Date: 2016-07-14
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Velvet Rocks Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: clear sky

I woke up about 3:30 to a ruckus outside. At least two hikers and maybe three were packing up. They headed out at 4AM. I made it up by 7:00 and was on the trail just after 8:00. I passed a south bounder and he told me there were some bees on the trail and it was marked with notes. I came to it and stayed in the middle of the trail and had no issues. I have really enjoyed this Vermont trail...it has its ups and downs but the trail itself is pretty smooth and has been easy on the feet. After the bees I come to a road the the AT follows and it crosses a bridge. In the middle of the bridge is an X that marks a spot you can jump into the river. It is a pretty high jump. It was 10 AM and no one else was around so I elected to skip this challenge. I get over the bridge and a guy calls me over to his house and offers me a soda and some snacks. He also offered me breakfast but I turned that down. I chatted for about 20 minutes and headed on. There were thunderstorms in the forecast and in was hoping to get to Hanover NH. That's right one more state was going to be in the history books. I got to the next shelter about noon and there was a south bounder and a section hiker there. The section hiker was an older lady and I enjoyed the conversation and was there about 45 min. Now I was racing time...weather forecast and I could get a shower if I was there before 5:00. I made good and was actually there by 3:30. I had crossed the New Hampshire state line and Hanover is a college town...home of Dartmouth. I was walking to the outfitters and heard a knock on the window. I looked and it was Riser. I hadn't seen him since before Harpers Ferry...so I went in and ate and drank a beer with him. He told me Black Bear was back on trail...he had a skin eating bacteria that sent him home. I wondered if he would make it back. Riser also told me Highlander thew in the towel and was off the trail. That surprised me because he was putting videos on YouTube. A lot of times people get a lot of followers and it keeps them going and motivated. I went to the outfitter and got another pair of socks, one pair of mine are wearing thin. I then went to the community center for a shower. It was too late to do laundry but I could get some dirt off me. I also washed my T-shirt in the shower. It is a tec shirt and a lot of dirt came out of it and it dried fast. I still had a clean pair of underwear and new socks so the only thing dirty I was putting on were my shorts. I went to the store to resupply. While I was shopping the thunderstorm hit. We got a lot of rain and it was a pretty good storm. I sat inside and waited it out. One lady offer to take me home...she said her son was bringing a friend home and it would be crowded but they would find a place for me. I persuaded her I would be okay and she went on her way. I was in the store probably an hour and a half before it cleared up. I was headed to the next shelter and seen a sign that it was only .8 miles away. I decided to go back .7 miles to a Subway before leaving town. I ate and headed for the shelter. On the way up I passed a couple. Thinking back I remembered them the night before I started the trail at the hostel. They started in Alabama and hiked to Georgia. It is kind of crazy who and when you run into people here. I made it to camp around 8:00 had an apple, brushed my teeth, set up my tent and got in quick because the mosquitoes were terrible. Things really went my way today. It was warm but a wonderful day for a hike.