Date: 2005-08-11
From: USFS 10

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I fully intended on hiking the ten miles today, hitching into North Clarendon, and taking the free bus back to Manchester. I woke up, thought about it, and decided to hitch into Danby and take the bus from there. In other words, no miles hiked unless you count the .2 I had to go to get to the road. My rationale, as if I needed one, was to give the foot and blister more of a chance to heal. Even on the forest service road there was a lot of traffic early so I got a ride to Danby pretty quickly. I went to where I was supposed to catch the bus and there I waited. I wasn't there too long when I heard a voice ask where I was going. I turned and saw and answered the girl who asked. She asked if I wanted a ride and you ca guess what my response was. She and her friend were heading down that way after doing some biking. she had also done some hiking in the past. Once again, someone who knows about hikers. I got to town and went to the EMS hangout where I ran into several SOBO's. We traded information and after they left I pulled out my book. I wasn't planning on doing much and the rest of the crew isn't supposed to be here till tomorrow, unless they change their minds about coming at all. Early in the afternoon Indy came. He is now Pus Gut due to the incident with the poison ivy on hike naked day. He waa in for a resupply and was heading back out. Shortly before he left Brother Buzz rolled in. We chatted and talked about the upcoming Whites. Seems like that is what is starting to become the main topic of conversation for us now. Won't be too long before we are in them and above treeline. I had to laugh at one thing he asked because Pus Gut asked the same question. They both asked if I had gotten kicked outof the shelter on top of Mt. Greylock. There is an "emergency" shelter at the top of Greylock, meant to used in case of bad weather. That was the day I had reached the top of Greylock at 6:00 and found Break. It was Che, Peanut, Break, and Longhaul who had tried to use the shelter the night before. How I got involved in the incident is beyond me. Goes to show you how trail rumors and gossip can flourish out here. In Dalton, Touk and I were laughing about gossip and rumors. We were kidding each other about what kind of gossip we could get going that day. If we had come up with something I can bet it would have traveled far and fast! I just realized, with me back in Manchester, this is going to be a real low mileage week. Having pushed all those 20's in the past three weeks I think my body is relishing it and think it will do me good for the terrain we have coming up. Tomorrow I get to see Brownie and Souleman again and I hope the rest of the group coms down. I also think Break will be in also and I hope she plans on coming along. Just as I was finishing this up I heard a couple of voices outside. At first I thought it was some local kids but when I asked if they were hikers I found it was York, Wildcat, and Capt. Patagonia. I hadn't seen Capt. P since the mid way point and York since Greymoor Friary. This was the first I had seen of Wildcat. We talked and then it was time for bed.