Where the AT crosses the road we turned left and made for the summit. The weather couldn't have been better and we wanted the views from the top and to see the beacon again. We stopped at the Thunderbolt Ski cabin and had a snack before going the rest of the way to the top. I had never been to the cabin and was happy to finally see it and go inside. It is a pretty cool spot. I will try to get back there next year when we climb Mt. Greylock on our New Year's campout.
After heading to the summit for a few photos, we turned back to the trail and continued North. The North side of Greylock still had snow on the trail in abundance for a while but it was gone soon enough, leaving mud in spots. We continued on to Mt. Williams, the trail rolls along and was enjoyable. We stopped for a breather and snack on the top of Mt. Williams before the descent down to Notch Rd. and our stop for the night at Wilbur Clearing Shelter.
There are some fairly steep spots going down from Mt. Williams that work the legs but we made good time and crossed the road and arrived at Wilbur Clearing Shelter around 3pm. We had the whole area to ourselves and cooked up some lunch in the shelter. A little Mountain House Chili Mac went down good and filled me up. The shelter is in good shape and looks well maintained. It offers a nice view to the West over a ravine that will be blocked when the leaves come out. The water source is close and offered nice cold water which we filtered. There are numerous tenting options with platforms and dirt tent pads spread around. We also found plenty of trees to hang our hammocks from. There is a bear box as well.
After setting up camp and doing our camp chores we hung out in the shelter and enjoyed the afternoon sunshine. Soon, we heard footsteps and another hiker came around the shelter. He was a thru hiker who had started in GA on Jan. 14th. He had been pushing 30 mile days and was making great time. He may be the first thru hiker of the 2017 season. His trail name is Turk and it was great talking with him for the evening. A few others came in to camp and joined us, section hikers like us as well as guys just out enjoying the nice weekend on Mt. Greylock. Hiker midnight arrived around 8 and we all turned in.
The next day we were up early and packing up camp. Turk was off to Bennington, VT to get a resupply and then on through Vermont. We wished him the best of luck and safe hiking. I'm sure he will finish, he was in good spirits and was making good miles each day. I cooked up a little oatmeal and hot chocolate for breakfast and we were soon back on the trail. There was a nice view near Prospect Mt. before the steep descent down to Pattison Rd and a brief stop at the car.
After dumping some weight at the car we made our way to Rte 2 and over the Hoosic River and on to VT.
We were headed for Sherman Brook campsite where we would have lunch and drop our packs and continue on to the state line. The climb out of North Adams is steady but not steep, but we were tired and it took us longer to get to the campsite than we would have liked. We found camp and I cooked some lunch on a tent platform and rested. It was sunny and getting hot. We filled up our water and left our packs to make our way to the state line which was another 2.3 miles. Again, it was a steady climb and we were feeling it, not really being in shape for a multi-day trip. We needed frequent breaks as we went along. When we got to a steep rocky section I went on alone. It was a steep rocky climb that rewarded me with a great view from the top.
The climb was short and I was soon hiking along on flat trail through hardwood forest. I was tired but making good time, it was enjoyable to be able to just hike along without rocks or mud. It seemed like a long 1.3 miles to the state line but eventually I made it and the famous "Welcome to Vermont" sign came into view. I was really happy to finally get there and finish my second state. I snapped some pictures and turned around to make my way back to the camp.
As I made my way back, I ran into Mark, we agreed we would meet back at the campsite. It had been up in the air as to whether we would camp the night or make our way back to the car. We were leaning toward heading home. While Mark had been behind me he met up with a nice couple out hiking and had hiked with them for awhile. They turned out to be local and were willing to pick us up and drive us to our car. That sealed the deal, we would hike out and go home that night. Our first time experiencing trail magic. It was very nice and we were so thankful for them to help us out. I made it back to camp before Mark and got some water in me and rested until he came back. Soon we were packed up and ready to head back the 2 miles to North Adams. It was a quick descent and we made it back over the Hoosic River and Rte 2 as the clouds got thicker. We called our new friends, Mike and Mary, who came and picked us up and drove us to our car. We sat and chatted with them for a little bit before loading up and heading to pick up the other car and home. As we drove back to get the car it started to rain. We both were happy our timing was perfect to miss the rain.
It was a great trip and we both had a great time. It was challenging in spots and both of us struggled at one time or another but we both accomplished what we set out to do. We also agreed that meeting the people we did on this trip was the best part. Talking with Turk and Mike and Mary really made the trip special. I will remember this trip for a long time. Time to rest up and start working on another state. Not sure if it will be New York or Vermont but I look forward to the challenge.
