Date: 2008-08-20
From: Churchill Scott Shelter

To: Kent Pond (after a side trip to Rutland)
Miles today: 5.9

I had a fabulous day today!I hiked down about 3 miles from the Shelter to Vermont Highway 4. There was a bus there at the Trailhead and I immediately jumped on it and went .9 miles West to the Inn at the Long Trail. There, my Mother-in-Law Sal came and picked me up in her car. She lives up in Charlotte, Vermont and came down for the day.We drove into Rutland and did a lot of hiker things. We went to the Post Office, where I had a package, then to the laundromat. I washed clothes and then we sat outside the laundromat and drank Vermont Coffee Roasters coffee, and sat in the sun and talked.After that, we went to the Back Home Again Cafe, which greatly supports hikers. They have a Hostel upstairs. We ordered and sat in this lovely restaurant. I am eating a hiker's diet and ordered this: Reuben Sandwich, Grilled Cheese sandwichm, side salad and chocolate pound cake with ice cream. Oh yeah, I also got a bowl of soup (a bisque), since Sal's looked so good. And, I ate it all. I think that Sal was amazed that I got so much, as I think she had a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. We had a great conversation.I had a mystical moment at one point. We were sitting at a table next to a South-facing window, with the sun streaming in. I left the table to get something, and as I returned, the sun shown on Sal's face and, for a moment, I could swear that it looked like Sarah (her daughter) sitting there.The Back Home Again Cafe is run by an organization called "The Twelve Tribes". I thought that it had to do with Native Americans, but it is more like a commune, with a religous aspect. One of the young ladies working there, Jasmine, was happy to tell us about it. They are a very hospitable and giving organization.After lunch, we went to Price Chopper and I resupplied my food.Then, Sal took me back to the Trailhead near Killington Mountain, where I had left off. I had an absolutely wonderful time with Sal and can not say enough good things about our time together.I started out hiking on the Trail about 3:00 PM, in a a wonderful mood. It was a beautiful sunny day. At one point, I met a woman and a late teenage son who were finishing a section hike. They told me that their husband/father had gone ahead to hitchhike to get their car and come pick them up. I later learned that Sal had picked up the hitchhiking dad and given him a ride to his car. Small world!Anyway, I hiked on through Sherburne Pass, where the Long Trail continues Northa and the AT turns Northeastward toward New Hampshire. I met several Southbound people, including a group/family of Orthodox Jews, from New York (city, I believe), dressed in black suits and hats. The elder, Isaac, greeted me and inquired about my hike. I was glad to tell them about it and to give them my website address and e-mail.I hiked on in a wonderful mood. At one point, I started to get tears in my eyes as I realized that never again (beyond this hike) will I have such experiences, e.g., seeing my Mother-in-Law as I walk through Vermont, having strangers, such as Orthodox Jews, stop me and inquire about my hike.I stopped at Mountain Meadows Lodge, near Kent Pond (a gorgeous pond) for the night. It could be in a movie that features a classic Vermont ski lodge. It was very comfortable. Other hikers, Trail Fox, T-Bone and Frat Dog came in, but other than us, and a family of five, we had the place to ourselves. Oh yes, Mountain Meadows is home to Alice, the Vietnammese Pot-Bellied Pig and she is huge!This has not been a long hiking day, but it has been a most memorable people day, especially due to having Sal's company.