Date: 2006-06-17
From: Hanover, NH

To: Moose Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Left the Miller Inn this morning about 8:00 a.m. Dropped Bluebird and Abandon off at Rt 100 near Killington. Mrs G then drove me to Hanover. I offered to buy some gas for her, but she conned me. She said she was going to stop along the way but after arriving in Hanover she said forget about it. Just another example of how she loves to help out fellow hikers.   Apparently there are some dartmouth College reunions going on in town. There are a lot of people walking the streets with name tags and the year of their graduation. Before heading back out on the trail, I stopped at Subway for lunch and now I am sitting here at the library updating the journal. Most services for hikers are right along the trail where it passes through town.    I plan on going to Moose Mtn shelter, or beyond, as time allows. I have a bounce box going to the Welcome Hikers Hostel at Glencliff, NH so there is no need for me to arrive too early. The box will be there Monday, I hope.   I left Wallingford with a 36 lb load. Without food and water I was about 25 lbs. The pack weight lessens as I burn fuel (20 oz bottle + stove capacity), eat and drink water (able to carry up to 3 liters, about 6 lbs). If you've reviewed my gear list, keep in mind that the list contains ALL the gear I have used, winter, spring and summer. I am not carrying everything on the list right now. Otherwise I probably couldn't get up. All those light weight hikers would frown on my 36 lb pack weight. Maybe they're just not manly enough to carry a manly sized pack! Besides, I've used everything that I am carrying and I am comfortable and, most importantly, I've made it this far. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!Post Notes: Stepped back on the trail in Hanover about noon after getting lunch at Subway. Skeeters in the Velvet Rocks area were bad. Some parts of the trail were muddy but not nearly as bad as VT. No running water over the trail except in one spot adjacent to a small pond. Passed a mountain biker on the trail. He told me that his "regular route" was under water.Moose Mtn wasn't bad at all. It's only 2,222'. Didn't take much Aleve or glucosamine while at Mrs G's and my knees feel it. My boots feel good. No hot spots. Moose Mtn shelter is fairly new and was built with hand tools by the DOC (Darmouth Outing Club). I probably could have made the next shelter but I didn't want to push my luck. I found 2 cans of Bush's baked beans at the shelter which I claimed.The privy is interesting. So interesting that it was worth a picture. It has no walls and is elevated off the ground with an overhead cover. It looks like a throne. So I decided to call it the Moose Mtn Throne.6:30 p.m.: I have the shelter to myself. Guess I got ahead of all those pesky NOBO hikers! (Even if I did do it by yellowblazing!).Hiker Glossary:Bounce box - a box sent up the trail (bounced) by hikers that contain items that are not immediately needed on the trail like boot waterpoofing, cell phones or anything else. Mine usually contain food accumulated from mail drops because I eat in town so much.Mail drop - similar to a bounce box but usually sent from home by a "trail support crew". My crew is my wonderful, supporting, loving wife Linda without whose help would have made resupply more difficult. My drops are primarily for food resupplies but also may contain toilet paper, maps, trail guide excerpts and other equipment such as replacement sox or summer clothes, etcTown resupply - hikers sometimes resupply in towns and just get whatever they need