Date: 2015-07-17
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Winhall River
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: scattered clouds

DOUBLE TOWER DAY TODAY.That's right. Two observation towers, two awesome views.Last night was so freaking cold. I did not sleep that well. I kept huddling up to be warm but ended up stiff and cramped and having to stretch out again. Luckily tonight seems to be much warmer. A little drizzly, though. I'd rather the drizzle than the cold.Just before hiker midnight (which us about 9 these days) last night, someone arrived at the shelter, boots shaking the whole structure. I was already buried in my bag (as were the rest of the residents: Silent Force, Banana Bread, and Crock Rocket, who decided it was too cold to hammock.) I pulled my buff down over my ears, hoping the new arrival would settle down quickly. He (or she) was rustling around in his (or her) pack, blowing up and laying out a sleeping pad, etc. It was a little annoying but it wasn't late so it didn't bother me. I hadn't been that close to falling asleep.But Banana Bread, the sweet-seeming, talkative typical Connecticut white girl, erupted, "Dude. DUDE. Could you make a LITTLE less noise?!"My eyes would have been round as full food bags if they hadn't been obscured by my buff. That was HARSH. The guy responded, with what sounded like a German accent and a tone if bewilderment, "I am preparing for sleep." He was making a racket, sure, but it wasn't like he was TRYING to bother us. I felt bad for the guy. I am glad that Banana Bread is hiking south, because I wouldn't want to get on her bad side. Also she talked too much.I got up after she left this morning. It was cold (Crock Rocket unzipped the bottom of his sleeping bag and shuffled around in it - I laughed as I had been considering doing the same thing for a midnight pee). I was lazy. I planned to hike under 20 miles, and the elevation profile wasn't intimidating, so I wasn't anticipating a long or difficult day.The first treat of the day was the lookout tower on top of Glastenbury Mountain. Very awesome. And I had cell service at the top!Last night I called the only hostel in Manchester Center to see if they had an open space for Saturday night. It was already booked up. My heart fell. Where else could I stay? I checked the book. My only other options were out of my price range. If I spent $100 on a hotel room every week on the trail, I wouldn't be on the trail. I would be sitting in my room at my mom's house, bawling my eyes out and comfort-eating my way through my remaining mail drops and lamenting my empty bank account.One of the (many) bad things about losing my hiking companion is that I have no one to split the cost of a hotel room with anymore.Speaking of, I have no idea where Chris is now, or Team Moco (as Coco and Magnus are going by now). They took time off to spend with Chris's parents. I don't know where (or even IF!) they got back on the trail. The three trail registers I signed today didn't have entries from any of them. It seems unlikely that I somehow got ahead of them, but maybe they got sucked into the comforts of off-trail life for longer than expected.Anyway, after that long digression...I called mom last night after being rejected by the hostel to let her know that I had recovered from my morning mud slide. I told her about my lodging issue, and my changed plans to get into town, do laundry, and try to beg someone for a shower before getting back to the trail."Oh!" she said, "Fran and Bonnie gave me a card that I forgot to give you!" They had given it to her the Friday of the week before the picnic (I think... my timeline's all confused from my many weekends at home), and it had lain, neglected and forgotten, in her coat pocket for weeks.She sent me a picture of it. Inside was tucked some pizza money, and they had written, "Can't wait for the magic picnic!" I almost died. I felt so guilty, but also found it hilarious. The picnic was almost two weeks ago now! Poor Uncle Fran and Aunt Bonnie probably spent that whole day waiting for me to say thank you. I am SO SORRY! I do find the whole thing humorous, though.But it was like trail magic timing! Now I can afford a place to stay! I CAN TAKE A SHOWER.I HAVEN'T TAKEN A SHOWER SINCE SUNDAY. Although I have bathed every day, scrubbing myself with my towel and wet wipes, it's not the same. I sniffed my arm this evening after my ritual stream bath and tick check, and NOPE, still nasty.Jeez this story is long. ANYWAY, I called a motel from the top of the tower to see if they had rooms available. No answer. I finally got ahold of them at lunch, after my third try, and have a place to stay tomorrow! I have NEVER stayed in a hotel room by myself on the trail (maybe never even in my life?)I am so excited. I can spread my gear out wherever I want. I can watch whatever I want on TV (which will probably be no TV, but still), I can leave the bathroom door open while I shower so I don't suffocate in the steam from the near-scalding water I will bathe in to release the grime from my skin! I can play music from my phone on full blast and sing obnoxiously while I shower! I won't have to worry about tripping over Chris's hammock or being overhead on the phone and IT WILL BE SO AWESOME.Thus, to Uncle Fran and Aunt Bonnie: thank you for boosting my housing budget this week. Thank you SO MUCH.AND I still have pizza money from Carol and Eddie! Tomorrow will be EXCELLENT. I continue to be the luckiest, most spoiled hiker on the trail.Today's hike was so good, too! Nice and easy and wonderful. I wasn't in a rush and adopted a fairly slow pace. I stopped for my morning snack and talked to a passing day hiker about the trail. I passed a lot of people today, actually... section hikers, day hikers, and southbound thru-hikers. I talked to a few of them, but for the most part tossed out my normal greetings of "Hi!" and "Hi there!" and, over my shoulder, "Have a good hike!"I passed Story Spring Shelter and found the late-arrival German hiker from last night sitting and eating a Slim Jim. I put down Gertrude and dug out my awesome stamp. I perused the trail register. The Aussie Legs had signed it days before. But there weren't any entries from Coco and Magnus or Chris. It didn't make sense. The shelter was right on the trail, so it would have made sense for them to stop and sign it... it wasn't like they had to go down a blue-blaze trail. Where were they?! I stamped and signed the trail register, "Where is Team Moco? Where is my ex-hiking companion? Vermont is confusing!" I can't keep track of where anyone is anymore!The German guy (I believe his name is Father) asked if I was staying for lunch but I said no. It was only 10:30.A mile later I kept thinking of him, sitting there, eating. My tummy rumbled in jealousy so I stopped to munch on trail mix. My hiker hunger is picking up again. Uh oh.I paused at Black Brook for lunch, setting Gertrude down by the footbridge and sitting on a rock by the river. My last few meals have been excellently full of dehydrated veggies. So wonderful. I love those veggies. For lunch I had stir fry veggies and rice with soy sauce. I am so, so glad that Uncle Clyde and Aunt Pat let me borrow their dehydrator. Last night, Croc Rocket and Silent Force were complaining about how they are so sick of trail food. I admit that I am pretty much done with granola bars, but my diet is so much better than the average hiker's. Last night I munched on vegetables with rice, Thai sauce, and salmon while Silent Force ate instant mashed potatoes rolled up in a tortilla and I am so glad I have only had instant potatoes twice on this trip. Sure, they are delicious, but also gross. Too much gross processed food fills trail tummies.After lunch, my belly was quite full of (too many) calories. Next, I headed for Stratton Mountain.AND I KICKED THAT MOUNTAIN'S BUTT. Figuratively. I literally kicked its rocks. Lots of rocks. I trip a lot. Thank goodness for my trekking poles. I bet that I would fall at least five times a day without them. My face would look like hamburger by the end of my hike as a result of daily collisions with rocks and roots and branches. The toes of my Merells are already starting to come apart. I have to get in touch with customer service about this. I will be very mad if I end up having to buy ANOTHER pair of shoes. I have already spent a small fortune on shoes alone during this trip.I started to slow down about halfway up the mountain, but still managed to keep a good pace. It was a long, long climb. 1700 feet and nearly 4 miles. Some parts were nice and gradual, while others were quite steep. I passed a section hiker who talked to me, asking me all kinds of questions as I hiked on ahead of him. I felt bad leaving him in the dust, but wanted to take advantage of my lunch energy while I had it.Close to the summit, I passed four foreign day hikers, who may have also been German. It looked like parents and their two young adult children. As I came up behind them, they moved aside to the side of the trail. I said "Thank you!" to them each as I passed. In turn, they each replied, "You're welcome." In EXACTLY the same tone. It was kind of adorable.At the summit, I talked to the caretaker, a member of the Green Mountain Club. She recommended a pizza place in town. I am already dreaming of pizza. I will never get sick of it.Then I climbed tower #2, and enjoyed another amazing view. Stratton Mountain is where Benton MacKaye was inspired to propose the creation of the AT, according to AWOL's guide. I can see why. Vermont is gorgeous. I have been loving the hike. During parts of Massachusetts, I was strolling through smooth, easy forest. Lately, it feels like I am really HIKING more. I am back to rocks and mountains. The trail is more strenuous. But it is so pretty. And the air is so fresh, I keep sucking in lungfuls like I suck down water at the end of a steep climb.I climbed down to Stratton Pond. The trail runs perpendicular to the shore, so you walk right up to it. It is huge and open and amazing. It costs $5 to shelter or tent there, though, and it was still early when I arrived. I enjoyed the view for a while before deciding to continue on. I wasn't ready to stop yet. I aimed for a river two miles north, where I hoped to find a stealth campsite.The next two miles were so easy, and wonderful, relaxing and enjoyable. I strolled along slowly, enjoying walking and thinking.After I crossed the footbridge over my goal river, I came upon Mama Bear and her three children sitting and digging into bags of Cheetos and Goldfish, and eating sugar-glazed donuts. Mama Bear is hiking with her two twins, about five years old, and a boy a few years older. They hiked the southern half of the trail last year, and are doing the north half this year.That's right. Little kids. Hiking the trail. It's amazing and awesome. I can't imagine the work that Mama Bear has to put into it. So cool! I had heard about them before and was excited to meet them. The older boy asked me all kinds of questions: was I thru-hiking? How many miles a day do I hike? Was I going to go into Manchester?They made a fun end to my hike. I found a nice flat spot and finished my chores. I sat by the river to cook and eat my dinner. The day ended very nicely. I am happy to be camped alone. Another benefit of bypassing the shelter is that I will likely sleep better without noise from others, and I am closer to town so that I can get in early to get my errands done and hopefully enjoy some time to rest and eat pizza and luxuriate in the feeling of being clean.I am thankful for so many gifts. I am thankful for the wilderness and peace and the river sounds near me. I am really getting into stealth camping. I am thankful that I have a plan for tomorrow and hopefully will be able to get to town early. I am thankful for vegetables in my meals and great trail encounters.