Date: 2017-07-03
From: Bennington

To: Story Spring Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

Today is much better than yesterday. I take it easy in the morning in town doing my errands up and down the main street of Bennington. It's a large town but very quiet for a Monday, maybe due to the holiday weekend.Finally it's time to hit the trail. The motel owner Pete drives me out. A far north Vermont native, he grew up watching Canadian TV. His last motel, in the north, was flooded out. He bought this one last year and has embraced hikers. They make up 75-90% of his summer business.The sun is shining and the trail feels much better today. My expectations for Vermud are now more realistic. The storm runoff has largely petered out, and puddles are starting to dry. The worst southern section is behind me. There is still lots of mud, muck, and some residual streams, but I fly through and around it without it affecting my mood. Talking with other hikers, I was not the only one in a foul mood yesterday.I charge up Mt Glastonbury, 3700+ ft elevation. The summit is a tranquil shady pine forest, but the fire tower provides spectacular full circle 100-mile views. It's a top of the world feeling, with range upon range of mountains receding to the horizon in every direction, and puffy white clouds dancing above. As I reach the last level of the tower above the trees the wind velocity more than doubles. There are lots of hikers out today. I meet Bob, a white-haired Virginian who started at the VT-MA border and is headed to Katahdin. James from New Orleans is hiking the Long Trail, which follows the AT for 105 miles then continues on the the Canadian border. He'll hitchhike the length of Vermont back to his car when he's done. Thru-hikers Hoops and Sitting Bull are at the lookout tower. A mix of families, camp groups, and weekenders are also about. Four Wheel Drive shows up at the lookout. He's been hiking big miles trying to catch a group called The Fellowship he had been hiking with for the first half of the trail. He thinks they are two shelters ahead, but at the next shelter he is too tired to continue and asks me to take a message on. The trail continues through the Glastonbury Wilderness. No road crossings for more than 20 miles. This is the heart of the Green Mountains.I glide into the Story Spring shelter, passing a gorgeous sun dipping low over a pond. It's a tent city. I find, with difficulty, a relatively dry spot. Bill T, who along with 4WD I left at Mt Greylock, greets me. He too ducked into town after having an awful time yesterday. We seem to have similar perspectives on hiking and the trail, and talk equipment. We have a similar pace so I hope to see more of him through Vermont. I first met him back at the Hudson River, more than 200 miles ago.4WD suddenly hikes in. He decided to keep moving so he could get rid of the pie he's been carrying. I notice it now, strapped to the top of his pack. The Fellowship is in fact here, as the tent city comes to life with pleasant shock that 4WD has rejoined them. Some of them are the kids who were dropped off last night as I was getting my ride into town. Bill T also meets someone he last saw in Tennessee. It's like a big reunion party, complete with cherry pie.