Slackpacking Trip - Day 9

After "taking a zero" yesterday on Cape Cod, I decided to get back into the hiking. Woke up at 0630 at Dad's, got packed and then drove (with him and Beth) over to the Friendly's at Sagamore Bridge for breakfast. Had a nice time and was sad to leave... Departed for western MA (0800) via US-6 to Wareham (got gas), then MA-25, I-495 all the way to MA-2. Stopped at Johnny Appleseed Rest Area (0930) for some maps and then continued all the way on MA-2 until reaching North Adams. I planned to meet up with my brother-in-law, John, to hike up Mount Greylock. Since he was running a bit late, I explored the trailhead parking on US-2 and then drove up the mountain. Beautiful day! It was very crowded and it took a long time to find a parking place at the summit (1215). However, the timing was good and John arrived in his car shortly afterwards (using the cars to shuttle back and forth saved a bit of time and made the day less stressful). We headed down the mountain again and parked in a lot on MA-2. In my haste to meet up, I had forgotten to change into my hiking boots, but it didn't matter in the end. What a great hike! John ("The Stream") and I ("Workaround") chatted as we climbed and kept a good pace. The trail had a nice grade and we crossed several smaller mountain ridges on the way to the main peak. The views at the summit - especially with the amazing weather were tremendous! It was actually possible to see peaks (e.g., Mount Monadnock) nearly 60 miles away! Got some great pictures. I signed the AT log at the top before we reached my car (1645). Next time we will have to hike up the other side! Afterwards, we drove down to get John's (actually, Carolyn's - thanks!) car and headed to Great Barrington (for dinner with Katie, Carolyn Coogan and the kids). It was a pretty good drive, actually: MA-2 to Williamstown, US-7S to MA-102, MA-183 to the Brick House Pub. We were "late" (1830, dark) and everyone was really hungry. Problem was, though, that the service was extremely slow. John and I were buzzing from our hike, so we drank beer and ate poutine while we waited. Everyone else was thoroughly annoyed when the food finally arrived (2030). No matter (to me) - it was great to see them all, tell stories of the trail, pull a fabric softener strip out of my shirt (like a magician) and relax. After it was over, I decided to head back to the north on US-7 to find a place to stay. Used my AT Trail Guide (and stopped at a few other places to inquire about cost). Eventually located the Wagon Wheel motel in Lenox and stopped for the night (2200). Relaxed for a while, watching TV, before hitting the hay. Total AT today = 6.31 miles / Grand Total AT = 200.95 miles.