When I checked the weather this morning it called for a chance of rain in the evening. We were headed out early because we knew the Berkshires would slow us down so I hoped we would get to setup camp before the rain. We rolled the first 8 miles out of camp to the nearest diner and ate more than enough to ensure we wouldn’t be hungry for the rest of the day. Immediately after breakfast the road sloped up and it would continue to do so for the rest of the day. I may be alone among the group in having the need to see these multiple mile long climbs to feel satisfied with the challenge, but today I do feel satisfied. Shortly, it also began to rain It was cold and the mountainous descents began dangerous on wet roads and wet brakes.

We arrived in Great Barrington on time but loosing feeling in our extremities due to the cold. We stopped in the Dunkin Donuts for some tea to warm up, but they apparently weren’t expecting cold weather either because the air conditioning was running and it was colder inside than out! We shivered through our tea and left feeling just as cold as we arrived. Instead of risk a miserable night at Falcon Ridge, we opted for a warm, dry hotel in Great Barrington. We made use of our extra time in town to do laundry and thus a gourmet dinner of crunchy food from the coop was served at the laundromat this evening.

We are looking forward to cresting the hill overlooking Falcon Ridge tomorrow and joining our friends and family there.