The bus ride was uneventful except for the fact I got off early. My last transfer included a 3.5 hour layover and the bus driver told me it was better to hop on a local bus.

I received my first offer of trail magic from the second driver who was about to leave. You see the bus has an exact change machine installed. I asked when the next bus was because I needed to get change somewhere.

The driver wouldn't hear of it and told me to climb in anyway and that he would drop me off in North Adams where I would have about 15 minutes to make change while he did his rounds. He also recognized me as a backpacker and told me he'd leave me right at the trailhead. Fantastic. Dave and I chatted for some time during the bus ride. He seemed a bit fixated on ax murderers in the woods, but was otherwise a nice guy.

I remembered parts of the town and could tell when the trailhead was close. I even saw the laundromat I used the last time through here.

I was on the Appalachian Trail 3.8 miles from the Vermont border at 12:20. Memories of my first time standing there were fresh in my mind as I started walking. The weather was perfect, and it felt great to be on the AT again.

Unexpectedly I saw another hiker and the Long Trail register. I made it to the MA/VT border and the start of the LT. The other hiker was Southpaw, a southbound Appalachian Trail thruhiker. In trail slang he is called a SoBo or AT SoBo.

Tonights final thoughts are on how nice the trail was today. The temperature was just right and there was water when I needed it. I enjoyed my small hike up East Mountain and the little bubbling brooks along the way. And there was a big glacial erratic, a boulder dropped by retreating Ice Age glaciers, along the trail.

Oh before I forget there has been a bear sighting just 30 minutes from the shelter. The hiker who saw it, hung his food in a tree. My food bag is hanging over my head. Anyone want to make a bet?