Date: 2005-08-10
From: Glastenbury Mountain, VT

To: Rt. 9, Bennington, VT
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

10.4 miles todaySleeping in a bedAmoeba's homeSomewhere in Massachusetts...??? I'm at Rt 9 at the Bennington, Vt trailhead on the trail, just sleeping in Massachusetts. I woke up at 5:30 and looked outside my tent and realized it's getting light later in the morning. It was still pretty dark out. I stuck my stove outside and started the water boiling for coffee, then I got right into the last half of the cheese danish left from yesterday. I didn't have enough to eat last night, so I was waiting on morning to knock that last bit of food off. I was packed and walking at 6:15. I went .3 miles to where Goddard Shelter was and saw that the trail crew had the roof and walls down, but the floor was still there. I took a picture of the last of the old shelter and hiked on. It was humid out and the sun showed it when the sunlight found it's way into the forest through the canopy of trees. I took a couple pictures of the sunlight streaming through the trees in different spots. It was 6 miles before I saw the first nobo today. His name was York. I kept walking, mostly downhill and almost got to Melville Nauheim Shelter and ran into Mayfly, Chuckles and Got-A-Go. Mayfly said she had read my journal last year and that I looked much different from the pictures then. We all talked about 20 minutes before hiking on. Good meeting you three. I got to the shelter and got out my washing machine/water bag and washed my shirt and took a bandana bath near the stream. It's amazing how quickly a hiker can get dirty and it hasn't even been muddy out. I only had 1 1/2 miles left to the road and I ran into 3 more nobos by the names of Wildcat, Guideless and Spitfire. Then just before I got to the road, I ran into 3 more by the names of Squid Jerky, Ox And Bearcan. I hitched a ride into town and had the girl drop me off at Top Notch Diner where I had a good second breakfast with lots of coffee and water. I walked a half mile to the nearest store and sent in journal entries and got my email. I sat out front of the store and read my emails while I drank a coke, then went in a bought a gatorade to take back up by the trailhead and wait for Amoeba to show up at 2:30pm. I had gotten to the trailhead at 10:15am, so I had lots of time to waste. I got a ride back to the trailhead with a guy and his big black dog. The dog was in the passenger seat so I sat in the back. :-))) I found a shady spot and planned on answering emails and getting my journal done up to that point, but people started coming over and talking. Dobbler, Hanna and Ashtray came up first. They all knew me from passing on the trail in past years. I remember the areas, but didn't remember them. That's happening more all the time because I see so many hikers walking the wrong way and only talk for a minute or two to most of them. :-))) They left and said that I would probably see more people soon...How did they know?? Pizza The Hut and Free Radical came up right after they left and said that a guy was giving them a ride to town. They are 2 nobos. The guy pulled up in a small truck. When he got out, I said; "Hey Blue Jay." It was Blue Jay Lefay, an old friend from the trail. It always blows me away with all the friends I see over and over out here. We were all busy talking when Amoeba showed up. I looked at my watch and it was 2:30 already and I hadn't even started answering emails...so much for all that time I had to waste. ;-)) I said godbye to Blue Jay and the nobos and we headed off for a farmhouse in Massachusetts. It was about 50 minutes away from the trailhead. I was really interested in seeing the house because it was built in the 1700s. We got there and Amoeba showed me around. The house now has plumbing from a gravity fed spring, but no electricity. It's got gas lights and candles, gas stove and a wood burning stove and a gas refridgerator and an old ice box. It's a beautiful home and very quiet area...I have no idea where I'm at. We had steaks on the grill along with baked potato and nice salad. For desert we had a fresh made blueberry pie that was loaded with blueberries from out back. This is trail magic!!! Amoeba took me around the farm and showed me lots of places including a barn that was built post and beam style construction. When It got dark, on went a gas light and out came the cards. We played Texas Holdem Poker. I think Amoeba won about $50,000.00...so much for trail magic. ;-)))) I took a real bath in an old claw foot tub and went to bed after a long, eventful day. Thanks Amoeba!!