Date: 2006-07-13
From: Clement shelter

To: Rutland, VT
Miles today: 10.0

Well the rain stopped around 5am when I woke up of course. As I was patching up my foot for the days hike I felt something moving across my right foot. With my headlamp on, it shined on a 2 1/2ft snake. Nothing poisonous of course, or I would have flown out of the shelter. It slithered into the rock fireplace for cover. Every time I looked over, he had his head poked out as if to say to me, Hey Bub! WHAT ARE YOU DOIN HERE ? I was here first, I live here.        Today will be a short day with our hike taking us over Killington Peak and down to VT 4 where Mad Hatter will pick us up at the Long Trail Inn.         I was really aggravated that my tent leak so bad and that I have to carry a sop and wet tent 10 miles after not being able to sleep in it.         We got on our way at 6:20 in a slushy , muddy mess. My boots were soaked and full of water, and my bandages were floating in my socks. It started raining again about half way up Killington, and with the temperature dropping, I got very cold, very fast. I only had my short sleeve shirt on, the one with no sleeves. I threw my pack down and got my Frog Tog jacket on so that I would loose anymore body heat. I came close to hypothermia on the hike in 04¢ so it makes you more aware if that situation happens again.        It took us about two hours and fifteen minutes to reach the top of Killington, not bad time because the terrain was rugged and wet.        There was a group of young hikers at the shelter who we met at Bascom Lodge in Mass. They are out doing the Long Trail. As we were drying out, they were leaving, and one of them offered us some fruit before they left. Once again, hikers helping hikers.         The Long Trail, at about 270miles long, traverses from Vermont into Canada and is said to be the oldest trail in the US, and the northern part being tougher than any part of the AT. I may have to come back to hike it in the future.        Well we put on some dry clothes before heading out to finish the next miles, as we hikers always say, It¢s All Down Hill From Here!!, even if it¢s up hill.           I made a comment to Two Step that the sun would shine when we get out of the woods, and sure enough, we made it out of the woods by 12noon, and no sooner we dropped our packs, the sun came bursting threw the clouds. We walked the 9tenths a of a mile to the Long Trail Inn and I called Mad Hatter and left a message where we were. What a great place to stay, and very hiker friendly. The lobby was full of memorabilia of people who had hiked the Long Trail from end to end. While we waited for Mad Hatter we had lunch, and then did some laundry. It turned out to be such a beautiful day, we sat outside and dried out our packs and gear. As we were bathing in the sun, a car pulled in the driveway and out came ol Stitches with a women and her dog. I don¢t know if they were a couple, but they stayed in the same room. Very interesting!!        Mad Hatter pulled up and what happy site to see. We hopped in the car and he took us to his home in Rutland.      After we both had a shower at the house, we got to meet Kathy ( Ma Budda ) as she likes to be called. Then Two Step and I decided we wanted to treat them to dinner at a restaurant of their choice. We went to a new Cajun eatery in Rutland. The food was excellent and after eating, Ma Budda had to go home and, and then the three of us took a trip to a Ben & Jerry¢s store and indulged in some heavenly ice cream. ¢UM UM Good!!¢ With our belly¢s full, we went back to the house, talked awhile and by 9:30, we were in the sack.        Nice day. Nice People.