Date: 2015-07-01
From: Sherman Brook Campsite

To: Melville Nauheim Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We saw a guy named Noah today. He was looking for pairs of animals, said something about an incoming flood, said we should watch out.Indeed, we would have appreciated a boat today. It rained and thundered during the night. We woke up and saw that a small village of tents had suddenly sprouted near ours. A large group of hikers rolled in late yesterday evening as we were sleeping and did not bother walking the few yards to reach the additional tenting sites, opting instead to set up anywhere around ours, all while talking extremely loudly and flashing their headlamps in our direction. Even Shrugs was rustled by this inconsiderate behavior. It was particularly irritating as these were fellow thru-hikers. I mean, we have met groups of partying kids who were far more polite and respectful; they even offered us some of their alcohol and drugs. (/end rant) Anyway, we packed up quickly amid the sleeping hikers and hurried as we had emerged from our tent during a very brief pause from the rain. The second we set out, dark, powerful clouds materialized and unleashed a flood. We hiked as the rain whipped our faces and lightning illuminated the somber sky. The Trail was a mess. We waded through large expanses of water, our feet sinking deep into viscous mud. Water gushed and the Trail seemed to be swept away, slowly disintegrating.We were extremely near the Vermont border. A boulder field separated us from our goal. I was afraid of entering an exposed ridgeline as lightning was still active over our heads. Shrugs has the habit of counting the seconds between the flashes of light and the loud rumbles to estimate the distance between us and the lightning; he was barely able to count 1 second.Luckily, there was a side-trail by-passing the boulder field, specifically intended for use in cases of bad weather. We have seen in the past a few such trails, but we never took them. We hiked in torrential rains, snow and sleet and during intense winds, but I draw the line at electrical storms: I just get too nervous.We hiked for a few hours in the rain, though even when it let up it was still overcast. Vermont is known for its mud, which is why it has earned its nickname, "Vermud". It is quite taxing to hike through these muddy blackholes as they grab your foot and won't let go. My joints noticed the extra effort. My feet, my poor feet... will you ever be dry? The only advantage of having soaked feet is that you can stroll through all the puddles without hesitation.There was a very steep and nasty descent towards a road then a similar uphill to reach the shelter. We started climbing when another storm began. It rained suddenly with such intensity and vigor. I could not see anything as pellets of rain splashed onto my face and water streamed down my cheeks. Even if my eyes were clear, the rain formed an opaque curtain that limited visibility. The Trail was being washed away and there were waterfalls rushing down the stone steps. We were drowning.The rain stopped as we reached the shelter. At least we could set up our tent.MASSACHUSETTS SUMMARY:(So hard to spell this state's name!)- Not much is said about this state...it's a rather short section of the AT, but I think that MA is seen as an obstacle to the more interesting states, that is "The Big Three".- The terrain was challenging at times, but I was pleased to see that there were less pointless up and downs than previously. Mt Everett was lame, but Mt Greylock was nice.- It was muddy, though that may be due to all the rain. I was wondering why Vermont was called "Vermud" while "Mud-ssachusetts" was not a thing.- Numerous conifer forests. Very pretty and, I feel, gives one the impression of being immersed in a more primal nature. However, pine trees = many roots to hike over. We had not experienced this before, so it was new hiking terrain.- Many streams and brooks. Water was definitely not an issue.- We experienced a lot of rain and frankly quite cold weather. In June!- Overall, an enjoyable state. I feel that the states are getting progessively more challenging, that is, new terrain types, obstacles and challenges are added along the way; it all culminates with Kathadin.11 down, 3 to go. It blows my mind: I remember with great detail the moment I wrote "3 down, 11 to go". On to the Big Three. We march NORTH!- Axon