Finally out of the mud hole that was Vermont. There were actually some really nice peaks (Glastenbury, Stratton, Bromley, Killington), but a lot of muddy tread way in between. Rob and I got a lot of trail magic in Vermont, starting of course with Uncle Don. The next day New York Minute ('08 thru-hiker) and Val had a grill set up at a road crossing, with hot dogs, hamburgers, fruit, and cold soda. On the 23rd we met Leo and Ana from Boston--they were really excited to meet a thru-hiker, and gave me a little bottle of Irish Whiskey. I redeemed my "Get out of trail jail free" coupon that Rob gave me for Christmas by getting a shower, laundry, and a bed a their house in Richmond for the night on Thursday. Very nice after getting drenched in a downpour earlier that day. Rob ended his trip 10 miles short of NH, to match Rosemary's schedule for picking him up.
June 24
Rob dropped me off in West Hartford, VT and I walked into New Hampshire. The last stretch was really easy, through a pine forest. I found a cooler of watermelon and sweet bread by the road in Norwich, VT. It was very much appreciated because it was a long hot road walk into Hanover, where I was met by Dan Mott. We spent the afternoon eating Ben and Jerry's and playing cribbage. Rachael joined us in the evening for dinner and Toy Story 3 (in 3D). It was very funny. I enjoyed it.
While in Vermont we met Kite and Sandpiper, Beans, Wazi, Tommy (PA to ME), Freedumb and Redtail (PA to ME), Cookie Monster, Olaf, Cool Tool, Yukon and Litterbox, Turtleback, The Roaming Gnomes (POW and TLC, finishing their thru hike from 08 and 09), Roaring Lion, Cakon, and Camp Chair. Most of them are now ahead of me.
I'm looking forward to Moosilauke and the White Mountains!!! Updates may be few and far between for the rest of my hike, as I don't have many town stays planned, but I will do my best.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
We're a state behind you, entering VT on Saturday, but we've been following your entries for awhile. Got your website from Natedog's site. Enjoy NH!
ReplyDeleteOld Vermuck wouldn't be the "Green Mountain State" without the nourishing ooze through which we tramped for 150 miles. Trees grow nice big wiry roots in that stuff, the weeds get real tall, and even the rocks get larger after a good rain.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately the Green Mountain Club, the steward of Long Trail Conservation, has begun logging the Green Mountains. They own a large tract of woodland near Belvidere Mountain and started a three-year harvesting operation last winter. My campaign to spread awareness about this activity, and to encourage lobbying the GMC to add the land to the Long Trail State Forest, earned me the "Radical" trail name.
To make a bad situation worse, Green Mountain Power recently won permission to begin developing a large wind farm adjacent to the Long Trail in the same area, just east of Belvidere in Lowell. This will involve massive clearcutting and road building and will be very visible from the northern third of the LT. The Maine Appalachian Trail Club has been battling these sorts of development pressures for a number of years now...I can only hope the GMC follows suit, but given their shaky environmental principles all hikers should be concerned.