Date: 2012-05-25
From: Minerva Hinchey Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: broken clouds

It was raining when we started the day. We didn¢t hurry to leave the shelter. In fact we took the time to cook oatmeal. Rotten Rodney gave Rocky two cups of his great coffee. It was strong and boiled over an open fire. We left the shelter at 8:20 am after the rain had stopped, at least for the time being. Rotten Rodney had not yet left. Not long after we started our morning¢s walk, rain began to fall again. We put on the pack covers. Rotten Rodney soon passed us. We talked for a few parting minutes, and then he speeded up and left us behind. We have enjoyed his company and hope to see him again. The rain didn¢t last long, but it made the rocks on our descent quite slippery on our way to Vermont Route 103. After the Airport Lookout (photo 116) the Trail descended very steeply. Fortunately by then the rain had stopped. We crossed the suspension bridge over Clarendon Gorge and reached Vermont Route 103 at 10:15 am. We had been looking forward to a meal at the Whistle Stop Corner Restaurant, located half a mile west of the Trail. Ten minutes later we were at the restaurant. Along the road we saw a menagerie of wildflowers including tall phlox, lupines, and Queen Anne¢s lace. The Whistle Stop is a very friendly place. We started out with hot chocolate and home fries as an appetizer. After a pause we had a basket of sweet potato fries. Then we ordered dinners. Rocky had four cups of coffee. At the end of the dinner, Swamp Fox was tempted by the strawberry rhubarb pie with ice cream. However, in deference to Rocky¢s gluten allergy, he passed on dessert. We finally left the restaurant at 1:05 pm. The walk back to the Trail with a big meal under our belts took longer than going to the restaurant, 15 minutes.The climb out of Vermont Route 103 was difficult. It was up a steep ravine, and reminiscent of the Trail in western Maine. We had to use our hands to pull ourselves up the slope in places. Fortunately there was no sun or bugs and we had a breeze. The one mile hike to Clarendon Shelter took an hour and 20 minutes. The grey skies never did open up on us. Clarendon shelter (photo 117)was a depressing as the drab afternoon was. We are a bit depressed as well. It was difficult to erect our tent in the two level shelter. The roof reportedly leaks, and it looks like rain tonight is a certainty. We put the fly on the tent as well in case it does rain. To cheer ourselves we had hot drinks, peanut butter and granola bars in the shelter.It is a great feeling to be ahead of schedule. This shelter hopping and daily restaurant stop could grow on us. We only did 3.7 miles today. However we have only 20 miles left to our ultimate destination at the Inn at Long Trail, where we will be picked up on May 30th. That¢s a five mile a day average. Tomorrow we have another possible restaurant stop at Lower Cold River Road. We will have a relaxing afternoon here in this shelter. Later in the afternoon, two young men came in to the shelter. They were Blaze, from Virginia, and Riggs, from Vermont. They both had attended the University of Arizona. They are in the process of thru hiking the Long Trail. It¢s kind of a homecoming for Riggs. They were very nice young men and we enjoyed talking with them. We asked them to keep in touch about their thru hike on the Long Trail.