Date: 2015-07-14
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was one of those days that you just hike. There wasn't any particular summit, or view, or distinction about the Trail. It was just Vermont, with its own special mix of leaves, rocks, roots and mud, making up the surface underfoot. I leap-frogged through the day passing, then being passed by, and repassing Peace Dog, Turbo, and the other Turbo. Black Bear, Batman and Wye Knot left early, and went into town. I hiked alone, and didn't start up my ipod all day. I did stop just briefly to climb a fire tower and admire the views, but came back down quickly, as a storm was approaching. It did start to sprinkle, but there wasn't a storm, and the sun came back out, then it clouded over again, then it brightened. I arrived at the junction for the shelter I thought I would stay at tonight, but it was before 5 o'clock, so I decided to go to the next one, arriving just before 7. I don't know any of the hikers here, which is odd, at this point in the hike, and a bit disconcerting. The weather was still unsettled when I arrived, so I am in the shelter. It is old, and small. I'm hoping the breeze and the cool air settle the bugs down quickly tonight: I found last night that I'm not crazy about trying to sleep with a net over my head. And now for some random thoughts...I have been having trouble with hang nails lately, why is that? I am heading back into wilderness hiking...I rarely have cell service. Because of that I cannot post my journal entries daily, or nightly, or when I want to...also, I cannot reply to messages, texts, emails as I would like, nor receive them as they are sent...I tried unsuccessfully to de-funk my trekking pole handles for over a month. The solution came from my cousin's wife, Stephanie: rubbing alcohol. I poured some into a disposable plastic cup and turned my poles, one at a time, upside down to soak in it for a half hour each. Then i squezzed out the excess, washed it with soap and water, and let dry in the sun. Voila!!! After 2 weeks they still small fine, even when damp. Massachusetts also Vermont have made it necessary to update my trail terms: a pole-loc is when your hiking poles get stuck between roots and/or rocks, but a "stick in the mud" is exactly that, when your hiking stick is literally sucked into the thick, black mud. "Walking the planks" is when you hike on boards meant to lift you above a muddy or wet section...this can be like walking to your death, as many of them are rotting, broken, split, not nailed down, sagging, or missing entirely. A "slime dunk" is when you misstep when trying to avoid a mud pit/patch but go in anyways, either partially or fully submerging your foot. Also, Mingo came up with a counterpart for "limbo log" (having to duck under fallen tree that's low) with "leap log" (as in, leap frog...for when you have to step over or climb over, a fallen tree). I've also changed "stick up" (when you step on a stick with one foot and it pops up to hit the other foot) to "kick up stick". Some day I will list and illustrate all my trail terms in a pictorial dictionary. Until then, dear reader, good night.