Date: 2014-08-07
From: Cooper Lodge Shelter

To: US Route 4 Rutland VT
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: clear sky

I noticed lying in my sleeping bag last night, I had two new pin holes in my tent fly. I don't know how they get there, but Cyclone and Sherlock said they have the same problem. I made a mental note of where the holes were so I could duct tape over them later. I didn't worry about it last night since there was no rain in the forecast that I was aware of anyway. Well, of course it rained during the night. Fortunately, the holes are near the zipper of the vestibule, so nothing got wet inside my tent. I was packed up, wet tent and all, and on the trail at 7:15. I only had 6.3 miles to go to meet my friend Jerry, but I wanted to get there ahead of him, and wasn't sure how the trail was going to be. It was an easy descent and I was at Rt 4 at 10:40. Likewise, Jerry wanted to get there ahead of me and pulled up within 15 minutes. We were going to meet at noon, and I was in the car at 11:00. Jerry stopped to pick up 3 more hikers hitching into Rutland, 2 of whom I'd met weeks and month's before. After dropping them off, we headed to Ripton where Jerry lives with his wife Lindi. Jerry is the son of my mother's best friend and I haven't seen him in 15 years. My brother and Jerry were childhood friends since their Boy Scout days, and I was friends with his younger sister, Diane, back when we played together with our Barbie dolls. Needless to say, we did a lot of reminiscing about our childhood and our parents today. Jerry's father section hiked the entire AT over 19 years and Jerry shared some fond memories of sectioning some of those miles with his Dad. I have been pampered today. I was taken to lunch, then for ice cream (I had maple ginger snap), and to Hannaford for my resupply. We stopped at the general store in small town Ripton, VT so Jerry could pick up his mail and a 6 pack of local microbrew. Diane is an artist, and has some of her artwork for sale at the general store. I bought one of her watercolors on the spot as a remembrance of my visit, the importance of rekindling old friendships, and the small town feeling here in Ripton not unlike so many trail towns In which I've been. Back at Jerry and Lindi's beautiful home, I took a long shower, Jerry washed my clothes, I had my first fresh corn on the cob of the season, and Lindi made spaghetti and meatballs. We had delicious cherry pie ala Ben & Jerrys for dessert. It was an early dinner because Lindi conducts a woman's chorus and had a rehearsal tonight. In our conversation, I discovered that Lady Grey, an AT thru-hiker last year whose blog on Trailjournals.com I avidly followed, is in the chorus! It's a small world. Lady Grey is hiking with her daughter in Europe, so unfortunately I didn't get to meet her. I hung my tent on the clothesline to dry this afternoon, patched the pin holes, and brought it back in the house before this evening's downpour. I love being indoors when it rains. This had been a wonderful respite. Thank you Jerry and Lindi. Tomorrow we're leaving the house at 7:00, so I can be hiking at 8:00. My plan, always subject to change of course, is to be in NH in 3 days. I texted I Believe this morning, but cell service has been spotty (I have none here in Ripton) so I don't know if she is ahead or behind me.