Date: 2013-03-01
To: Rule #3
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Rule #3: It's all about the foodThe more I read journals from people starting this week, the happier I am about my later start date. Everyone out there right now seems to be freezing, and while some are dealing with it better than others, most seems to be going only as far as the next shelter in order to make a fire and warm back up. Yes starting later means I may have to put more miles in per day to make Trail Days, but as long as I'm in the vicinity I should be able to make it to Damascus via a hitch. The new hikers are just starting to get their hunger now too - I read a great journal earlier from Blues Man (http://goo.gl/hr3Qy) who went and did a little trash diving in order to secure himself cookies and hotdog buns. It is still amazing me to how our caloric requirements jump to new levels in just a few short days, and by a hundred miles in our bodies have already lost enough weight to make dieting college girls jealous.In other news, decided to put the new pack into the shower for a rain test, and to determine if I need to seal up anymore seams this week. The hip belt went out to Granite Gear for replacement, so I'll have one that fits a little better (and is 1/2 oz lighter!) in 2 weeks. I leave you with a food story from Bennington, VT:Sticks and I had come down from Story Spring and hit the Bennington parking lot around lunchtime. In the lot was a wonderful couple dropping of their son, who was going to do 2 weeks on the Long Trail, and a local who was providing soda trail magic. The couple gave us a ride into town to the walmart/price chopper and the local gave us his phone number for a ride back. We went into town for a quick resupply (more mine than Sticks, he'd been to Green Mountain House and resupplied there) and as it was lunch time, we decided it would appropriate to find town food. Across the street from the Walmart was a Pizza Hut with an AYCE lunch buffet, that hadn't been in AWOL. "Lets eat!" Sticks agreed, but I in a silly moment decided to resupply first. Whoops. "How many days were you planning on supply for?" Sticks had asked me when I came out of walmart with about twice as much food as I needed. I wasn't sure, and hadn't been thinking about numbers - just about my hungry stomach and the buffet. After lugging my bulging full pack to the Pizza Hut, we were seated by a wonderful young lady who not only knew that we were hikers, but what we needed- "Here is a seat with an electrical outlet. Enjoy!" The kitchen staff obviously knew too, as they ramped up pizza production and we gorged on BBQ, all-meats and double cheese pizza, salad and breadsticks all for a low price with all the soda we could drink!After waddling out of the Pizza hut, we caught the $1 bus back into the town proper, where we thought it would be easier to hitch out of, but we first made a stop at the library for some internet fix. Lo and behold, Pesky is there! "I spent the night at the Vortex. She was a little weird to say the least." We all trooped out of the library and made our way towards the east exit out of town. "I haven't had any ice cream yet while in town" Said Pesky. We introduced Pesky to the wonderfulness that is Stewart's "Oh. My. God. 2 scoop banana split for $2.50! SOLD!" We sat and ate way too much ice cream while talking to a guy who came by everyday to feed a stray cat for the last year. Finally after eating till we couldn't walk, we managed to get a ride out of town with a good looking lady who had just moved into town to teach yoga. She kept giving Sticks "the eye" and had to be directed to the trail head. Of course, laboring up the uphill on the other side with full bellies was a task, but we didn't go much father then that. Oh how I love food.