Date: 2007-09-09
From: .2 miles north up from Cloudland Rd, VT

To: Soccer Fields, Hanover, NH
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: mist

I did not put my rainfly on my tent last night and was awakened around dylight with a brief shower and I took this as a good opportunity to get going. I did a quick morning routine and was soon moving. Right away it began to rain again. I took out my rainfly and stayed underneath it until the rain subsided. I then passed several folks going south around the Thistle Hill Shelter and just by passed the shelter all together. Once I got about .1 past the shelter, the rain really started coming down. I got out my rainfly and waited until the rain let up somewhat and got going again. Now, ya'll no know that I do not like hiking int the rain; but, I wanted to be in Hanover to get my package as soon as they opened on Monday(must hike in the rain to get to Maine). Soon it began raining hard again and I was soaked all the way into my boots. I just kept walking and it just kept raining. I stopped once or twice to eat some grape nuts with powdered milk as the rain poured on me. I just cant believe that there are alot of hikers that go out into this crap all the time. It's not for me because it is going to take several days for all this stuff to dry out and wet stuff=a cold night. The rain let up some as I hit the long roadwalk down towards US 5. I did go by "The Brain's"(AT 2007) house. He actually lives right on the AT. He summited Kathadin around the end of July. I met him at The Church Hostel in Pearisburg in late April. I kept walking along the street with people honking and waving and wishing me good luck. I got to Robinson Hall at Dartmouth College and hit the internet and phone to get Colin to send me some money. Can you believe I get paid to hike and write this demeaning mindless dribble? As I was sitting at the computer, I looked up and there was someone that looked about 1/2 of what "Salaam" used to look like. I said, "Salaam?". He said, "Zero?". I could not believe it. I had not seen him since the night of June 1st. Right before my big flu. He had got to Caratunk, Me and ran out of hiking cash; so, he was here working for the Debate team. We went upstairs and I ate a bunch of food; did alot of internet; alot of phone calls; went and took a shower at a frat house; and watched most of the Dallas Cowboy game. It was awesome. Salaam felt bad because he could not do more. Once you are a thru hiker; you have this deep need to give back. One funny thing was at the Frat house; we went down to this dungeon where they had this alter in this crypt kind of setting#####spooky#####What in the hell is going on in these IVY league basements. These guys are running our country. Another funny thing was when I was e-mailing, one girl came in and said, "who is General Petreas?" I said that he was in charge of the Iraq war. She said that he was coming to dinner at her house. I was also talking to a Junior from Houston, Tx. He said that some poitician was a "South Park Republican". I had not ever heard that term before. It is somewhere near a libertarian, I guess. I finally got going and went down a little north of town and set up my tent at the soccer fields and was awakened several times with other people walking by.