Journals

According to Pittsburgh:

JULY 26, 1997 - SATURDAY
i am staying in the motel for two days, getting caught up with the accounting, and getting the new website ready to launch. TIMMY hiked from CT 55 to RIVER ROAD. SUNSHINE and NTO hiked from DENNYTOWN ROAD to STORMVILLE ROAD...

JULY 27, 1997 - SUNDAY
TIMMY hiked from RIVER ROAD to US 7/CT 112. SUNSINE and NTO hiked from STORMVILLE ROAD to LEATHER HILL ROAD...

JULY 28, 1997 - MONDAY
SUNSHINE had a very bad night. her groin pull is back in its full fury. she hiked from LEATHER HILL ROAD to SCHAGHTICOKE ROAD (CT 341). as we were waiting for SUNSHINE, we met a lady named TRESA who is SLACKPACKING her husband ED. NTO hiked from LEATHER HILL ROAD to SKIFF MOUNTAIN ROAD. TIMMY hiked from US 7/CT112 to UNDERMOUNTAIN ROAD (CT 41)...
during the day, we guys secured a campsite at the HOUSATONIC MEADOWS campground. after picking everyone up, we headed for the campground. i then took SUNSHINE to SALISBURY CT, where she secured a room at the WHITE HART INN for three nights. she has decided to take some time off, and wants to be in a place with few distractions...

JULY 29, 1997 - TUESDAY
NTO hiked from SKIFF MOUNTAIN ROAD to STATE FOREST ROAD. TIMMY hiked from UNDERMOUNTAIN ROAD (CT 41) to JUG END ROAD...
after picking everyone up, we headed for SALISBURY to see SUNSHINE, and to go to supper. she was very happy to see us. her pain is less. we again spent the night at the HOUSATONIC MEADOWS campground. TRESA and ED were also at the campground...

JULY 30, 1997 - WEDNESDAY
NTO hiked from STATE FOREST ROAD to UNDERMOUNTAIN ROAD (CT 41). TIMMY hiked from JUG END ROAD to BENIDICT POND...
we guys had secured a campsite at the BENIDICT POND campground. TIMMY hiked to the campsite. i picked up NTO, and we went to see SUNSHINE. she was sitting on the porch at the INN reading a book. her spirits were high. a hiker named JERSEY JIM had been keeping her company, and was out buying bagels. he returned while we were there, and was just about ready to hike out. we all had met him first in the SMOKIES...

JULY 31, 1997 - THURSDAY
after breakfast, TIMMY hiked out from BENEDICT POND. we ran NTO to UNDERMOUNTAIN ROAD (CT 41) and dropped her off, then headed for the WHITE HART INN to pick up SUNSHINE. she was ready and waiting for us as we arrived. we all headed for breakfast, then grocery shopping...
we picked up NTO at JUG END ROAD, then off to GOOSE POND ROAD to get TIMMY, then back to BENIDICT POND for the night. TRESA and ED were at the campground, along with two hikers named AQUAHOLIC and ACHILLES...

AUGUST 1, 1997 - FRIDAY
after dropping NTO at JUG END ROAD and TIMMY at GOOSE POND ROAD, we headed for PITTSFIELD MA. i was interested in renting an automobile and heading for ALLENTOWN PA for two days to attend a DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS competition. it took a while, but finally i rented at HERTZ, and headed for PA...
NTO hiked to BLUE HILL ROAD, and TIMMY hiked to BLOTZ ROAD. PETER PAN, and TIMMYs FATHER arrived. The group spent the night at the OCTOBER MOUNTAIN STATE PARK campground...

AUGUST 2, 1997 - SATURDAY
i am in ALLENTOWN PA. NTO hiked from BLUE HILL ROAD to GOOSE POND ROAD. TIMMY is not hiking today. the group is spending the night again at OCTOBER MOUNTAIN STATE PARK...

AUGUST 3, 1997 - SUNDAY
i arrived back in PITTSFIELD MA around 10am, and the van was waiting. we did some laundry then headed for NTOs destination, BLOTZ ROAD, where TIMMY hiked out from earlier. NTO had hiked out from GOOSE POND ROAD. this gets the ladies within one day of each other, making it a bit easier on the support crew...
we collected NTO and headed for MA 8 in CHESHIRE MA to meet up with TIMMY, her FATHER, and PETER PAN. we all then headed for the MT. GREYLOCK VISITORS CENTER, then on to the SPERRY CAMPGROUND. we secured a spot and set up camp. PETER PAN and TIMMYs FATHER had a motel room to go to, so they headed out. during supper, TRESA and ED stopped by for a chat...

AUGUST 4, 1997 - MONDAY
   we had breakfast, then headed off of the mountain to drop off TIMMY at MA 8 and NTO at BLOTZ ROAD. the large support crew, me, SUNSHINE, PANTHER FAN, and GILAMAN, headed to a restaurant for breakfast, then the post office to drop offf some letters. we then headed for the local SHOPPING MALL near DALTON MA...
   SUNSHINE is still having some pain from her groin pull. it is tough on her not to be hiking, but she doesn't relish the prospect of re-injury by getting back out there too soon. she is a smart lady...
   at noon, we all headed into the MALL MOVIE THEATRE and saw AIR FORCE ONE with HARRISON FORD and GLENN CLOSE. good movie. afterwards we headed to MA 8 to pick up NTO. she arrived just before the rains came. we climbed the mountain to the campground. TIMMY, her FATHER, and PETER PAN were there. we stood around under a tarp as the rains came down, finally deciding to go back off of the mountain and go to a restaurant. TIMMYs father was gracious enough to treat us all to a wonderful italian meal...
   TIMMYs father stayed in town at a motel. the rest of us headed back up the mountain to the SPERRY CAMPGROUND...

AUGUST 5, 1997 - TUESDAY
   PETER PAN drove TIMMY to MA 2 to begin her hike into VERMONT. we drove NTO to MA 8 to begin her hike. PANTHER FAN had made arrangements, in secret, for us to stay at a B&B tonight. this is GILAMANs last night with us. he is headed back to NEW MEXICO by bus tommorrow. we told GILAMAN that we needed to find a park someplace to hang the wet tents (it had rained all night), and headed for the B&B. we pulled in the parking area and the proprietor came out to greet us. GILAMAN had still not figured out what was going on. we finally told him that this was our home for the evening, and it was in his honor...
   the place is called the RIVER BEND FARM, and is a 1760ish homestead with wooden floors, antiques, sitting rooms, front and rear stairways, etc...
   PETER PAN and TIMMY arrived from VERMONT after we had all taken our showers. they followed suit, then we all went to supper. we gave GILAMAN a card that PETER PAN had prepared on his computer. a few nice things were said, and of course there was some verbal harrassment...

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