Date: 2003-08-02
From: Hanover/Dartmouth College

To: Goose Pond Road 
Miles today: 14.2

It was hard to get going this morning. It always is, when I'm warm and dry, and feeling lazy. Once I get up and going, though, it's time for action. I had the free breakfast at the hotel, despite their problems with the toasters and juice machine. It was pretty good though. Good enough for me anyway. Hotdog and I packed up, and I called for a taxi. I was told I could get one, but not until 11am. It was 9:30. There was a big deal going on in Hanover this weekend: the Annual Shriners Vermont vs New Hampshire football game, complete with Shriners parade before the game. A lot of the Shriners were staying at our hotel, judging by the numerous men I saw wearing red or green pants and funny hats. I was hoping we could mooch a ride from some of them, so we went to the office to check out. Unfortunately, most of the Shriners had already left. Hotdog tried calling a few cabs, and I talked to a hotel employee. She asked about the backpack, which led me to tell her that ! we were looking for a ride back to Hanover. A friend of another employee was there, so the lady I talked to asked if she'd give us a ride. She surely did! Trail Magic!When she found out we'd been hiking for 5 months, she was astonished, and asked "...on those legs?" I think she was just making a point that she would never do that, but it sounded funny to me. She dropped us off near Panarchy so she wouldn't have to deal with the Shriner day traffic on Main Street. I offered her some money, but she refused. What a nice person! I'm still amazed at the people I meet out here! Awesome.We did some resupply shopping, and mailing of things, in between talking to locals. I met an older couple whose granddaughter is hiking the trail this year. I talked to them for quite a while at the hardware store. As I was buying denatured alcohol for my stove, the store employee said "I always know the hikers, when they come in and ask for denatured alcohol." Yep, that's us. I'd have preferred if he had HEET, but all they stocked was Iso-HEET. Outside of the Post Office, we met Eric, a hiker that's been behind us for a while he said. He's hiking from Waynesboro, VA to Katahdin this summer, to finish the hike he started last year. Notes walked up, asking where the trail went, and soon the three of us were on our way north again. On the road, but on the AT. The road was closed, due to the parade that was getting ready to start, so we walked down the middle of the road, forming our own mini-hiker parade. Going the wrong way for the big parade, but going the only di! rection we know how.When we got off the roads and into the woods, I could feel myself begin to relax immediately. I like some of the town pleasures (food, running water, talking to people), but when in town, my mind starts to go too fast. I start thinking about anything and everything at home. I hate when I do that, because there is nothing I can or will do about those things until I get done with this and get back there. Last night, it took me almost 2 hours to fall asleep because I couldn't shut my mind down. I also get more tense in towns because people seem to be in a hurry, always trying to get in and quickly out of stores. Why? Why not talk to others in the store? I enjoy talking to people. That's been one of the lessons I've learned since being out here.Back in the woods, it was business as usual. Walk, sweat, trip, slip, sweat, walk, take a break. I fell several times today. The ground was quite wet from yesterday's rain, and there were a lot of rocks and roots to slip on. No hard falls, just slipping to the ground. I made a few arm-waving, leg-wagging saves too. Too bad no one else saw them. Hotdog got to see one of my falls though, right into a puddle! Then he yelled at me for making him laugh while he was walking over such treacherous terrain. He's all heart.We are camped near a road. It was a little after 6pm when we decided to call it a day. We both could have gone farther, but we knew a long, steep climb was ahead of us, and didn't know if tentsites would be very numerous on the way up. So we played it safe, finding level ground. We were both surprised that we went over 14mi today, especially since we didn't start until 11am. It was a good day though. Cloudy, but no rain. The humidity was high though. We even saw some sunshine for a moment or two, and got some lazy, hazy views. I hope the weather continues to clear, as we climb higher and higher.It feels good to make forward progress. Feet still hurt at the end of the day, but I like moving north. The zero day yesterday was the right thing to do, and yet it is difficult for me to not make northward progress. I'm stubborn like that sometimes. If I take a zero, it gets harder to get back to the trail, even though, as soon as I'm in the woods, I feel right at home. Strange, I get to town and want to be hiking; I'm hiking and all I think about is the next town. Can't I just be satisfied with where I am? ... Actually, I am. I like where I am, not physically, but in my life. My options are open. It's up to me to do what I want to, to be happy. That's a great place to be!