The Anniversary and a New Plan

Day 129

We got to order a whole meal for breakfast for free with out stay and I had some delicious blueberry pancakes with real Vermont maple syrup. After breakfast we hiked the half-mile back up to the mountains and continued on the AT. Just a little ways down was another inn next to a pong the Trail passed by. We stopped in for water. It also looked like a really fun place to stay. We found Slim and one of the British boys inside. Slim’s brother and the other British boy had gotten injured so the two of them got off the Trail with the brother’s father. I thought something like that might happen since Slim wasn’t going any slower for them. After a couple more miles we headed up Quimby Mountain, across it a couple of miles and back down. We then headed back up and across more mountains until we reached a short side trail that led us to the Lookout, which was a cabin with a tower on top. It was privately owned, but thruhikers were welcome to stay there. There were already many thruhikers there including some annoying southbounders. Since we had time, we moved on across the mountains a couple more miles to Winturi Shelter where we spent the night.

Miles hiked today: 18 Total AT miles completed: 1716.9 Total AT miles left to hike: 468.4

Day 130

We woke up and hiked several miles up and down several small mountains like Ascutney Mountain, Dana Hill, and Totman Hill. It was a pleasant day and we walked awhile along what looked like an old road with an old stonewall running along it. We have often come across old stone ruins of buildings and walls. On top of one of the small mountains there was an abundance of raspberries we leisurely picked and ate. We hiked on through some farmland and at a gravel road we turned and walked a bit to the Cloudland Market, a small farm store. We bought some fancy cheese and crackers and local sodas and enjoyed them on their large front porch with some other hikers. After lunch we hiked up Thistle Hill and back down through an area filled solely with skinny, tall trees with their branches only at the very top. It looked very beautiful. Further down, the Trail led us to the town of West Hartford. We crossed the White River on a bridge where teenagers were jumping off into the water. Right across the bridge was a cooler of trail magic. There were sodas, full-sized candy bars, snacks and beer. As we were enjoying these, we heard a bell ringing. Across the street, some locals were on the porch of their house, motioning us over to them. When we finished drinking, we walked over there and found more free sodas. The woman who lived there offered any of us a place to stay there with breakfast, but we wanted to get further so we declined. We walked over to the one grocery store and deli where we were going to have dinner, but it was closed up for good. So we went back to the trail magic for some more snacks and hiked out of town and up Happy Hill to Happy Hill Shelter where we spent the night.

Miles hiked today: 20.4 Total AT miles completed: 1737.3 Total AT miles left to hike: 448

Day 131

We woke up and hiked a few miles on easy, flat terrain before heading down the mountains. The Trail led us a mile down a road where a few houses had containers of trail magic set out front for us hikers, filled with the usual snacks and sodas. The street led us to the center of Norwhich where we were spending the first of our two days off for our wedding anniversary. We stopped by Dan & Whit’s General Store, which was a small store, stuffed with everything from fancy cheeses to hammers and nails. The aisles were small, the store was packed with people, and around every corner was another room that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It was quite charming and we enjoyed looking at all the gorgeous food. Right next-door was the Norwhich Inn where we dashed to in the heavy rain that had just begun pouring. We had to wait ten minutes before we could get our room, which was old-fashioned and had a bed with a canopy. The inn itself was very old and used to be a haven for people as they traveled in their stagecoaches. We cleaned up and went to Jasper Murdock’s Ale House, which was in the inn. The lunch and beer was exceptional and I sat sipping my second round while blogging. We went back to Dan & Whits and bought some sushi, cereal, and fancy chocolate for dinner. We rested and watched Independence Day on TV before going to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 4.4 Total AT miles completed: 1741.7 Total AT miles left to hike: 443.6

Day 132

Today was our second wedding anniversary. After eating the continental breakfast at the inn, we got back on the road that was the AT in a steady rain and walked the mile and a half down the road over the Connecticut River into Hanover, New Hampshire, home of Dartmouth College. In the middle of town we checked into the Hanover Inn, which was new and fancy with robes and umbrellas in every room. We changed out of our wet clothes and went to an Indian restaurant for lunch. After eating, we walked through Dartmouth College and stopped by one of their libraries to see the fascinating Jose Orozco mural that covered the inside walls. After spending some time looking at the mural, we found some computers we could use. Some high school friends of mine were getting married on August 23^rd down in Maryland and I wanted to see if we might be somewhere on the Trail where we could take a bus or get a rental car. So I spent about an hour making a tentative schedule for the rest of our time on the Trail to get an idea of where we might be. When I got to the end of the schedule, I found we’d finish the entire Trail on August 23^rd at a normal pace. We discussed it awhile, but ultimately decided we would try to finish by the 22^nd so my parents’ could pick us up and drive us down to the wedding.  It was a bit scary to put us on a tight schedule, but we felt ready to be done with the Trail and knew this would force us to get done sooner rather than later. So after I called my parents and they agreed to the plan, there was no turning back. The rest of the day we spent having fun. We got delicious gelato at a gelato place, went to see the film Begin Again which was good, and went to a Korean restaurant for dinner where I had yummy bulgogi. It was a great day!

Miles hiked today: 1.5 Total AT miles completed: 1743.2 Total AT miles left to hike: 442.1

Day 133

After waking up at the Hanover Inn we walked to the nearby diner, Lou’s, where we ate some delicious cruller French toast and cinnamon bun pancakes. We then headed over to Dartmouth’s Hood Museum of Art, which was free and small with some interesting pieces. We then checked out and stopped by Lou’s again for a milkshake and a donut, before taking the Trail through the town and southeast down Lebanon St. We stopped by a store on the edge of town for resupply and lunch before continuing on, back into the woods. We hiked several miles on fairly flat ground with few breaks before heading up Moose Mountain where there was a shelter we were planning to stay at. Since it was early evening we decided to get ahead of schedule by hiking on, across and down the mountain and up another one and halfway down to Trapper John Shelter. We arrived just before dark and ate quickly before going to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 16.6 Total AT miles completed: 1759.8 Total AT miles left to hike: 425.5

Day 134

We woke up and hiked down the mountain less than a mile to a handmade sign that had a man holding ice cream in one hand and water in another painted on it. Above this sign was a sign that read: Bill Ackerly/ His Icecream Brings All The Hikers To The Yard/ His Water Tastes Better Than Yours/ Darn Right, His Croquet Game Is Better Than Yours/ It’s all FREE Yeah There Is NO Charge!! The sign pointed us to the left on a small trail, across a road, to a small house adorned with Tibetan prayer flags. Bill, an old man, welcomed us with some ice cream bars before excusing himself to leave to visit a friend in the hospital. Bill used to be a psychology professor at Harvard. Spirit Hawk of Love had stayed at the house overnight so we talked with him for a bit while enjoying some ice cream sandwiches. We then enjoyed a round of croquet in the backyard before getting back to the Trail. It was flat for a bit before heading up the fairly big Smarts Mountain. On some of the large, steep, slippery rocks they put some metal bars into the rock to help us get up safely. At the top there was a fire tower with views and a rundown, trashed cabin where we ate lunch. After lunch we hiked down the mountain and up Mt Cube, passing by Eastman Ledges on the way up. We hiked down that mountain and up Ore Hill where there was a campsite. There used to be a shelter here, but it burned down in 2011. The privy was real nice though, constructed by Dartmouth students. We arrived pretty late, but we made dinner and I blogged some before getting in the tent to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 19.1 Total AT miles completed: 1779.3 Total AT miles left to hike: 406

Day 135

We woke up early and hiked quickly the few miles across the mountains and up the small Mt Mist, which was very misty. We hiked down the mountain and had a snack before the four-mile climb up Mt Moosilauke, considered one of the most difficult. We hiked up faster than we thought we would. We stopped for lunch halfway up and it started to get quite cold and a little rainy. We continued to the top, a bald, which we hadn’t encountered in a long time. As we neared the top, the tress kept getting smaller and smaller until we were taller than the trees. And then there were no more trees, just rocks. It was very cold, rainy, and windy up there as we made our way across the top above the treeline. The wind almost blew our ponchos off several times. As I took a picture of Nepsis at the summit, the wind knocked me off the rock I was standing on a couple of times. The mist was too bad to see any views and since it was so cold with the wind, we didn’t linger on top and made our way back down. As soon as we entered the trees again it was a lot warmer. Going down the mountain was a lot more steep and difficult. We had to carefully make our way down several steep rock faces. There were a lot of metal bars and wooden steps installed in the rocks to help us out, but some had fallen away, leaving gaps we had to slowly maneuver over. Our trekking poles were not very useful and we often threw them down a ways so we could utilize all of our hands. Half of the way down, we climbed right next to a brook that cascaded down the rocks with great power and beauty. At one point when Nepsis threw her trekking pole, it bounced around and fell much further than intended, almost falling into the brook. When she climbed down to get it, we noticed a Gatorade bottle there as well. We climbed down further and further, very slowly down the slippery rocks. Near the bottom, two older thruhikers walked by us. They explained that the one had slipped and almost died, that he had hung upside down in a tree and had lost his Gatorade bottle. He was climbing back up to show his friend where he had fallen. He was so traumatized by this that he would spend a day in town calming himself down. We reached the bottom by late afternoon and tried to hitchhike. Very few cars passed and then it started to rain hard. Still, no one would pick us up. We needed to get into town soon so we could buy new trekking poles at the outfitter before it closed. Our poles were cheap and broke so that they were no longer collapsible. We wanted new ones for the White Montains, because they were supposed to be some of the toughest terrain. It took thirty minutes before a woman commuting from work picked us up. She asked if we minded that she was drinking a big can of Foster’s beer and dropped us off at the outfitter in the town of Lincoln. We bought a set of nice, new Leki trekking poles, a pair of socks for Nepsis, and a map of the Whites. I had read many times that the Trail was not blazed very well in the Whites and that there were so many trails that thruhikers get lost without a map. It turns out, we really didn’t need it and it was quite clear the entire time where the Trail was. After buying our new gear we went to a pizza joint for dinner where I made the mistake of deciding to try the Northeastern soda, Moxie. After dinner, we walked over to an ice cream shop for dessert, and then a mile back toward the Trail to the Woodstock Inn. The Woodstock Inn was an inn, two restaurants, and a brewery. The place was packed with tourists and we got a room in a house across the street. We took showers and resupplied at a gas station before going to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 16.6 Total AT miles completed: 1795.9 Total AT miles left to hike: 389.4   

      

         

The Long Trail

Day 122

I didn’t get much sleep, rose early, and went downstairs for the continental breakfast. There were some great eggs, hash, and grilled vegetables. When the others awoke a few hours later, Brother, Nepsis, and I relaxed in the hot tub. For lunch we went to Subway and drove twenty minutes away to a Hilton where Nepsis’ dad had some more rewards points. I blogged some, but mostly rested. We went to TGIF’s for dinner and topped it off with dessert. We relaxed more before going to sleep.

Day 123

We woke up and walked across the street to a grocery store for resupply and breakfast. After shopping we drove the hour back to the Trail and after goodbyes, Nepsis and I began hiking again. We climbed a few miles back up into the mountains and crossed the border into Vermont. There was a hiker there just beginning his hike of the Long Trail. He took our photo at the sign. The Long Trail coincided with the Appalachian Trail for the next 105 miles before splitting away and heading to Canada. During these 105 miles we ran into a lot more hikers on the Trail. We heard Vermont was very muddy and we charged ahead in the thick of it. It wasn’t any worse than the mud we’ve encountered before after a heavy rain. We passed by some marshes. After several miles of hiking we found ourselves on a wide path that was extremely muddy. The mud was thick and sticky and slowed us down. Nepsis commented that she hadn’t noticed a white blaze in awhile so we continued, looking all around for a sign of the Trail. We couldn’t remember any recent side trails that could’ve been the side Trail so we kept going, but after several minutes no blazes revealed themselves. So I volunteered to take off my backpack and run ahead down the Trail in search of a blaze. The mud made it difficult to run very well since my shoes kept sticking to the ground as I tried to jump around the parts that looked especially muddy. I ran and ran and saw nothing, but I kept thinking that maybe there would be a blaze just around the corner. I didn’t want to backtrack only to discover this was the right trail. I dashed ahead pretty far until I was sure this couldn’t be the Trail and ran back to Nepsis. We walked back down the trail and within a few minutes found where we went wrong. As with all other side trails that cross or connect with the Trail, someone had set up a barrier of stones and branches. Somehow we were so engrossed in the conversation we were having that we stepped over the small wall. We continued on the right path after our forty-five minute detour and didn’t make it to Congdon Shelter until just before dark. The shelter was full so we set up our tent nearby and went to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 14.1 Total AT miles completed: 1602.8 Total AT miles left to hike: 582.5

Day 124          

We woke up and just before embarking from our tent a short rain passed through, wetting our tent before we could take it down. We packed up in the shelter. Everyone had already gone except a thruhiking couple who gave us a fuel canister the Long Trail hiker we’d met yesterday had accidentally left behind. We carried it with us as we tried to catch him across the mountains. We hiked down a mountain shortly and back up to a shelter where we found the Long Trail hiker and gave him back his fuel. We continued up the mountains, across Little Pond Mtn and up Glastenbury Mountain in the late afternoon where there was a tall lookout tower with views of the green wilderness all around us. From there we hiked a couple more miles to Kid Gore Shelter where we got the last two spots in a shelter full of slightly drunk middle-aged section and Long Trail hikers. We made reservations for our wedding anniversary at a couple of hotels before going to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 18.7 Total AT miles completed: 1621.5 Total AT miles left to hike: 563.8

Day 125

We were the first ones to leave in the morning and after several miles across the mountains, we hiked up the large, but not so steep Stratton Mountain. We ate lunch at the top where a few other hikers including Gargoyle and Morning Wood were eating before enjoying the views from another lookout tower. After, we hiked back down the other side of the mountain and across the ridge to a bright, blue pond where we stopped for a snack. After several more miles across the ridge we stopped at Spruce Peak Shelter. Slim arrived shortly after with several guest hikers: his brother and his British friend with his two sons. The shelter had four walls, a sliding door, and a fireplace inside. Skiers also used the shelter during the winter. Nepsis saw another thruhiker smoking his clothes so she joined him by holding her clothes above the fire. He said the smoke killed bacteria and replaced the unpleasant odors with a smoky aroma. After dinner, we went to sleep before it even got dark.

Miles hiked today: 18 Total AT miles completed: 1644.4 Total AT miles left to hike: 540.9

Day 126

After hiking a couple miles in the morning we made our way up Bromley Mountain. At the top we found a ski lodge and a ski lift closed up. It was weird to see during the sunny day on the grassy top of this mountain. The lodge even had a wreathe hanging on the door. We hiked down the mountain a bit and back up across Styles Peak, Peru Peak, and Baker Peak before heading down and along a series of ponds. There was a long stretch of footbridges we walked across. Even though we were going to try to push further, we decided to stop at Little Rock Pond Shelter & Tenting Area. There was a platform by the pond with a large tent on top where the caretaker of the area stayed, but we never saw him or her. We were supposed to pay a fee, but no one asked for one. The pond had a canoe on the shore and I took it out for a little paddle across to the other side and back. My arms felt weak since I use them so little on the Trail. There were two women camping nearby with a baby. We thought it was cool for them to feel like they could hike a few miles and be outdoors camping despite having a baby. After dinner, we went to sleep to some crying of the baby and some whining of mosquitoes.

Miles hiked today: 19.3 Total AT miles completed: 1667 Total AT miles left to hike: 518.3

Day 127

We woke up early and got going quickly up a little bit and across a mountain. In the middle of the woods, right next to the path, a city of white rocks randomly appeared. Someone or a group of people must have spent a long time stacking rocks in various places in a small area, creating houses and towers. After enjoying the intricate city for a bit, we hiked down the mountains to a parking area near VT 140. As we crossed the lot a man was just getting into his van. He asked if we wanted some water bottles so he took some and then offered to take us to his nearby town for resupply. We were going to head into a town later that day for resupply and figured this could be faster so we agreed. On our way into their small town of Wallingford, he also offered to take us back to his home if we wanted showers and laundry done. We were trying to make it far today, but agreed nonetheless. When we got there we met his wife and his son, who had thruhiked the year prior. We showered and they made us coffee and sandwiches for lunch while we waited for our laundry to get done. They said they’ve helped other thruhikers like this before. Michael, the man who picked us up, hikes for an hour on the Trail every morning. Once the laundry was done and we had repacked, Michael drove us over to the Family Dollar for resupply and back to the Trail. We hiked up Bear Mountain, feeling clean and refreshed. Past the top, we stopped by a shelter where there was some trail magic sodas keeping cold in the nearby stream. Sasquatch and Silent Bob, a young man from Quebec, were also there. After enjoying the drink we hiked down the mountain, across a suspension bridge, and up a short, but very steep and rocky incline up Beacon Hill. From there we hiked a few miles across the mountains until the day rapidly turned dark. We could hear thunder become louder and louder and we tried to hike quickly before the rain came. It came steady at first, but after about ten minutes it became hard and fast and cold. We stepped out onto a gravel road and found a sign indicating the Trail had been rerouted because a bridge was out. The detour took us along the roads, making a large rectangle around the broken bridge. As we walked on the roads the thunder became extremely loud and the lightning struck frequently and right after the thunder. Nepsis ran to the front porch of a nearby house and knocked several times, but no one answered. So we waited there for the worst of the thunder and lightning to pass. It even began to hail for a minute while we were waiting. When the thunder and lightning seemed further away, we ventured back out and along the roads until we eventually made it back to the AT. After a few minutes of hiking we came upon Robinson Brook, which was rushing, wildly with no stepping-stones. We timidly took the plunge and made our way slowly across. It came up to our waists and we turned to face the flow so we could have a more secure stance. Even though the current was very strong we made it across safely. We climbed out and hiked on in sopping socks and shoes. In less than a mile we made it to a shelter, but it was full, mostly with south bounders. Sasquatch even hung up his hammock under the overhang of the shelter. Nepsis mentioned we’d just have to hike up the mountain to the next shelter, but I thought she was kidding because she took off her shoes and socks and started wringing them out. I took mine off and followed suit, thinking we’d just squeeze into the shelter somehow since it was already evening. Before I knew it Nepsis had her shoes and socks back on and she asked if I was ready to go. I was game so I put back on my wet socks and shoes and we left. The next shelter was just over four miles away up a mountain the entire way. It wasn’t too steep and the rain let up. We hiked up through the wet foliage, up and up. After a couple miles we were getting tired and hungry because we hadn’t eaten since a small snack at the shelter with the sodas. It started to thunder again in the distance and soon a light rain began to fall. We felt pretty miserable and then it began to get dark. We hiked up and up and thought we were getting close, but it got really dark. The storm didn’t fully come, but it was getting late and we weren’t there yet. I was imagining the shelter being full. After what seemed like forever, just when it got about as dark as it can get we found Cooper Lodge Shelter at the top of Mt Killington. It was another four walled building for skiers and had a closed door. We burst in and found only one section hiker inside. We changed out of our wet clothes, ate, and made up our sleeping area in the darkness. We were very glad to get to sleep after such a long and wet day.

Miles hiked today: 19.4 Total AT miles completed: 1690.7 Total AT miles left to hike: 494.6

Day 128

We slept in a bit before leave the shelter, but when we did leave, we found the weather to be real nice. We hiked across the mountain in our wet clothes, letting the sun dry them. Once we hiked partly down the mountain, we had to scoot ourselves across a log over a stream. A bit further, the Long Trail branches away from the Appalachian Trail. A bit further from there we decided to take a half-mile side trail to The Inn at Long Trail where we could have lunch at McGrath’s Irish Pub. The side trail took us steeply down off the mountain and we met several families hiking up. McGrath’s Irish Pub was in the Inn and was filled from top to bottom with Irish paraphernalia and we ordered Sheppard’s pie and beef stew with soda bread. It was delicious and hearty and filled us up well. We sat for a long time resting trying unsuccessfully to convince ourselves to get back to the Trail. We were extremely tired from yesterday and ultimately decided to spend the night. The Inn itself was very interesting to look out. The main room on the main floor, next to the pub, was filled with old couches and rocking chairs with shawls over them. Old style lamps were on the wooden tables and the coffee tables were stacked with travel books about Ireland. At one end of the room was a giant fireplace. There was a side room filled with board games, old handheld wooden games, books, a pinball machine, and a television with a collection of VHS tapes. We found a hiker box in there filled with Clif Bars and Mountain House dehydrated meals. We took several of them. Our room was small and we took showers before taking a bus over to an outfitter to look for trekking poles. Both of our trekking poles were cheap and stuck open and we wanted to buy a new set before going through the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The outfitter was out of trekking poles. It mostly had skiing equipment. After perusing the outfitter we walked over to a grocery store for dinner and some ice cream. When we got on the bus to go back to the inn, we found the same bus driver inside, and he told us we didn’t have to pay for this trip. Back at the inn, we sat in the pub and had a few rounds while I blogged. The owner even gave me a round for free for being in the Marine Corps like he was as a young man. After our drinks, we went straight to sleep.

Miles hiked today: 8.2 Total AT miles completed: 1698.9 Total AT miles left to hike: 486.4