Date: 2018-11-11
From: Lottery Road

To: USFS 10
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: clear sky

Thank you to all veterans of all branches! A special big THANK YOU to my personal hero, Papa Big Swig. He served in the United States Navy during the Beirut bombing in 1983. He was called ashore for recovery. As a 20 year old young man he did his job while active gunfire was still occurring all around him. I am proud of him and thankful his life was spared. So many have given all.  Seylor Jo and I started heading south again today. We had passed hunters walking the road on our way to the start location, so of course I heard several gunshots this morning. It all stopped around 10am and no more. I kind of hit the ground running today. I love the easy UPs and DOWN¢s of Vermont. Not sure how far I had gone when I came to a privy right on trail. It was part of Clarendon Shelter. Anyway, it was a brand new privy. Fully stocked with TP and everything. A hikers delight!  By 8:45AM the sun was out big and round! God saw fit to let me have it like that all day long! Another hikers delight!  This is just a delightful day! Seylor and I were making good time when a little bit of bouldering showed up. It wasn¢t a lot, but a speed bump nonetheless.While making our way over and around the speed bumps a skein of geese flew over head. Seylor stopped to check out all of the honking. I laughed as I thought I¢ll be seeing them again in January at our condo in Florida! I¢ll be flying south for the winter after my hike too! Once I made it past the boulders the trail became wet, muddy, or icy for several miles. I still enjoyed myself with the warm sun shining down. The temperature was in the 20¢s, but that sun just warmed my soul. I have no complaints. It¢s bizarre how as little as a 500ft change in elevation affects the entire climate on a mountain/hill. Several times I was in snow deeper than the top of my boots. Other times I was hiking over crunchy leaves or through mud and water all on the same mountain/hill. It was during one of the higher elevation moments when a snowmobile went whizzing by. There were several others out here enjoying this beautiful day today! We also crossed paths with a day hiker and his American Bulldog plus a Long Trail hiker with his huge Burnese dog! He was a really beautiful dog! I had planned to stop at a shelter for lunch. Somehow I hiked right past it. I was actually 2.5 miles past before I realized. It was noon, so I found a nice boulder with the sun shining right on it. It was just right, and lunch was delicious!  After lunch I crossed a main road to a nice foot bridge, then UP. The trail was extremely wet and muddy in this area. I don¢t even know exactly how it happened, but down went McGinney! It was such an awkward fall in the mud. No injury.  I soon found myself hiking beside a large stream with beautiful cascading waterfalls. I enjoyed that tremendously! Then UP to White Rocks Junction where somebody had a good time making a ton of cairns.  From there on out the terrain remained pretty rocky. I hiked past a beautiful pond and hopped from rock to rock for another good mile or so. Then the trail became a nice wide path that took me to the Parking lot where Papa Big Swig waited.  Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018) Where¢s your faith?