Last night, the NOBOs were talking about how SOBOs are good for nothing, except maybe some information, and then they’re worse than insects, just vermin on the trail. 
I closed my eyes and put in my earplugs and slept. 
And this morning I left without eating breakfast. I stopped about three miles later, at Harmon hill. I picked a few blackberries to go with my breakfast bars and beef jerky. 

Gonzo had told me, back in January, that I would love hiking Massachusetts. He was right. The miles slipped by. 

Soon I was at Washington Road, where the cookie lady lives. I decided to wait for Bent, the south bounder from Kay Wood who I’d met back at Peru Peak when I was going NOBO with carpenter. 

I sat and waited, and eventually Bent and Tater, a NOBO, walked out of the woods at the same time. We all three headed down the road to the cookie lady’s house. 
I bought a coke and a snickers and we started picking blueberries. Despite the fact that some NOBOs think SOBOs are vermin, when you go to upper goose pond cabin, it is the duty of the SOBOs to stop at the cookie lady’s house and pick and buy blueberries. You then carry them the 11 miles to the cabin so that everyone can have blueberry pancakes the next morning. The cabin has a caretaker who makes pancakes, but there are only blueberry pancakes if there are SOBOs who pick blueberries. 

We had a nice time together, and then headed out for the last 11 miles. The day got hotter. Much hotter. Sweat dripped…everywhere. 

I crossed the turnpike and made the last climb, telling myself I’d be in the water by 4:30. 

Well, I was. I made it to the cabin, claimed a bunk, spoke to the caretaker, and headed for the pond. It started raining as I stood in the water but I didn’t care. I scrubbed my hair and my body and felt the sweat start to un cake. Ugh I was so disgusting. 
Bent showed up as I was drying off on the porch. We cooked dinner with some other folks and a sectioning family, then went back on the dock and did some dockside yoga. 

I read on the porch, and we made plans to wake up for the meteor shower. 
It’s hot and stuffy and humid and the mosquitos up here are AGGRESSIVE. I smell absolutely terrible. My toes are numb. But I have no idea what day it is or if I’ll finish on time and I don’t care. I know I can make it to Boston from anywhere. Tomorrow I’ll just walk south. And the next day I’ll do the same thing. I’m slowly learning to give up stressing, a little, and just embrace everything that’s going on now. 

Tomorrow I’ll have blueberry pancakes and then I’ll walk south. 
Miles: 17.6

Trip total: 189

MVP: coke (coca cola)

LVP: so much sweat