Date: 2007-08-31
From: Cooper Lodge

To: Vermont 103
Miles today: 11.2

I have a good nights sleep even though Brian¢s snoring was one of the loudest to date. I also find out he talks in his sleep. We need to push for a 15 mile day so we can walk into town the following day to meet the gang. We push out around 8 ish and make Governor Clement shelter quickly. We stop here to eat our2nd breakfast. The Governor Clement shelter has a reputation as a shelter to not stay overnight at. In past years locals have driven up the forest service roads to intimidate hikers. The reputation is so bad there was a secret shelter has been built to help us thru hikers. We push down the trail with a mission. About an hour later we pass the 500 mile marker and there is a cooler of cokes for trail magic, so we chill here for another hour. Hiked maybe another hour or so and we come across more trail magic. A brook is full of sodas, so we take another hour break. It's now about 2 and we need to hammer out 4 more miles to meet our goal for the day. So we push out talking about stopping at the cafe that¢s 2 miles from here. We hike with a new motivation and make the highway in no time. As we walk up the road, the clouds look sinister. We realize we are walking toward the storm. Safe at the cafe we sit and order lunch. Ten minutes after sitting down the sky unleashes it's fury. We sit and eat and watch the storm blow thru. A group comes into the cafe. Come to find out it's another Princeton orientation group. We talk shortly as Brian and I down cups of coffee. I find out Holly¢s (our server) boyfriend raises sled dogs. So we start talking about huskies, and I ask if they had any dogs they looking to get rid of. She tells me Sean will be up shortly and I could ask him then. So now the rain is still coming down and it's 6 so we decide to eat dinner here. Sean shows up shortly after our dinner and lets me know he has a female that he's looking for a home for her. I can tell he is feeling me out in the questions that he's asking. I let him know that I have 3 huskies already and they are like our children. He tells me I can have Trinity. We exchange numbers and plan to get the dog in Manchester on Labor Day. It's now about 6:45 and me and Brian are trying to figure out where we are staying tonight. I text Ashley and she's going to meet us at the cafe. Ashley shows up 45 minutes later and Brian and I eat again. We talk her into putting us up for the night as well as I talk her into hiking with me and the gang. On our way back to her house we swing by the grocery store and stock her up with hiker food for the weekend. Back at her apartment we fit her with Brian's gear since he is getting off the trail so he can spend time with his lady friend. We are all situated for the weekend, then Ashley tells us this guy Kyle is coming over to check us out. Apparently this phone call went down when I was in the shower. Kyle shows up with a chip on his shoulder as well as Brian has a chip on his shoulder per the cell phone call. All I can say is we have about an hour of drama, and I'm starting to get pissed at this Kyle kid. Finally Ashley kicks him out, and they walk down to the parking area together. Another hour goes by and I go down to check on things. Ashley was upset about what went down and we talk it out and she starts telling me all this life stuff. We finally go back in and settle into bed.