this is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. 

Beautiful hiking lands me at Upper Goose Pond for lunch.
There's a cabin there, maintained by volunteers and supported by donations, with bunks, a screened porch, and swimming and canoeing in the lake.  There's even a caretaker who serves up breakfast! Too bad I'm here midday and the thunderclouds are starting to form. 

The bugs seemed moderate early this morning but built up by 11 am. I started with no DEET, then a little, and then a lot. I pull on the headnet when the varmints attack my eyelids and eyebrows. 

Occasionally bugs get inside the net somehow. If it is just one I try to squish it by slapping my face and boxing my ears. If there are several I try to take off the net, invert it, and put it back on in one fast motion. That generally doesn't work too well and I end up with a fresh crop inside the net. 

I finish the day on Washington Road, just a half mile from the Cookie Lady. She has a couple of hikers camped on her lawn and she brings them fresh baked cookies and hard boiled eggs. 

I'm still weak. When I place a foot up on ledge or rock and lunge up, sometimes it just doesn't take and I come back down. 

Hey some good news!  I'm getting fat again!  My belly has put on an inch or two. Nice! 

18.8 miles to Washington Mountain Road, near Pittsfield MA.