Date: 2005-07-14
From: Williamstown, MA

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: broken clouds

Williamstown, MA to Congdan shelter "Vermud and the curse of the new shoes " We completed our 11th state today and entered our 12th, Vt..  Fortunately we had fast, good hitches from Williamstown to breakfast at the Moonlight diner then from just up the road and from there to the trail.  Fair night last night alongside the river in the outfitters backyard.  I was startled awake around 11:00 p.m. by some college kids partying though.  The dropping of glass bottles and loud voices sounded malevolent in my sleepy daze and I woke up with heart pounding, worried that someone might find it fun to hassle sleeping hikers.  It was just innocent kids having a good time and me being paranoid.  I found sleep again after things quieted down.  We were awake and going fairly early again today; on the trail by 8:45 a.m..  Although Williamstown is a beautiful upperclass college town, and we did get good rides this morning, I was not in love with the place as a hiker town.  Definitely not one of my favorites.  Much hotter and muddier than it has been.  That slowed me down physically and motivationally.  It was exciting to cross the state line into Vermont, and felt great to have finished yet another state.  From the Massachusetts to Vermont border north for about 100 mi. the Long Trail and the AT coincide.  The border is actually the southern terminus of the Long Trail.  We hiked from the Canada border to where the LT joins the AT near Rutland, Vermont last summer.  It was not my favorite hiking experience and when we finished the trip I felt my life would be full and complete if we never hiked that portion of the LT ever again.  I knew that when we thru hiked the AT, assuming we made it this far, that we would complete the LT since the section that they coincide we hadn't yet hiked but would now do so.  When I saw that LT sign today, I got a little nervous and anxious that it would be 100 mi. of what we hiked last summer.  I know I am stronger and more conditioned now, but that was some really tough hiking and it kind of scared me.  The terrain today was distinctly different than what we have been on, and similar in many ways to the northern part of the LT.  In particular there were steep, ungraded ups and downs, overgrown prickery undergrowth impeding the walkway, and lots and lots of mud.  The mud is non-trivial and has lent itself to a nice little nickname hikers have for this Green Mountain State: V E R M U D.  I received my last new set of shoes back in Front Royal, Va. at which time I had an experience from which I developed a theory.  Excited for cushy, shiny, new, not stinky shoes I wasn't on the trail leaving town for an hour before I stepped in ankle deep mud.  That's when I develop a suspicion that there might be a curse associated with hiking in new shoes.  Not blisters, not strange new aches and pains.  The curse of massive, deep, unavoidable trail mud.  Today that suspicion was confirmed.  I received new shoes in Cheshire, not 48 hours ago.  That's right, it's true.  Beware the curse of the new shoes lest you care to be a muddy mucky mess.  Raining now, so tomorrow I will probably learn what mud really is.  Only 4 mi. into town to meet Gravity's parents for the weekend.  So, looking forward to being clean and dry and not stinky for a couple days.  Danger