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[at-l] Williamstown to Manchester Day 1



Something inside of me said go HIKE.  Get in shape for the JMT.  I asked 
Larry if I was still grounded.  He said nope. Beaming, I quickly loaded up 
the Breeze and jumped in the Volvo for the ride south on Rte 7 to 
Williamstown, MA.  My intent was to walk home to Wallingford via the AT/LT.

Last Wednesday afternoon he dropped me off at the Pine Cobble Trailhead.  The 
ascent up to the AT intersection was relatively dry despite the previous 
day's rainstorm which produced 5 inches of rain in the area. The azalea's 
were in bloom.  There was a good breeze, NO bugs, yet.

I met Rerun and the 50 lb Beast at the AT/Pine Cobble intersection.  He 
started at Harper's Ferry in mid April. The trail turned into a muddy 
streambed.  We sloshed our way to the border.  As soon as we crossed the 
state line the blackflies greeted us with gusto.  We quickly signed the 
register and started walking again.  Lady Slippers were in bloom everywhere.  

Six masked men in full anti-black fly regalia were lounging about Seth Warner 
Shelter.  Some were cooking, some writing in journals, one was hacking away 
at dead skin on his waterlogged feet.  I said, "Full house?" They said 
"There's always room for one more," I said, " Uh, thanks, but I think I'll 
keep walking, it's too soon to stop."  In that brief intro I met 4 AT thru 
hikers and 2 LT thru hikers.  Rerun stayed and set up his tent to escape the 
bugs. 

I filled my one liter platypus and went to put on my pack.  I noticed the 
Breeze pack had blown a side seam.  On the ALT some of the webbing pulled out 
because the seam allowance was just too skimpy.  Now with just a 20 lb load 
and only 300 miles on the pack, it's falling apart, literally at the seams.  
I stuff all of my gear inside a trash compactor bag so nothing would fall 
out.  I'm disappointed in the construction of this pack. Quarter inch seam 
allowances are not acceptable in the attempt to save pack weight.

An hour later I set up the Nomad at the "south summit" of a nameless ridge, 
just beyond Ed's Spring.  There was a breeze that kept the flies someplace 
else.  I was content, 7.7 miles, it felt good to be back on the trail. 
* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

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