Dalton, Massachusetts

It was just too nice here to not take a zero-day.

I've been back on the trail for five great days of hiking, and despite lots of cat-baths in streams, we're needing showers. Badly. And laundry.

We'd heard of a relatively new hiker hostel here in Dalton that isn't in the guidebook; it's at a local's home, and it includes not only shower, a bunk,and shuttles around town, it also includes *laundry*. For FREE! Hooray! All the SOBOs (south-bound thru hikers) that we've spoken to have absolutely raved about the place. It's a no-brainer.

My feet were aching (surprise, surprise), and we tried something new: sent Stephen ahead for the last eight miles into town so he can get us settled and get himself showered.

The reality turns out to be even better than the reports! Not only did The Birdcage have all of the above - for free - it comes with BEER. Wow. Just wow.

I show up about three hours after Stephen, and Rob picks me up at the gas station that he manages, drives me to his Birdcage, and hands me some clean extra clothes and shoos me into the shower. And then, HE DOES OUR LAUNDRY. Dang.

The Birdcage is a wonderfully comfortable place to kick back and relax, and we decided to take a day off - let my feet recuperate, yeah. We're depleting and replenishing the beer supply. Repeat until done.

And the question of the day was: Why? Why is he being so enormously nice to stinky hikers, above and beyond the call of duty???

"I can't stand the locals," says Rob, "Where else can you meet and talk to people from all different walks of life, help folks out, and party like when you were young?"

We asked him how he'd started doing this. Rob tells a story of a miserably wet day in 2001 when a grungy hiker walked up to his Shell station. Already wet, and very dejected-looking, the hiker watches the sky open up and start pouring on him again. He rounds his shoulders, lowers his head, and looks even more dejected than before. Shuffling up to the station, he asks Rob if there's anywhere in town to stay at a reasonable price. "No!", Rob laughs (this being the Berkshires). "Afraid not." The poor hiker looks like he's about to sink into the ground, and starts walking away. Rob decides to invite him in, and they both have a great time visiting. As the hikers leaves the next day, he asks Rob if he can tell other hikers about Rob. "Sure, why not."

Seventy hikers pop by that season.

Rob is now over the 1000 hiker mark, and seems to be loving it. Wow. Us hikers get really lucky sometimes - it's been a great pleasure to meet Rob and stay at his Birdcage. And now, looks like we might go take a dip in the swimming hole...

Oh yeah, the hiking's been fun, too.