Date: 2013-07-05
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: VT 11/30 
Miles today: 10.1

Day 8: Peru Peak Shelter back to VT 11/30- Manchester¢¦The Christian history of Egypt, a warning about doctors, some sage advice about job interviews and a GREAT Pizza ¢ Thanks Peter!So glad I was in a shelter last night! It poured- fortunately only for about 15 minutes before it stopped but still! I awoke at 5:30 and packed up, ate, got a few group photos with Leg-o-less and then headed up Peru Peak around 7:00. The ascent, about 1,000¢ spread over a mile; the trail- well, the usual m@$%, streams, and whatnot. I arrived at Styles Peak (the guide says it has wonderful views) and saw absolutely nothing- well fog, really. It was pretty socked in up there but it was pretty in the woods with the mist hanging from the trees. I stopped for a quick bite and checked some messages; I also got a great photo of a spider web that seemed almost radiant in the muted morning light. Peru & Styles PeaksThere was a lot of tricky trail terrain and slick rocks from which I needed to drop as I descended towards aptly named Mad Tom Notch (I was mad going down this craziness when it was so slippery). When I arrived at the notch, which is where a forest service road passes through, I met a young Long Trail NOBO standing by the water pump. The pump was a little difficult (as in heavy) to use and he offered to pump it for me so I could get my bottle filled. We had a brief yet poignant discussion about the goodness of people.Warning, philosophical meandering off trail immediately ahead... He had been at the FREND Festival (the same festival that Brian, my hitchhike to Manchester had been working a few days back. Anyway, it was a great conversation, and looking back on it, I think a key lesson took root during our chat. He maintained that some people were not so nice all the time, I said that I think most people are nice and would always want to do good but just don¢t have clear circumstances presented to them in which they can be good. He gave that some thought and agreed, adding (here¢s the lesson) that perhaps it is that hikers (hitchhiking for example) are so vulnerable, that it makes it easy for people to act on their inherent goodness- because it is so easy to see that a hiker needs/wants help. Smart kid. I thought a little about the conversation initially but over the days and weeks to follow, it was almost a bigger epiphany of sorts. All this time I had been focused on other people and their openness to being good. I¢ve always talked about how the trail seems to recharge my belief in people¢s goodness as if the trail somehow only changes other people. I had never looked at how being on the trail fundamentally changes me too. I don¢t ask much for help when I¢m not on the trail, and in fact, quite often it is difficult for me to accept help when it¢s offered. This is not strength; it¢s a weakness on my part. The thing is, the trail really does transform me in this regard. It is easier to ask for help or at least to accept it with both gratitude and no sense of inferiority, indebtedness or guilt. I don¢t know how many other people are out there who have a difficult time asking for help (which really when it comes down to it, is making yourself vulnerable to others). I suspect it¢s quite a few. Perhaps if we were able to be more open with one another in that way, the same kind of goodness that seems so prevalent on the trail, would extend beyond that narrow strip of humanity? It¢s just a thought¢¦ From the notch began the climb to Bromley Mountain, a mountain that some in my family have skied on during the winter. It seemed to take a long time to make the climb but it was probably just the direct sunlight (what is that here?!) and the heat. When I finally arrived at the top, I enjoyed the spectacular, near 360-degree view. I could both look back (north) towards Peru Peak and forward (south) towards Stratton. It appears to be popular not only with LT and AT hikers but with locals and vacationers for there were about a dozen people in the vicinity not long after I arrived. After photos of the surrounding mountains, the ski-slope buildings and lifts and the meadow flowers carpeting the perimeter of the mountain top, I started the descent down a steep ski slope. Again it seemed a long walk down, frequently interrupted by stepping to the side of the trail to let groups of 3-6 people and sometimes 2-3 dogs pass through the driest sections of the trail. I crossed a few intermittent streams, a very healthy Bromley Brook and finally arrived at VT 11/30. This time, I was on the correct side of the road and I was much cleaner looking (and drier) than a few days ago when I arrived from the south side. I stuck out my thumb and within 3 cars passing a small SUV pulled half into the parking area and remained half in the travel lane. It was an older gentleman and he asked where I was going and after 3 minutes of cars honking angrily at his choice of pull-over location and some trouble getting the back-door to open, we headed off down the mountain towards Manchester. Day 8- HighlightsSome people that you meet you realize you will likely never forget despite the briefest of time spent with them. May I introduce to you Peter; a 70-something-year-old (soon to have another birthday) retired doctor from Boston. I¢m not sure I could accurately recount the full of our perhaps 15-minute conversation from VT 11/30 to Manchester Town Center but it covered: the recent events in Egypt and the historical Christianity thereof, other various religious groups commentary, how long he¢s been vacationing in the area (decades) and his current connections to Manchester through his son, then there was an interesting few words about how doctors really screw one another over and not to trust them! At a break in the conversation, I asked Peter if he could recommend a place with excellent pizza and beer and he had a place in mind. It was a wild ride that ended when he parked in front of a local Greek pizza place called Cristo's. As he was getting out, another car sideswiped Peter's side-view mirror. Miraculously, he was not hit and the mirror oddly enough looked unscathed. As we walked in the door he asked me about what I was doing in life and I told him about recent interviews. He stopped, looked at me and said: ¢Whatever you do, these interviews, you only should interview for something you are passionate about otherwise it will never work.¢ He told the staff behind the desk to take good care of me and then left. Wow! Really it was a crazy ride but an unforgettable encounter with a real character. Wishing you a Happy Birthday Peter, and many happy returns. May you get your fondest wish this year and enjoy your trip to Greece. Life is about balance, and since I got a quick ride to town finding a room for the night would be harder. The Green Mountain Hostel was full. After an amazing Greek pizza and a Stella, I made a reservation at a local older motel. It was about a 10-15 minute walk out of the tourist area and a very entertaining place to be. I¢ll just say that it looks like the same furniture that it started with was there today, over 35 years later. I dropped my backpack, took a shower and walked back into town for a visit to The Mountain Goat followed by some ice-cream across the street at Spiral Scoops and finally a walk through a magnificent independent bookstore- Northshire. The skies got dark and the thunder started as I hurried back to the motel. I arrived just in time to avoid a downpour. I¢ve repacked everything, had a glass of wine on the ¢porch¢ and am ready to turn in. Tomorrow is a 7:30 am bus ride to Bennington and then another few hours in the car heading south. So glad I decided not to quit after the third day hiking, and even happier that I saw my family for a few days. Now another 70-something miles of the AT are behind me! Woohoo!!!Goodnight from Manchester, VT, (again) where the rain outside doesn¢t bother me much and there¢s no m@$% in my immediate future!More photos for day 8 of the trip can be seen at: 2000Miler_Day8