Day 44

It rained off and on all night and I was afraid I’d have to take the tent down in the rain, but the rain stopped long enough for me to pack everything and make it back to the stream to filter more water for the morning. I had just started hiking and it began raining again, for about an hour and a half. The terrain this morning had a lot of small climbs that wore me out. I stopped for lunch at a privately owned cabin a tenth of a mile off the trail that the owners allow hikers to use. It’s rustic and has a wooden ladder that goes up to an observation deck on the roof. I joined 3 others on top and enjoyed a 360 degree view of the mountains and valleys. It was definitely a million dollar view as they say. After lunch I needed water again so I stopped at the Wintturi Shelter and filled up. I had already hiked 9.9 miles and the next shelter was another 12.3 miles away, well out of my range, so I took a look at the guide book. At VT 12 I found a store located .2 of a mile from the road crossing that sold ice cream, and a shelter. I walked to the store and bought ice cream and a Pepsi and asked about the shelter. As it turns out, a farmer allows hikers to stay in the loft of his garage. It wasn’t the Hilton, but it was dry, had plenty of room, an electrical outlet, and I had it to myself, so I decided to stay. I was able to dry and finish cleaning my gear before having dinner and preparing this post. Today was another hard day but the afternoon was cool, breezy and sunny, perfect for hiking. I hiked 13.7 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 43

It was windy and cool last night and I slept well. Woke and packed quietly since there were two other tenters close by still sleeping. Was on the trail around 7:15. Spent the better part of the day losing 2,300 feet of elevation. It was interesting watching the forest change as I descended. During the day I met Bill from Alaska. He’s 71 and lost his wife 5 years ago to cancer. He still misses her. They didn’t have any children, but he’s close to his brother and sister. He hiked half the trail last year and is out to finish it this year. We stopped at the Park Headquarters for Gifford Woods State Park since we heard they sold ice cream. We ate lunch and enjoyed the treat and then separated since he was going into Killington to pick up a mail drop and spend the night in a hotel. The day had warmed up, it was hot and muggy as I passed by beautiful Kent Pond. I climbed Quimby Mountain, a steep 1,300 foot climb over 1.3 miles and had to stop several times to rest. The trail climbed and descended several more times before I got to Stony Brook Shelter. I drank the last of my water a mile before getting to the shelter and hoped the AT Guide was correct that a dependable stream was close by. The stream was flowing so I filled my water bag and headed to the shelter. I decided to sleep in the tent again and had just set in up and started cooking when it started raining. I grabbed everything and either put in the tent or under the vestibules as quick as I could, but the rain splattered mud over a lot of my gear. I ate in the tent and then began cleaning everything with my bandana. The rain let up so I was able to brush my teeth and hang my food bag in a nearby tree. Today was a hard day so I should sleep well tonight. I hiked 16.3 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 42

I can’t believe that I’ve been on the trail six weeks. It’s been good but it is hard, very hard. I keep waiting for the trail to get easier, or for my strength to improve, but I realize neither are going to happen. And I know the worst of the trail is yet to come, the White Mountains in NH and southern ME. I have to admit, the thought of both give me uneasy feelings. But then I remember the Bible says not to worry about the tomorrow for each day has enough troubles if its own, and that God watches over us. And then I’m both reminded of and comforted by the many times He’s kept me safe and met my needs already on this trip.

Woke at 5:30 with the help of the alarm on my phone in order to make sure I got to the road crossing before Lagunatic. It was only 3 miles and I ended up getting there around 8:15, an hour and a half before our arranged time. That was okay since it gave me time to eat some extra food, treat myself to a cup of coffee and spend some time with the maps. Lagunatic arrived on time and surprised me with coffee, a bacon, egg, cheese croissant, a sausage, egg, cheese croissant, strawberries, chocolate, and snacks for the trail. I ate everything except for the snacks. Off we went to W.E. Pierce Groceries, which was close by but it didn’t have what I needed. It’s a small local grocery store that had been in operation over 150 years and is under some type of historical trust. While it carries current products the building still has the old charm, a pot bellied stove in the center with counters on both sides, wooden shelves on all the walls. It’s like stepping back in time. We left there and went to a large grocery store in Rutland where I was able to get everything I needed. Lagunatic dropped me off where she picked me up at 12:45. It was sad saying goodbye, since I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again.

The day was warm, my pack was heavy, and I had a 1,600 foot climb over the next 7.4 miles, but I took my time and made it to the Cooper Lodge Shelter, which is 3,908 feet above sea level, around 5:30. It was windy when I set up my tent and I could just imagine the wind blowing my tent over the side of the mountain, so I was very careful putting it up. I hiked 10.4 miles and passed a significant milestone, the 500 mile mark, over half way. It’s all downhill from here, well, you know what I mean.

Prone to Wander

Day 41

I slept really good, woke early and was on the trail by 6:30. I lingered leaving Little Rock Pond, it was so beautiful. The trail rose gradually and went through a forest of firs, it was like walking through a Christmas tree lot. Then the trail descended 800 feet in 1.5 miles before going over Bully Brook near a 20 foot waterfall. I stopped and filtered water enjoying the sound of the falls. Then up again the trail went, this time 1,100 feet over Bear Mountain, the third mountain of that name that I’ve hiked over on this trip. After summiting I stopped and rewarded myself with lunch and a call to Karen. The trail down the mountain was gradual until just before bottoming out, then it became very steep. At the bottom was Clarendon Gorge with a suspension bridge over Mill River. I wanted to go for a swim but was getting close to Clarendon Shelter, where I was planning to spend the night. The AT Guide referred to a “rock scramble” just before the shelter and that caught my attention. In my opinion, scramble is too mild a word for what the trail did. It was another very steep climb up a wide crack in a rock face. It was so steep I had to grab whatever I could find to pull myself up in places and I had to stop a couple of times to rest. Made it to the shelter around 4:00 since this is a short day, Lagunatic will pick me up at a road crossing 3 miles from here in the morning to take me to a grocery store. At the shelter were two older couples from Minneapolis, Karen’s hometown, out for a week of hiking. We talked a bit, I always enjoy talking to folks on the trail when I have the time. The day was warm and a bit buggy, but there were very few muddy sections. I’m sleeping in the tent tonight, my home away from home. I hiked 13.6 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 40

Unintentionally slept in and didn’t get on the trail until 8:15. Right off the bat climbed 750 feet over Bromley Mountain. The last part was over a ski slope, something I had never done before. Lost 800 feet over the next 2.5 miles down to Mad Tom Notch and then gained 950 feet over the next 1.5 miles over Styles Peak. Going up to the Peak there were about 4 false summits, I thought I’d reached the top and then have to start climbing again. Needless to say it was a hard morning. Had lunch at the shelter with Woody, a southbounder. I was tired but fortunate that there were 3 shelters over the next 10 miles, so I could hike to one and stay or hike on depending upon how I felt. Climbed over Baker Peak and had a great view of the valley below and surrounding mountains. Several southbounder had told me how nice Little Rock Pond Shelter was so I decided to push on and made it by 6:00. They were right, the pond and shelter were worth the extra miles, if I had time I’d spend a day or more here. During the day it looked like it would rain but the clouds passed by and the sun came out. The day was cool, no mosquitoes or gnats, a perfect day for hiking. I spoke to Karen a couple of times today. She’s been busy pouring over the maps helping me plan. I don’t know what I’d do without her. The trail seems to be changing. Others had been telling me the further I went in VT the nicer the trail wound get, I sure hope they are right. I had another good day covering 17.8 miles.

Prone to Wander

Day 39

Was packed and on the trail by 6:50. First thing on the agenda was Stratton Mountain standing 3,936 feet above sea level. Made it to the top by 8:00 and climbed the fire tower to enjoy the morning view. It was chilly but beautiful and other than one ski resort all I saw were woods, a few lakes and lots of mountains. Stratton Mountain is where Benton MacKaye was inspired to propose the Appalachian Trail, a footpath from ME to GA. On my way down the mountain I flushed quite a few ruffled grouse, me scaring them and them scaring me in return. The trail today had some very good sections and some very muddy ones as well. I slipped and almost fell in the mud once but managed to catch myself just in time. The day was beautiful, cool with light breezes and very few mosquitoes. The early morning climb and descent over Stratton Mountain did a number on my knees and I was feeling my age by the time the day was done. I’m sleeping in Bromley Shelter, doing something I’ve never done before, wearing a stocking cap to keep my head warm with a headnet over it, the mosquitoes are back! I hiked 18 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 38

Woke at 6:15, which was late, but the night was cold and I tossed and turned. Everyone else was still sleeping, so I gathered my gear and took it out of the shelter so I wouldn’t wake them, and was on the trail by 7:15. Not far from the shelter was a fire tower so I stopped and climbed it to get a look at the views. It was beautiful, fog or low clouds everywhere. I checked to see if my phone had service, hoping I could call Karen, but it didn’t. I checked off and on all day and never had service. The trail today was different from yesterday, the mud returned, lots of it. During the morning I went through a section of trail that was wild and overgrown, and hard to navigate. During that stretch the trail crossed one stream after another. By noon I had covered 8 miles so I stopped and had lunch at a beaver pond. I didn’t see any wildlife but it was beautiful just the same. I was encouraged by the distance covered in spite of the conditions and hoped to cover 11 more miles making it to Stratton Pond Shelter, but that was not to be, since the mud returned with a vengeance. I stopped and set up my tent on the side of the trail, the only flat place I could find around 5:30, 5.3 miles shy of Stratton Pond Shelter. I hiked 14 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 37

Slept really well for the first time at the motel. Woke, ate breakfast and then heard from Karen that the two boxes she mailed were at the PO. I was there at 8:00 when it opened. Took the boxes back to the motel, went through the gear and was back at the PO by 9:30 with the box of things to send home. I now have winter sleeping gear and some warm clothes for the cold days and nights to come. I was afraid the new gear plus 5 days of food wouldn’t fit in the pack but it did. The pack is heavy, but that’s okay, I’ll be warm and well fed. The Catamount Motel, which is what they called the mountain lions that used to roam here, provided a free shuttle that took Slinger, a thru hiker, and me back to the trail and dropped us off at 11:00. The trail rose 1,300 feet over the first two miles, but then leveled out with gentle rises and falls the rest of the day except for a 1,200 foot climb to the Goddard Shelter where I spent the night. The day was cool, upper 60’s to low 70’s, the mosquitoes weren’t bad, and the trail seemed to be drying out. It was a beautiful day for hiking. Cell phone coverage wasn’t good, I tried calling Karen several times but kept getting disconnected. Arrived at the shelter a little after 5:00 since I accidentally got on an unmarked side trail for a while. The shelter is at 3,566 feet above sea level, and it was cold and windy when I got there. I decided to stay in the shelter since it was nice and had plenty of room for the 6 of us sharing it. Fixed dinner, ate and cleaned up and worked this post. At 7:15 and I was ready to crawl into my sleeping quilt. I hiked 10.1 miles today.

Prone to Wander

Day 36

Yesterday I stayed busy, but today there’s not much to do. Lagunatic will be here around 10:30 and we’ll head to Walmart so I can buy food for the next few days. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, Lagunatic and Ken, my late father-in-law, met on the trail many years ago and they became friends. Karen contacted Lagunatic a while back and the two stay in touch, that’s how Lagunatic, who lives in VT found out I was on the trail and offered to help.

Ken is the one who first introduced me to the trail. When Karen and her sisters were young they used to vacation in ME and NH. The way I understand it, that’s when Ken’s desire to hike the trail was kindled, but he had responsibilities and the dream was deferred. After Karen and I married, Ken and Gladys, Karen’s mom, would visit us in GA. During one visit we rode through north GA and I pointed out places where the trail crossed the different roads we traveled. That reignited Ken’s desire to section hike the entire trail. I had the opportunity to join Ken on a couple of his hikes. The first was when he started at Amicalola State Park, where the approach trail to Springer Mountain begins. It was during that trip we both learned the valuable lesson about carrying too much weight. Starting out Ken’s pack weighed 65 pounds and mine, which was borrowed from Ken, and was probably older than I was, was around 50 pounds. You name it, we had it somewhere in one of the packs. Our goal the first day was to hike the 8.8 miles to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. We goofed off at the start and posed for a silly picture or two, but then the real work began and we only made it about 6 miles. The next day we realized something had to be done or the hike was in jeopardy. We decided to hide our packs, walk unburdened to Springer and then return and get our packs and walk back to the car. Having done that we found out there was a Forest Service road that went to a parking area near Springer, so off we went with a backpacker hitchhiker named Marty that wasn’t interested in doing the approach trail. The three of us loaded our very large packs into my 1974 VW Beetle. The Forest Service road was in rough shape and the VW, which was probably carrying more weight than it was designed for, scraped bottom many times and overheated once. Finally we made it to the parking area. I knew I wouldn’t be able to continue the hike so I dropped Ken and Marty off. Prior to leaving, Ken went through his pack removing things and saying repeatedly, “Don’t need that, don’t need that, etc.”. I left them, not sure how to get back to civilization, with an almost empty gas tank, it was pretty tense. Well, I made it home and Ken and Marty had a great time. The next year Ken invited me to join him during his section hike of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and we had a great time. The flame he had to hike the trail had ignited a spark in me which is now a blazing fire. During his latter years I bronzed his hiking boots (actually I spray painted them gold) and gave them to him during one of our visits to commemorate his accomplishment. I could write on and on about Ken and the many great times we had, but writing this has brought me to tears and I need to stop. He was a hard man to understand at times but I loved him and thank God that he was my father-in-law.

When Lagunatic and I met we embraced as if we were old friends, you see we had two things in common, Ken and the trail. We talked a bit, went to Walmart and shopped, had a long lunch, and then came back to the motel and talked more. The conversation was comfortable and never lagged. She brought photographs of her hike and must have taken 20 pictures of me and us together, you see that’s how she made a living at one time. Finally she had to leave and we embraced again and said our goodbyes. I will probably see her again since she’s offered to help me along the next 75 miles of trail. What a great lady.

After Lagunatic left I went through the food getting it ready to go into the pack, getting rid of excess packaging and putting it in Ziploc bags. I also went to the PO to see if the boxes from Karen were there but they weren’t. I hope they come tomorrow, or I’ll be here another day. While I’d like to get back on the trail it’s out of my hands and I’m content with that. Another day with no miles hiked, but full of very good fellowship.

Prone to Wander

Day 35

Woke at 2:00 a.m. in the motel and couldn’t go back to sleep so I did yesterday’s post. After that I tried to go to sleep but couldn’t because I was hungry, so at 3:00 I had a peanut butter and jelly tortilla followed by a Cliff Builder bar. I didn’t think I would be able to sleep after that but did until 6:00. Woke, started the coffee pot, called my friend Sam and then began planning the day. Went to breakfast at 8:00 and had french toast, eggs, bacon and more coffee, stopped at the PO to find out what size mailing boxes they have since I’ll be sending the umbrella, the 40 degree down quilt and a few other things home when the winter gear arrives. The challenge was finding a box that will hold the umbrella, which is 24 inches long, but I did. After that went back to the room. The motel has a picnic table so I went out to dry the tent and plan resupply points for the rest of the hike. Well that didn’t work since 4 other hikers, also staying here, stopped by one at a time to talk. I didn’t mind the interruptions. It’s amazing that the trail, the common bond we share, brings us together.

Speaking of meeting folks, Karen and I have met and she’s kept in touch with quite a few hikers over the years, Mariner and Lighthouse live in PA, Revved-Up lives in CT, Lagunatic, who met Karen’s dad during his hike in the late 1980’s or early 1990’s, lives in VT, and AT Gracie who I met at Springer Mountain earlier this year, lives in ME. Each one has offered to help me during the hike. When I was having back problems Mariner/Lighthouse and Revved-Up offered to come and get me even though it would have taken them hours to get to where I was. Lagunatic is coming here tomorrow to take me to Walmart and lunch. And AT Gracie wants me to let her know when I get to ME so she can help me resupply, even though she lives 3 hours one way away from the trail. Tell me how all that happens if you can, without God’s grace and the bond formed by the trail.

It’s been a good day except for one thing, I’m having a terrible time planning future resupply points. I know I’ve written about this before but it’s hard trying to find towns that have what I need, figure out when I’ll get to the road crossing close to them so I know how many days of food I’ll need, and then figure out how I’ll get to and from them. But I have a plan and faith that God will provide…He has so far!

Had a good long talk with Karen and heard from both of my daughters. It doesn’t get any better than that. No miles hiked but a lot was accomplished.

Prone to Wander

P.S. I’m attaching a picture of what I’ve been calling an orange salamander, taken about a week ago. A local man said they were newts. Does anyone know what they are? The second picture has a small frog in it, not sure if you’ll be able to see it. The third picture is of a small snake that was quicker than I was.