August
2nd Sunday
After waking at 6:00, I had some
cereal and got away by 7:30 I passed into Connecticut and went to the Ten-Mile
Shelter, where I forgot my sweat towel. I walked a mile to Bull’s Bridge and
then left the trail to go to a store. I went in to buy a Ben and Jerry’s New
York Super Fudge Chunk and sat outside at a picnic table to eat it. Just before
I finished, a car pulled up and Sunburn and Storm Cloud got out. It was the
first time I’d seen Sunburn since Harper’s Ferry, a month ago to the day, and I
hadn’t seen Storm Cloud since before Bear Mountain. What a surprise! They had
gone off the trail to a local fair with two gals and were just now getting back
on.
We hung around the store for an hour or so before packing
up and hiking. We met Lewis and Clark of “97” who were doing some trail magic.
We made it to Mt. Algo Lean-to by 3:00. I stayed to meet Thirsty Boots, but
Sunburn and Stormy moved on. Bump was to meet me here also but he was nowhere
in sight. I washed up a bit in the stream and then set up my tent. After that,
I headed down the hill to the road that led to Kent. There at the road, Thirsty
Boots was getting out of his truck. I met Louisa, his wife, and they offered me
a ride to town. Thirsty hid his pack off the road before we headed for Kent.
Louisa dropped us off and we wandered around town looking for a restaurant. We
found “The Drum and Fife,” and went inside. It was pretty swanky! They even had
a piano player. When we ordered, I got the turkey soup and the chicken Caesar.
It was a very good meal! Thirsty picked up the tab again. We chatted about what
had happened over the summer. He said that his daughter, Kate, was getting a
job most likely at Pinkham Notch in New Hampshire. I should try to meet her when I passed by.
When we left, we stopped at a store for ice cream. I
bought a newspaper to wrap it in so I could carry it back to the shelter
without it melting. We met Soul Shaker and Woody at the store and then walked
the mile back to the shelter, where I ate the Ben and Jerry’s. It had stayed
pretty cold considering how hot it had been. We met a southbound girl called 32
Flavors, and two ridge runners for the area. The south-bounder, 32 Flavors, had
met and had been coached by Stormy and Sunburn somewhere on the trail, because
when we were being introduced, she blurted out “You bastard, I’m pregnant.”
Those two were always scheming. I bet
they were laughing it up, right now, somewhere. I also met a section hiker, a
strange bird, who collected pipes. I crashed into bed by 9:00, after a
12.5-mile day.
August
3rd Monday
I slept until 7:00 and then read the
paper for a while. Thirsty Boots and I had cereal for breakfast. We hiked out
at 9:15 and started the climb up from Kent. We stopped often and snacked so
that Thirsty Boots could get back into the strenuous grind. He told me that
things had been going well for him and Louisa. They had kayaked and sailed the
summer away and his job was going well too. When we reached Silver Hill Shelter
at 5:00, we decided to stay. It was perched on a beautiful overlook and had a
hand pump for water. There was a nice grassy area for tents and a gazebo type
structure, where one could cook if it rained. Ringbearer showed up along with
Mitch, Feathermax, Buddha boy and a troop of Hoods in the Woods. It was great
to see Ringbearer again. It had been some time since we had crossed paths. He
had carried my red alligator cup for over a hundred miles, from the hostel in
New Jersey, where I had left it on the table.
I made rice and wieners for supper and we talked the evening away. I had
a nice road walk along the Housatonic River today. I was in bed by 9:30 after
an 11-mile day.
August
4th Tuesday
I was up at 6:00 in the morning and
had a salami and cheese hoagie and a coffee for breakfast. Thirsty Boots and I
hit the trail around 7:20. There was
not a lot of water anywhere on the trail and the day was hot. We made it to the
Belter campsite twelve miles away, and there found a nice cold spring. Thirsty
Boots wasn’t feeling well and laid down in the shade after having some water.
After a half-hour or so he vomited the water. I helped him set up his tent and
then set up mine. We wouldn’t go further this day. Old Fhart showed up and I
saw Breakaway and Joliet Joe pass by on the trail. Old Fhart set up for the
night as well. I cooked potato dumplings and pepperoni for supper and ate the
whole works. I wrote three letters in the evening, one to Ray Daniels, one to
Laura and Jeremy and one to Barb King. It was dark at 8:15 and so we went to
bed. Thirsty said he felt a little better but not a 100%.
August
5th Wednesday
I was up at 6:00 and had a small
salami and cheese sandwich with coffee. Thirsty Boots, Old Fhart and I left
camp at 7:10. Thirsty was still feeling pretty groggy but walked the first four
miles in two hours. We had arrived at the Housatonic River Road. This would
enable Thirsty to reach Salisbury by road. We sat and discussed the situation.
Louisa would be picking him up today, outside of Salisbury, so we decided that
he would hitch a ride there and I would hike the trail and meet him later in
Salisbury. We saw a van by the river, so I went down and asked how to get to
Salisbury. The man we talked to organized rafting events on the river and was
waiting there to have a meeting with the power company representatives. He told
us how to get to Salisbury and offered to pick Thirsty up, if he didn’t get a
ride. We split up. I took to the trail
and Thirsty walked the road.
I hiked the six miles over Prospect Mountain in two
hours. I saw Ringbearer just as I got to the road but he didn’t see me. There
was some trail magic in a cooler, so I stopped for a drink. I met the
Frank’nPops as they were going back to the trail. They were married here in a
hotel, more years ago than they cared to remember, and they spent last night in
the same hotel. They were quite happy! When I got to town I met Thirsty and
several others at the square in the middle of town, by the store. Mitch,
Feathermax, Hawk-eye, Fletch, Joliet Joe and Breakaway were there, but somehow,
I missed Sunburn and Storm Cloud. Thirsty and I went for lunch at a deli and I
had a turkey sandwich and chips. After that I walked to the store, bought a
pint of Ben & Jerry’s, and ate it in the courtyard. We all had a good time
swapping stories and getting our packs readied for the trail. I went back to
the store for groceries and to the Outfitter for socks.
Breakaway, Buddha Boy, Thirsty Boots,
Joliet Joe and Fletch in
Salisbury, Connecticut
Thirsty and I left town at 3:00 to walk to the trailhead.
He was feeling much better now as we said our good-byes. It was up the hill for
me, and a good long climb it was. I met Joe and Fletch on Lion’s Head lookout.
We stopped for a half an hour. Breakaway came by and we all carried on to the
Riga Shelter. We decided to stay there for the night. I had a beef hoagie for
supper and then went to wash my clothes in the stream. We sat around the
shelter all evening long and shared Joliet’s bottle of mead. Fletch stabbed one
of the mice that scampered around the steps of the shelter, with his hiking
stick. I felt lucky that I had my tent set up, because of all of the mice. I
had done fifteen miles this day and I had bought a new pair of socks and a new
sweat towel.
August
6th Thursday
The early morning, 5:30 to be exact,
was the perfect time to catch the beautiful sunrise overlooking the Housatonic
Valley.
After
cereal for breakfast, I took a picture from the shelter. I left at 6:45 and
hiked three miles to the Massachusetts/Connecticut border. I met Kid
Charlemagne, a teacher and former thru hiker of “86”. We talked for a while
about how the trail had changed and how different it was to be out here twelve
years later. He had forgotten how strenuous it was to hike up and over the
hills again and again. I walked on another ten miles climbing two of those
hills and then stopped for water. I treated the water with iodine and had a big
lunch of bagel and salami sandwiches with chips and cookies. I did a road walk
stint in the afternoon, another climb to reach the Tom Leonard shelter. I met
Huffer and Puffer, a retired army guy, for the first time. Old Fhart, Soul
Shaker and Woody showed up also. There was not a lot of tent space. I set up my tent close to the shelter and
had Lipton rice and salami for supper, and cookies for dessert. There were lots
of mosquitoes! I scraped my legs raw,
until they were stinging and bleeding. This day was the second longest day so
far, twenty-three miles. The weather had started out very warm, but as I
readied for bed, it began to rain.
August
7th Friday
I was up at 6:00 and had breakfast
with Old Fhart. We took off together at 7:10 and I hiked for four hours with
only one 45-minute break. According to the shelter registers, Sunburn,
Ringbearer and Storm Cloud were just ahead of me. I expected to catch them
today or tomorrow. I passed Frank n’
Pops and Frankie’s sister at the South Wilcox Shelter. They told me that
Sunburn and the rest were only a half an hour ahead of me. I took off again and
caught Sunburn ringing out his shorts, something he often did when it was hot
and they were sweaty. It was either that…or… he was just an exhibitionist. I
hoped for his sake, it was the former. We caught up to Stormy and Tony who were
stationed at a spring. We sat for an hour, catching up on the trail news, then
took off for the Upper Goose Pond hostel. We stopped on the trail to the hostel
for Stormy and Sunburn had decided to hike out to the highway to stay at a
motel. Tony and I decided to walk to the hostel for the night. I was tired
after doing the twenty-one miles and did not want to move on. When we arrived
at the hostel, we found it was on a lake. Better than that, Bump was there.
What a guy! We chatted for a while and then Tony and I went down for a swim.
The water was great! We washed our clothes and swam for over an hour. Back at
the hostel, I made spaghetti for Bump and I. It was a pretty full hostel that
night. I met Sensei, Peacemaker and Two Showers again. I was in bed by 10:00,
but the rest of the people, were talking past midnight. Sleep didn’t come so easy.
August
8th Saturday
I woke up at 5:30, after very little
sleep, and had cold cereal for breakfast. I hung around until almost everyone
was up. The caretaker made us some coffee and pancakes. I left around 9:00 and made it to the
Massachusetts turnpike. I took a picture and then hiked on to US 20 where,
Ringbearer’s mom and dad were parked with some trail magic (juice, pastry, pop
and chocolate bars). I walked up to a pay phone at a motel and tried to get a
hold of Al Sheremeta but had no luck. Then I made a phone-call for Frank’nPops
who had decided to stay at the Goose Pond hostel one more stay. I started
hiking again and did seven miles to the October Mt. Shelter before stopping for
a snack and a rest. There, I found some trail magic from the Enlightened Rogue
just off Pittsfield Road, so I stopped for a pop, some carrots and some
candies. It seemed to hit the spot!
Two Showers wore sandals for 2/3 of the
trail.
Compliments of Two Showers
I hiked on to the Kay Wood Shelter and met Tony and Two
Showers at the trail junction to go in. They had decided to go on to the town
of Dalton and camp in Tom Lenardis back yard. I decided to stop and stay at the
shelter because I was tired. I had already tramped eighteen miles, though I had
walked instead of hiked. There was a difference! Hiking required purpose and
effort to climb and take long strides. Walking was just moving your body with
as little effort as possible. The weather was quite warm but I didn’t sweat
much. There were four south bounders at the shelter, “Puffin, Technical
Difficulties, Cheshire and Pokey”. They were having a good time, sharing the
southbound way. It was interesting hearing their stories and the attitude they
had towards north bounders. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them, because
they still had some 1550 miles yet to do. The trail was wearing me down because
of the long days that I’d been putting in. I felt strong but I had a suspicion
that there wasn’t much substance to that strength, and it wouldn’t take too
much of a blow, to put me down and out. Later in the evening Birch Monroe and
Heimy showed up. Birch had hiked with Fletch for quite a while and was trying
to catch up to him. He was nineteen, from California and liked to surf and
boat. He had a two-man Walrus tent that was bigger than mine. He was quite a treat to be around as he had
a happy go lucky manner. I was in bed, dog-tired, by 9:30!
August
9th Sunday
I was up at 5:30 and left the shelter
without breakfast. I wanted to catch Stormy and Sunburn today, in Dalton. I
hiked the 3-mile gradual downhill into Dalton and stopped briefly at Tom
Levardis. Two Showers and Tom were sitting outside and I chatted with them for
a few minutes. They told me Sunburn and Storm Cloud went down to a restaurant
for breakfast, so I followed after them. Dalton was a quiet little town on a
Sunday morning. The sky was overcast but the daytime temperature was warm. I
passed by a couple restaurants before Storm Cloud stepped out of one and yelled
at me across the street. I went over and stepped in for a coffee. There was a
very pretty Italian waitress. Stormy’s
intentions were evident. We three talked for a half of an hour, discussing our
plans. They would hike out of town right after breakfast and I would head for
an ATM, to pick up some cash.
I grabbed my pack and headed off down the street and
passed an old factory, dam and bridge on my way. The factory used the water
from the river to power it. It was not clear what they made there. I passed a
lot of businesses and a few large, old churches. I finally found an ATM, and
then dug in my pack for the letters I had ready to go and dropped them in a
near-by mailbox. I walked the streets to get back onto the trail and headed up
and out of town. Somehow, I had missed Sunburn and Stormy. After a short climb, I stopped to have a
cheese sandwich and some cookies. The sun had come out and it was hot. I walked
nine miles down into the town of Cheshire. I hiked down the streets to the main
road and happened to spy Ringbearer's parents in a car. We talked for a few
minutes. They told me that he would
pass through there today. I walked up to a crossroads and parked my butt on a
bench by a memorial to cheese making and some ancient politician. Off came my
boots as my feet needed some freedom. I had a small snack and savored a
chocolate bar. I had to go up the street, cross a couple highways and through a
picturesque field with cows, to get out of town. I made the Mark Knopel Shelter
by late afternoon and half expected to stay there. The shelter was situated on
a steep climb down off the trail and the water was about an equal distance
lower, down off the ridge. It was well worth the walk, as it was cold and
refreshing. I filled up my bottles and climbed back to the shelter to rest.
I made a supper of noodles and rested my feet again. Old
Fhart came by. A few minutes later
Storm Cloud and Sunburn arrived. They were all going on to Mt. Greylocks’,
Bascom Lodge. I thought long and hard about going on. This shelter was in
memory of a forestry ranger who lost his life, at the age of 20 something,
trying to rescue a young girl. Not being a loner, I decided to hike the three
miles up to Bascom Lodge. The trail was good and I made the climb quickly up
the road and on up to the lodge. There were lots of well, dressed folks,
milling around outside and I didn’t see any hikers at all. I dropped my pack
off outside the lodge, and chatted with an old-timer who had come up with his
wife, for the view. He talked of the old days, of working in the woods and all
the changes that had happened since. Sunburn spied me and came over. He told me
where I could get a shower and where to put my pack. There was a little used
room at the back of the lodge for our gear, and the caretakers allowed hikers
to sleep on the sundeck. I took my pack inside and met a couple new hikers, Son
Ray and Wood Butcher. The room was full of gear and had a strong hiker odor.
They told me that there had been a wedding earlier and that the reception would
be going on at the lodge in the evening. There were seven hikers here,
including myself.
Storm Cloud, Sunburn, Wood Butcher, Son Ray and Ol’ Fhart
In the storage room at Bascom Lodge
Sunburn gave me a towel and I went for a quick shower in
a very small cubicle. There was hardly enough room to turnaround and the light
went off, if the sensor didn’t see motion every few minutes. The shower felt
good! I donned on my town clothes for
the evening and headed back to the room.
Whew! The hiker’s stench was
really evident. It must be coming from
the clothes and the packs, for everyone had showered. We sat around, talked and
drank pops from the machine in the lodge. I went to check out the memorial on
the top of the hill. It commemorated all of the men and women from
Massachusetts, who lost their lives in any of the wars, against the U.S.
Back in the room, people came to the door to get wedding
presents that had been stored there. At first they would walk in but then they
would retch and back out quickly. The stench was overpowering. I don’t think
there was one person that didn’t jerk their head back, to breathe fresher air.
Later on when a few of the folks were going home, someone came and invited us
to the festivities. We jumped at the chance. There was a disc jockey, free beer
and dancing. These opportunities didn’t happen every day! Son-Ray started a
Congo line and everyone joined in. We had a great time and closed the place
down. As everyone left, we carried big mats out to the sundeck and set up our
beds. We got to bed late. It had been a
20-mile day in the heat.
Aug.
10th Monday
We got up fairly early in the morning and moved the mats
out of the way. We lazed around until breakfast time then moved the chairs into
the dining area. We had eggs, pan-fries and sausage for breakfast and then
packed up to go. Storm Cloud, Sunburn and I took off and walked downhill four
or five miles to an overlook over the valley below. We stopped for a snack on
an outcropping of rock and discussed what we would do that day. We couldn't see
North Adams but knew it was only a couple of miles away. Old Fhart caught up to
us and we talked and laughed for over an hour. Sunburn farted continuously for
about fifteen seconds and we split a gut laughing. We broke into a chorus of
Robin Hood at the top of our voices. A
few minutes later a section hiker came along and sat down a good distance from
us. We joked about how scared he probably was, knowing he had heard us singing.
We packed up and headed down the hill and into town. We
walked the street to Route 2 and then hitched a ride into North Adams. A lady,
in a small, older Cavalier, stopped to pick us up and drove us downtown to a
Best Western. We checked in and showered right away and then bagged our clothes
and sleeping bag, and headed to the laundry, down the street. After the clothes
washing, we phoned a taxi to pick us up and he delivered us to the theatre.
Storm Cloud and I went to see “Saving Private Ryan” and Sunburn went to see a
different movie. We met him at a nearby lounge after the show, and then got a
taxi to take us back to the hotel. From there we walked uptown to a Chinese
restaurant and ordered take-out. It started to rain on the way back, so we kept
under the awnings until we got near the hotel. The food was OK, but not the
best I’d had. I watched TV for a short while before going to bed.
Aug.
11th Tuesday
I got up around 7:00 and bagged up my sleeping bag to
take back to the laundry for some more drying. I was looking forward to using a
clean bag. All the days of sweating and grime, eventually made the sleeping bag
feel like a grease pit. It wasn’t always a treat to crawl into at night. The
laundry wasn’t open so I went to a convenience store and got a paper and a
coffee, and sat under an awning next to the laundry, until it opened. I wrote a
letter to Glen Stirling while my sleeping bag dried and then later stopped at a
Kmart for some shopping. On my way back to the hotel, I checked a couple
pharmacies for iodine water treatment capsules, but had no luck. I ran into
Sunburn, who was going to the post office, so I tagged along to mail my letter.
I made arrangements to meet him at Lady Di’s restaurant for breakfast and I
headed back to the hotel to get Storm Cloud. We walked to the restaurant and I
ordered steak and eggs. It was delicious and filling. On the way back to the
hotel I tried a sporting goods store for iodine but had no luck again.
Back at the hotel we started watching the movie
“Contact”. The phone rang and it was Tony (Ringbearer). He was in the lobby and
came up to our room. We contemplated taking the day off, but in the end,
decided to head back to the trail. Tony had stayed at Williamstown with Huffer
& Puffer, Bump and a few others last night. He didn’t know what the rest
were doing but since he wasn’t feeling well, he decided to take another day
off. We called the desk and asked if we could stay an extra hour so we could
finish the movie and then called a cab to pick us up and take us to the trail.
Sunburn and Storm Cloud headed up the trail towards
Vermont, Tony went onto Williamstown in the taxi and I hiked down the road to a
large grocery store to get food supplies. It was a great store with lots of
goodies. There was a fabulous deli and lots of ice cream to choose from. I
bought a hoagie for supper and a Ben & Jerry’s to have before hitting the
trail. I walked back to the trailhead, crossed Route 2 and went just far enough
to get some privacy before sitting down to eat my coffee ice cream and to pack
the food. I commenced hiking up to the Vermont border, four miles away, and
later stopped at the Seth-Warner Shelter, another three miles beyond. Fletch,
Sunburn, Storm Cloud, Son Ray and a south bounder were at the shelter already.
Stormy wanted to go on to the next shelter so he and Sunburn left. I had some
of my hoagie for supper and decided to stay. I set up my tent, as it was
overcast, and then went back to the shelter to visit. Joliet Joe, Breakaway,
Take 5, Breaktime, Lyme Robbie, Crow, Snoreasaurus, Phoenix and another south
bounder showed up. The shelter was full and there were eight tents nearby.
Around 6:30 the skies opened up and it rained hard. I helped Lyme Robbie set up
his tent and then got inside mine and wrote letters for home. I had only done
seven miles this day.
Aug.12th Wednesday.
The sleeping bag was clean from the
wash and kept me nice and warm. I got up at 8:00 and had cold cereal and milk
for breakfast. I packed up my wet tent and headed down the trail to the Congdon
Camp, seven miles away. Bump was there, so I stopped for a salami and cheese
sandwich. We chatted for a while and then we both headed off for the road to
Bennington. We met a couple of ladies; very large in size and they were
climbing up to the shelter we had just left. They had sectioned hiked almost
the whole trail and would complete it this year. When we left them and started
the steep descent down to the road, Bump told me how bad he felt. Here were two
very plump gals, sticking out the pain and grief of completing the hike in
sections, and he was gallivanting around, with no guilt about hitchhiking
throughout the trail. It didn’t stop
him from hitching into Bennington, when we reached the road.
I crossed a bridge and stopped for a
snack. A south bounder, coming out of town, stopped to talk to me. He had had a
pretty rough time of it, but still enjoyed the trail. I took off uphill to the
first shelter, a mile and a half away and then decided to carry on to the
Goddard Shelter, another eight miles away. It was a long hike and mostly
uphill, but I reached the shelter around 7:30. It surprised me that I got there
so quickly. I ran into two hikers getting water from the spring that crossed
the trail, before I realized where I was. Sunburn, Stormy, Fletch and Two
Showers were set up in the shelter and had started a fire. I quickly found a
spot to set up my tent. A supper of
spaghetti and a hot chocolate warmed me on this chilly night. It was 3500 feet
above sea level and the overcast made for a cool night. We talked and laughed
around the fire for a while and then I was off to my tent to try and get a good
sleep. I had completed twenty-one hard
miles today.
August
13th Thursday
I was up at 5:00 for a hot chocolate pee and then crawled
back into my nice warm sleeping bag to sleep until 7:30. Once I got up, I went
to the shelter and had a breakfast of cold cereal and milk. I talked with the
others until it was time to pack up and leave. Stormy, Sunburn, Fletch and I
climbed to the fire tower on top of Glastenberry Mountain. Birch Monroe and Heimy had spent the night
there, and we rousted them out. We climbed the lookout tower and took some
pictures. We could see some windmills on the horizon behind us. We all hiked to
the Kid Gore Shelter five miles away and stopped for a snack. Just before I got
to the shelter, I spied a snake on the trail. It was an ordinary looking snake
and it seemed to be having trouble moving off the trail. When I looked closer,
I noticed frog legs dangling out of its mouth. What an opportunity! I grabbed
the camera from my pocket and started shooting. I lifted the snake with a
branch and took another picture. What luck!
Frog-eating snake or a snake eating a frog?
When I stopped at the next shelter for water, I met a
couple south bounders and then took off for Stratton Mountain. It was a long
climb, but there was a tower at the top, where we could get a great view. I met
a couple ladies hiking south. Stormy
and Sunburn told me all about them when I got there. I stayed long enough for a
snack and then moved down the hill to stop at Stratton Pond. There was a $5.00
charge to tent or shelter. The caretaker came around for the money. There were
two section hikers from Massachusetts at the shelter cooking supper. We set up around them, and cooked our own. I
had spaghetti again and then went up the hill to set up my tent. It was almost
dark by the time I finished and I noticed the sun was setting a little sooner
than it had been previously. It was hot but the night cooled off quickly as the
sun went down. I had done nineteen miles
today and was in bed by 9:15.
August
14th Friday
Though the night air was cool, it warmed a bit before
morning. I got up at 6:00 and had cold cereal for breakfast. Today was a town
day so everyone was up quickly to head off down the trail early. We stopped at
the William Douglas Shelter for a small respite and I had my usual salami and
cheese sandwich. It was nearly the last of my food and there were no snacks
left. After lunch we packed up and headed for the highway, Vermont 11, which
was the route into Manchester Center. About a mile before the road, we met a
few day hikers and could hear traffic sounds. We found that the type of
vegetation growing here was different. The sun was hot! We stood out by the road for fifteen minutes
before a van stopped to pick us up. The
gentleman chatted with us about what the town was like, and where the best
place was to stay. He told us that the town was spread out a bit, so we got him
to drop us off at a Macs store, in the center of town. We dropped our packs on
some grass beside the store, and took turns going in to buy food. I bought a
couple of hotdogs, a big Pepsi and a quart of homogenized milk and then sat
outside on the lawn eating and watching the traffic go by.
Manchester was a very busy little town with lots of
stores. I took four rolls of film to a photo shop and then walked to the Ben
& Jerry’s store. I gobbled up a pint of Wavy Gravy, a new flavor for me,
which was similar to chocolate ripple. When we got ready to find a place to
stay, we checked the guidebook, and headed for a Bed & Breakfast called
Suttons Place. It was a nice house and the gentleman was friendly and helpful.
We dropped our packs off there, showered, and gathered our clothes for laundry.
Stormy and I headed back downtown to do the laundry and I checked the photo
shop for my pictures. The lady got them and showed me one of a sunrise at the
Riga Shelter in Connecticut. It was a nice picture and she admired it, very
much. I ordered doubles, gave her one and promised to send an eight by ten
after I got home. She gave me a discount on the developing and then wrote her
address on a card. I went back to the Laundromat because the clothes were just
about done.
Birch Monroe, Fletch, Heimy and Two Showers feasting at the
Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall in Manchester Vermont
Stormy and I talked to a couple elderly patrons and then
headed back to Suttons. We met Sunburn there again and decided to go to the VFW
(Veterans of Foreign Wars) Hall, for steak supper. It cost only $6.00 for
steak, potatoes, corn on the cob and coleslaw, with ice cream for dessert.
Fletch, Heimy, Birch and Two Showers were partakers of the dinner also. After
supper I decided to go to a movie. I
went to see “Something About Mary” at the theatre, the 7:00pm showing. I really
enjoyed the humor and when I came out, Lyme Robbie waiting to go in. We talked
for a bit. He told me he was doing much
better now, having beaten off the effect of Lyme disease. I went to the Price
Chopper grocery store to do some shopping and met Confucius and Lars
Thunderfoot outside. They told me that Ringbearer, Bump, Breakaway and Joliet
Joe were at the last shelter out of town.
I picked up my dry goods at the store, but decided to wait before buying
meat and perishables. When I got back
to Suttons, it was around 10:30. Stormy arrived at the same time, and Sunburn
came in a little while later. Our beds were all in the same room. We conversed ourselves to sleep, planning
what we would do the next day.
August
15th Saturday
When I got up around 7:00, I scanned
over my pack and food. We talked about staying another day in town. It was very
hard to decide. Towns were nice to visit but they were very hard to leave. I
felt that if I stayed on the trail, it would be easier for me. The three of us
went downtown to the Quality Inn for breakfast. It was a nice place, but very
busy. I had blueberry pancakes and sausage with home fries. After breakfast, we
headed up the street to an outfitter sale. There were lots of people around for
so early in the morning. I bought some Capilene long underwear for the cool
nights that we had been experiencing lately, and finally got some iodine pills
for water treatment. We stayed there for an hour or more and then walked up the
street to a bookstore. I went in for a few minutes and then sat outside and
watched the people go by. It was a trendy little town with lots of big name
stores, which attracted lots of shoppers.
Bump, Fletch and Ringbearer passed by and so we talked
for a while. Sunburn, Bump, Ringbearer and I went to the Ben & Jerrys store
for ice cream. I ordered a sundae with three different flavors, Cool Britannia,
Coffee-ale and white Russian.
Ringbearer, Sunburn and Bump in the
Ben &
Jerry’s store, Manchester, Vermont
It was delicious, but I missed the Super Fudge Chunk ice
cream, so after the sundae was gone, I bought another pint. Sunburn and I
decided to stay another day in town, but Stormy decided to head out. Back at
Suttons, we got our gear together and moved to the church hall, which was open
to hikers. There were about 30 hikers there, staying for the night. We set up
on the floor and then I headed downtown to buy the rest of my groceries. I
picked up some meat and some feta cheese and then took it back to the fridge at
the hostel. Sunburn and I went next door to a Mexican restaurant and I ordered
a half-pound burger and home fries.
I went across the street after supper to phone my sister
Joene, on a pay phone. Everybody seemed to be doing well at home. After that, I
headed back to the theatre to watch Private Ryan one more time. When I came out
of the theatre, Wayah was sitting outside the Price Chopper store, so I stopped
to talk. I hadn’t seen him since Pennsylvania or before. He had been giving
lectures with regards to the Red Wolf Reintroduction Program, in the east. I
went into the store and got some milk and chips to take back to the hostel.
When I got back, there were about 20 hikers watching a rented movie, so I sat
and watched it too. We were all north bounders except for a couple section
hikers and a couple south bounders. The floor space was quite full, when we
bedded down for sleep. Lots of little noises made for a restless night.
August
16th Sunday
Today was the celebration of my
four-month anniversary on the trail. I was up at 6:30, made coffee, packed
everything and went next door to the church service with Son Ray, Breakaway,
Fletch and Ringbearer. The Episcopalian church service started at 8:00. The lady minister got each of us to stand
and tell the congregation where we were from. She preached a sermon about a
British poet. There was coffee and snacks after the service and we milled
around and talked to the locals. I met one guy who had covered the Calgary
Olympics for ABC sports. After a half of an hour or so, we went back to the
hostel and got our packs ready. Some of the locals came by and offered us a
ride to the trail. Bump, Sunburn and I
took advantage of it. We started off
slowly, like we did every time we left town. We hiked three miles up Bromley
Mt. and stopped for a small snack at the top of the ski lift area. Sunburn got
a few laughs when he donned a pylon, over his head. I had a feta and salami
sandwich for lunch with some chips and cold water. Quite a few of us had left
the town to congregate at the top of Bromley!
Cone-head on top of Bromley
After lunch we headed down the trail and hiked thirteen
miles to the Big Branch Shelter. The shelter was full but I found a spot for my
tent off the trail and close to a stream. The stream had a deep hole, so Sunburn,
Fletch, Birch and I went for a swim. The weather had been humid. It felt good to wash the sweat off. I hung
around the shelter for a while, cooked rice and salami for supper, and was in
bed by 8:30. It had been a 16-mile day.
August
17th Monday
I
was up at 3:00 for a pee and then went back to bed until 6:30. I really slept
well and probably could have slept longer, but got up to have breakfast. I
packed up the tent and went up to the shelter. Everyone was still in bed but
most were not sleeping. I started hiking about 7:45 and walked three miles to
Lula Shelter. I stopped for a couple
minutes and then hiked another seven miles to the Greenwall Shelter for lunch.
Son Ray came by and together we did the last six miles to Clarendon Gorge. It
was a very steep climb down to the water, but a great place to swim. There were
about eight of us here and five or six locals. Just before we left, I met Roy
G. Biv and Shoulda Known. We hiked out to the highway and down to a restaurant.
It was fabricated from a couple old railway cars and called the Whistlestop
Café. I had an open-faced beef sandwich with fries and gravy and ice cream for
dessert. From here, Wood Butcher, Son Ray, Sunburn, Ringbearer and I hiked
uphill to the shelter a mile away. The caretaker at the Clarendon was very
pretty and everyone had a good time entertaining her. After the ritual
campfire, I headed off to my tent at 8:40. The weather had been hot and humid
and seventeen miles had been accomplished.
August
18th Tuesday
I got up at 6:30, had cold cereal for
breakfast, packed and left by 7:45. After six miles, we started the big climb
to the top of Killington. I snacked on feta and salami and then finished the
climb up to the ski lodge. It was terribly foggy and cold. Sunburn, Ringbearer,
Two Showers and I went inside to warm up and had a Pepsi. We met Bump, who had
hiked up a ski trail, from the highway. We stayed for an hour and then started
down to the road. We soon caught up to
Fletch, Breakaway and Birch. There were about eight of us who headed to the Inn
at the Long Trail. I made a short stop at the Pico Shelter to read the
register. The register made note of the privy, so I went up to have a look. I
had never seen so many flies in my life. They covered the seat so much, that it
was hard to see it. Everyone had to go have a look. After reaching the highway and crossing, we went to the Inn at
the Long Trail and got rooms for the night. I had a quick shower and then went
downstairs to another bought supper of burger and fries. I thought I would
never get my pack food eaten, if this kept up. In the lounge, there were about
fifteen hikers, as well as, Evergreen, Mitch, Dutch Boy, and Feathermax.
Feathermax was a young lad from Georgia, who had just stopped hiking after
doing 1700 miles. His excuse was that he wanted to go hunting deer back home. I
talked to him a bit about his quitting, but he felt that he had done the right
thing. Fanny Pack phoned the restaurant and so we all got a chance to talk to
him. How did he know we were here? After supper I moved into the TV room, and
lay on the couch. I decided to go to bed early, around 9:30.
August
19th Wednesday
I got up at 7:30 and headed down to
the restaurant for breakfast. There were huge rocks sticking through the wall
in the restaurant area. The lodge was built around the rock outcroppings on the
hill.
The
meal was included with our stay and there were about twelve hikers at
breakfast. I met a section hiker who asked a lot of questions and also Bump’s
friend from Maine, the long distance speed hiker, Mainiac. He was a very big
man, who planned to speed hike the Long Trail, here in Vermont. Bump was going
to run a support vehicle for him. We checked the register and found out that
Stormy had stayed here and was about a day ahead of us. We left the Inn at
10:00 and stopped at the Maine Junction. This was where the Appalachian Trail
veered off to the east towards New Hampshire and the Long Trail veered
northward to Quebec. Sunburn, Two Showers, Ringbearer and I met a friend of Two
Showers, who had gone to school with her. He was traveling southbound and told
us that we would probably meet two flip-floppers that we knew. He had met Kozmo and Shutterbug at a shelter
the previous night. I knew them as the Nova Scotian duo, since I had met them
in Virginia. We pulled into the Stoney Brook Shelter and waited. Another south
bounder came in and said she was hiking just ahead of Kozmo and Shutterbug.
They arrived soon after and we had a happy reunion. We talked about when they
went north to Katahdin in July, and asked how the trail was in Maine. They
looked like they were doing well and we took a group picture. After an hour or
so, we parted and our group headed for the Lookout.
Kozmo,
Ringbearer, Shutterbug, Two Showers, Canuckelhead and Sunburn
A happy reunion
with the flip-floppers
This
was a privately owned cabin set high on a hill, overlooking the valley below.
It had a lookout station on the roof that could be reached by a ladder. Son
Ray, Wood Butcher, and Enlightened Rogue were up there already. I went into the
cabin to set up for the night. I cooked some rice and broccoli for supper and
Wood Butcher made a cheesecake dessert for everyone. Sunburn, Ringbearer, Two
Showers, Enlightened Rogue, Sunray, Wood Butcher, Lyme Robbie and myself set
out our bags for the night and fell asleep around 9:30. Fifteen miles was done
today in the best hiking weather yet. It was cool and breezy, with the smells
of fall and it made for enjoyable hiking.
August
20th Thursday
I was up at 5:00 in the morning. Son Ray, Wood Butcher, Enlightened Rogue and
I went up to the lookout to take some pictures of the sunrise. I took far too
many pictures! It was nice to be up
early. I went back down to cook rice for breakfast and then went outside and sat
on the railing to soak up the sun. I was packed and away by 8:30 and stopped at
the Winturi Shelter three miles distant, for water. I hiked on another six
miles to the Pomfret Road and went to a nearby store for lunch. The smoked
turkey grinder along with a quart of milk and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s was
delicious, so I purchased a second beef grinder for the road. I hiked back to
the trail and went onto Thistle Shelter. I met up with Two Showers and we
walked together for a while. We met a southbound hiker who was sitting playing
a banjo. He was very good! The music
carried well into the woods, as we moved away. We reached the shelter by 5:00
and waited for everyone else to show up. I had half of my second grinder for
supper and set up my tent nearby. We met Jason and Will, a couple south
bounders, who were going to stay the night. I crawled into bed at 8:00, after a
short 14-mile day. Before going to sleep, I wrote a couple of letters, one to
Doug & Eunice Smith and one to Rick and Nicole Radke.