Location: Unknown Shelter
Finally I am back on the trail. My fingers are cold, wet, and numb, so the handwriting is bad. I just sent a couple e-mails from Bears’ blackberry. It’s cold and raining and it has been since Mountain Squid dropped us at the trailhead this morning. The northbounders had already left the Birdcage when I emerged at 9:00 am from the basement, affectionately called The Cave because the room has a concrete floor, stone walls, and no windows. I ate a few bowls of cereal and left Rob a note in the album of thru-hikers. I also left him my dollar winning lottery ticket. Bears and I left Cold Feet at the Birdcage. She wanted to take another day off and watch the movies that she bought for the house.
Mountain Squid dropped Bears and I at the trail where we began our slack-pack. As we said goodbye, Hiker Bee came out of the woods. He had already hiked 8 miles this morning, and he continued south with us. Immediately we crossed Mass. Interstate 90. We decided not to run across the footbridge over the interstate naked. It was too cold and rainy for the traditional stunt. Hiker Bee and I pulled away from Bears early in the day. I’m surprised that I could keep up with him because Bee moves pretty fast. He’s 120 pounds with an 18 pound pack. He has long curly hair and is trying to form dreadlocks. I spent most of today hiking with him. He smoked several joints throughout the day and couldn’t remember that I denied his offer to smoke when he smoked. He also offered me acid, by far the hardest drug I’ve been offered on the trail. Of course, I politely declined. Hiker Bee had tripped while crossing Greylock Mountain and already wanted to trip again only a few days later. Today he just puffed on joints though.
Hiker Bee and I hiked the rest of the day together. I completed around 16 miles and he completed around 24 miles. He was still enthusiastic at the end of the day and smoked blunts until he fell asleep. I am going to sleep cold and wet tonight. I hate the rain. It makes my time difficult and makes fun hard to find.
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