Date: 2011-10-18
From: Vermont

To: Vermont
Miles today: 0.0

Hello dear readers,This journal entry business has become much more than I can handle. In fact, some days I can barely handle the hiking business. Is that not what I came out here to do? I thought I would go through the entire hike having ample time and energy to write an entry every day in the paper journal and then also have ample time, energy, and computer access to transcribe those entries onto this lovely site. Boy, was I mistaken! It is now October 18th and my last entry on here was the end of August. The easiness of journaling while in the woods is a farce! With all that aside, my plan is to update you on the past several months in a much quicker fashion: by state, instead of date. When I get home (who knows when that will be, this hike is going on FOREVER), I will add additional tidbits here and there. I hope you enjoy.   Also, please know that even if there is nothing online, we are probably fine, just not in touch with the rest of society for one reason or another!So here goes: VERMONT 8/28-9/3On this trip we have had every sort of weather you can imagine. We were lucky (or unlucky rather) to be in the heart of Vermont for Hurrican Irene. While we were at the hostel in the middle of the storm, a state trooper came and advised us all to evacuate to town hall. A stream behind the hostel was rising. We all waited for someone else to make a decision and in the end no one went. We felt we might be more prepared (being hikers with excess food, fuel, etc) than then the average joe wisked away to town hall. In the end, the stream didn't overflow and we were all fine. The power did go out though, so being the overly prepared hikers that we are we played a giant game of UNO with the ease of headlamps.Trudge and I hiked out the next day to find the trail in better condition than I would have expected. Trees were down, streams were full, foot "bridges" had been knocked sideways, but nothing we could not handle. We had wanted to hitchhike north to farther up in Vermont or to New Hampshire, but roads were out EVERYWHERE, so hiking was the best option. After a day or two back on the trail, more rain came. And came and came.   During one storm, we seeked shelter at a co-op general store and relished eating our ice cream and chips under the rain-free awning. But, when we returned to the trail we found terrible conditions. The trail was all water in places and hard to find at times. A car bridge was out in which we had to cross on a log instead. Right before the shetler, we had to ford a knee deep stream if we were going to make it any further. So cold, so wet.Not everything was horrific in Vermont. There were also many days of sun, amazing views on Killington and Baker Peak, quirky locals who gave us honey and drove us back to the trail, and a general feeling of quaint New England. However, we did not get the chance to hike all of this beautiful state. We arrived at the Inn at Long Trail near Killington on Sept 2nd. A charming place, but the owners asked us to leave. Well, actually they told us to leave. Not just the hotel, but the entire state! You see, the National Forest Service had closed all the trails in the Green Mountain National Forest. If you were found on the trails, you could be fined heavily (and later I even heard perhaps spend some time in jail). Also, if you needed rescuing you might be out of luck since emergency services were all tied up with the aftermath of the hurricane. So, with all that news, we decided that it would be prudent to take their advice and get the heck out of Vermont. That evening we had the pleasure of joining (hitchhiking with) some locals in a police escorted caravan out of Killington. The devastation we saw was like nothing I have ever witnessed firsthand. Houses, business, and roads completely gone. I was blessed to be able to safely leave the area, but so many people will be dealing with Hurricane Irene for years to come. Please keep Vermont in your thoughts.We were able to hitch to White River Juction, VT and then got picked up by the owners of Tigger's Treehouse Hostel from Hanvover, NH and that brings me to the next state! Now, wasn't that much easier?