Date: 2013-08-13
From: Campsite Stratton-Arlington Rd

To: Green Mountain House Hiker Hostel, Mancester Cente
Miles today: 17.5

I was pooped last night, and with a couple of beers in my system, I slept like a baby. Pressure-D was up and out before I even stepped foot outside of my tent. I got packed up and snacked on a scone while I packed up my tent. Ornisemis came wandering up holding a coffee mug. There was steam floating out of the top. I perked up. He asked about Pressure-D, and I said he'd already headed out. He invited me down to his RV for some coffee. I had wanted to get out early, but a cup of freshly brewed coffee was way too good to pass up. So I covered my pack- the sky looked like the bottom might fall out at any second- and I headed down to the parking area. We drank coffee and talked about all sorts of stuff. He showed me a photo album of his through hike back in 2003. I realized that we had very different political stances and religious stances, and yet here we could sit drinking coffee, talking and treating each other with kindness and respect. In the world of snarky Facebook comments and a society that seems dead set on being as divisive as possible, the trail has taught me that there are other options. And I wasn't expecting that at all. I thought this journey would be about overcoming physical and psychological challenges. I never expected it to teach me of the potential goodness that mankind could achieve. All we have to be willing to do is to sit and listen and talk and open ourselves up to the possibility. My host offered me a banana and an orange as I headed out. It started to rain, but I felt nothing to damper my mood at point. I put on my rain jacket and started the climb up Stratton. It was atop this mountain that Benton McKaye had envisioned a long distance hiking trail that would become the Appalachian Trail. When I got to the top rain was pouring down. I didn't bother to climb the fire tower. I heard someone calling down. It was Sleepwalker. He'd stealth camped up top. It was a wet, sloppy hike all the way down. My feet were soaked. I gave up avoiding the puddles and just plowed right through them. Water dripped down into my leg gaiters, but they still did a wonderful job keeping all the gunk out. My feet puckered and pruned. Just when the shoes seemed to squish the excess water out, I'd find myself shin deep in another puddle. I had to drain the excess water out of the bottom of my pack cover a few times. I passed a few ponds that I had thought I might stop to take a swim in. But it seemed silly to swim in these conditions. I was swimming down the trail. Finally around 1 p.m., the rain started to let up. I stopped at Winhall River to take a photo. It marked the 75% completion point. Only 25% left to go, but that still seems like a lot. Especially since it's such tough terrain. The rain stopped, but the fog moved in. I passed Prospect Rock which was supposed to offer a great view over Manchester Center, but I didn't bother to even go out. I knew all that I'd see was a bunch of white. There was a funny sign posted on a tree at the turn off for the side trail. It read: Look up. Twenty feet up was a sign that read: Prospect Rock => . I wondered why they'd hung the sign so high, snow perhaps? The trail followed along a gravel road for about a mile. I was happy to be out of the mud and rocks. I'd had a couple of close calls that almost brought me down. Thank goodness for good balance!Sleepwalker came flying by me about half a mile from the road. He was wearing silk boxer shorts with black and red hearts. He was also shirtless and was sporting a mohawk. He asked if I was heading into town. I said that I was. He asked if I wanted to share a hitch into town. I said sure. Deep down I really hoped he'd have a shirt to put on. If not, it might take a while...When I got out to the road, thankful he was shirt-clad. It didn't take more than 20 seconds for a car to pull over. Trish, a local beautician and masseuse, dropped us in town at the grocery store. Pressure-D was standing there with shopping bags in his hands. He was headed to the same hostel as me. Jeff, our host for the night, was already there to give him a lift back. He told me to take my time and give him a call when I was ready.I did my food buy in the worst sort of shape. I was starving. I'd skipped lunch because it was raining, so all I'd had was a couple of bars and few handfuls of GORP. I emerged a half hour later with a ridiculous amount of food. I had a whole roasted chicken which I devoured straight out of the plastic deli bag while standing on the sidewalk, hoovering over my shopping cart. My pack was also in the shopping cart, so I looked decidedly homeless in my wet dirty clothes and greasy chicken fat and skin sticking to my fingers. Sleepwalker and Poptart were there drinking a gallon of chocolate milk straight out of the jug. We traded, chicken for chocolate milk. A Korean family got up and left the table next to our carts. I felt a little bad about that.I popped next door into the EMS to check out their boots. One of the employees looked at my worn out boots and suggested I replace them before heading into the Whites. Agreed. I called Jeff, and he came to pick me up. He suggested I take a shower as soon as I got to the hostel. He assured me that the suggestion was protocol and not a direct criticism of my (lack-of) hygiene. The hostel was beautiful. It's an old farm house that has been completely renovated. There are three bed rooms with real, clean beds and fresh linens. There's a full kitchen stocked with breakfast items and an freezer full of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. There's a dining room, living room, lounge area, a computer, washer & dryer. It feels so relaxed and homey. You'd never guess that hikers passed through here every single day. Pressure-D, Steele Matt, Coach & Navigator, and Yote are here. As is a SOBOer, Woody. Most of the people are zeroing tomorrow. I'm going to hike, but I'll take my time getting out. I feel like I've busted my tail the last three days to get here. I'd like to have some time to take advantage of this lovely locale. I managed to get a few trail journals updated. I also got several emails, texts from family, friends and husband asking if I was okay. I hadn't sent out any updates lately because of lack of reception and bad weather. I got to talk to Tom, but I could tell he was a bit peeved with me. Hmmmm.... It's 1 a.m., I'm tired but I'm so grateful for a warm, dry, clean place to sleep.