Spruce Peak Cabin

I'm in love with a cabin in the woods. It was built by the GMC and USFS to give passing hikers shelter for the night. We arrive just after dusk. I didn't yet have my headlamp on. I walked up the steps onto the covered porch, hoping it would be unoccupied. I slowly pulled back the squeaky sliding door. "Hello?" Nobody was there. We had our home for the night.

I slipped on my headlamp and had a look around. A wood burning stove sat between two sleeping platforms, above which were two lofts. In the corner between two windows was a table, worn from 27 years of thru-hiker meals and socializing. The girls walked in behind me. "Okay guys, here's the plan," Thumper said. "We go into town and get jobs, winter here, and finish the trail in the spring," First of all, I love when someone says, "Here's the plan". One, it means something great could be getting ready to happen. And it means I don't have to come up with a plan myself. I have to admit, I don't hate her idea. Living in a cabin in the mountains has been a dream I've held even longer than my dream to hike the AT. I love this place. And love that they love it too. We'll leave soon, maybe we'll come back someday.

Hurricane Irene

Picture from yesterday morning. With news of Hurricane Irene we decided to hunker down in a shelter for the day. We got to Big Branch Shelter, perched high above a babbling brook, away from dead branches and trees. We sat up all night in our three-walled home playing cards and watching the rain come down.

By morning, the brook rose several feet becoming an angry river that could have carried cars miles downstream and destroyed houses. Luckily we were safe above the high water mark, another reason we stayed there. Talking meant having to scream over the sound of the river and thunder that shook the floor, so we mostly stayed in the 18x8' shelter reading quietly with the river in view outside.

We could have tried to get to a town, like everyone else on the trail was doing, but didn't want to pass up the chance to spend the night on the AT during a hurricane. It was a relaxing day overall, it kind of felt like a snow day.

Sorry I didn't update earlier, I didn't have cell service.

Forest Service Notice

Breakfast

Just enjoying my birthday breakfast outside Cooper Shelter. I've discovered that adding cold water to a packet of oatmeal is as unappealing as it is easy to make. In the woods, however, convenience and easy clean up have become more important than taste.

It was a chilly night with clouds rolling through the windowless window frames this morning. The chipmunks were up early clattering their tiny claws across the stone floor looking for last night's crumbs. We slept well anyway, and slept in on accident. My alarm didn't go off, but we will still try to do 20 miles regardless of our late start.

As I'm typing this, Sixgun Wild (formerly Bambi) and I are singing Home by Edward Sharpe. It's sure to be a great day. Gotta go, it's time for my trumpet solo.

Late Night Rummy

Staying in a shelter tonight. It was already inhabited by chipmunks, but they seem cool with us crashing here.
Rummy has been a major source of entertainment for many weeks. This is the first night we've had a picnic table to play cards on, so after hiking to the peak of Mt. Killington to watch the sunset, we stayed up late playing. Maybe not a good idea since we have 20 miles to hike tomorrow.

Mount Killington

The final moment before sunset.

Rutland VT

Got to Rutland yesterday. I hiked 22 miles just to make sure I could, so getting to Georgia before winter shouldn't be a problem. I only need 14 per day for that. I have to often ask myself which is more important, getting in more miles or having more fun at camp or in town. It's not always easy to answer that question.

Rutland is the third largest city in Vermont and I arrived a day earlier than the girls expected, so I didn't think I'd see them until this afternoon where we agreed to meet. I took a bus into town for fast food and right after I ordered they walked in the door. We've been hiking together so long, maybe we just instinctively end up together at night even when we aren't consciously trying to.

Tomorrow we pass the 500 mile mark. That seems like so much, but there are still 1,681 to go. People who have asked if we are going north or south often say, "Oh so you're just starting out then." Yet, somehow climbing dozens of mountains over 500 miles of trail feels like a lot.

Gotta Love Vermont

This was taken yesterday, but just noticed it never sent.
The terrain in Vermont has changed rather dramatically. Many rolling green hills, open fields, and dairy farms. Also many places with Vermont ice cream for sale.

Today will be my first higher mileage day since the foot injury. Per the doctor's request, I have taken some time off, and hiked low miles on the days I did hike. I also bought new boots and some Superfeet insoles. So far so good. Not 100% but I think I can do 22 miles today and get to Rutland tonight... maybe.

Beard Update

No shaving for two months. It's rather hideous, I know, and eating an ice cream cone isn't quite as clean and carefree as it once was. Be that as it may, I want to see where my face is going with this. I have to trust it knows what it's doing. I suppose it's no worse than the bandanna and headlamp.

The girls wanted to get off the trail for a couple of days so they hitched to Rutland, about 21 trail miles away. I went with them as far as Woodstock to have dinner. The restaurant didn't want to sit smelly hikers with the rest of their guests, so they sat us in the chairs where people normally sit to wait for a table. We ate hamburgers from plates sitting in our laps.

After we ate, I walked with them until they got a ride to Rutland, then hitched back to the trailhead. I wondered if hitching would be harder without the girls, but I got a ride pretty quickly. As my ride pulled away, a man on his front porch yelled out, "You wanna sleep in my barn tonight? You're welcome to it, and you can get your stuff dried off." It had been raining for most of the day, so I took the offer.

So, tonight it's just me in an old leaky barn, during a thunderstorm, reading a book... I feel like the boy in "The Neverending Story". Atreyu!!!!!!!

Anyway, I hope to meet back up with the girls tomorrow night.

Cloudland Farm

We heard this farm had a store that sold soda, and even though we knew they had been closed for two hours, we thought we'd try our luck. Our good luck hasn't changed. We ended up with soda, ice cream, and a free night's stay in this barn. We slept on the floor in a room that used to be their old farm store.

The hospitality and generosity of people on this trip has been so great that it is inspiring. Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail is like a socially acceptable homelessness. I think the only real difference between us thru-hikers and the actual homeless is that we have a goal. I wonder if my luck would run out if I wasn't carrying this backpack and if I didn't tell people I was thru-hiking the AT. Maybe I'll test that out someday.

Bridge Jumping

We heard the water was deep enough to jump off this bridge 30 feet above the river. Thumper didn't hesitate to give it a try, so of course we all followed. It's an interesting feeling leaping off the edge and having little control of what happens next.

Bambi said she was never more scared in her life, but she jumped a second time anyway.

Unfortunately my camera phone takes so long to take a photo that I missed the jump. I have more photos and a video on my other camera that I'll post later.

Horseshoes

The trail is the road through this small Vermont town. The general store has horseshoes so we are taking a break to play horseshoes in the rain.

Getting Water

Some people have asked where I get my water. Mostly it's places like this, usually followed by chemical treatment, but not always. If the source is a spring coming out of the ground I drink it straight. And then there are rare moments where I come across a magical source that flows directly under a McDonalds soda fountain.

New State!

Vermont!

AT Day 21: Saddlebacks

AT Day 21: Saddlebacks, a set on Flickr.

AT Day 20: South Crocker

AT Day 20: South Crocker, a set on Flickr.