Date: 2006-10-10
From: Lula Tye Shelter

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up this morning, and like always, I cooked and ate breakfast in bed. I had two packs of oatmeal, a chocolate breakfast bar, chocolate flavored Carnation Instant Breakfast and two bowls of Frosted Flakes. Powdered milk has become an appetite savior. I use it in breakfast and supper. So as I was packing up my gear this morning I heard a man yelling down in the woods near the stream. The yelling grew closer and closer, and by the time I reached the end of the spur trail leading back to the A.T., I saw two men in uniform. They asked if I had seen a lady in her twenties with a boy of fifteen. I had not--but as it turns out, they have come up missing, and the search and rescue team was out doing their job. It's been on my mind throughout the day, and I still don't know the outcome. It's the second time I've come upon a situation like this. The first was in Monson. A young mother and her child had gone out for a day hike and had gotten lost. I arrived at Shaw's hostel just when things were getting frantic. The mother was some how acquainted to the owner of Shaw's who had sent a few hikers along with the sheriff to go search for them. The rescue was successful, the mother and child returned to the hostel, and the story had a happy ending.I don't know the end of this one yet. Hopefully someone behind me will catch up and tell me the news.And this is the life of a hiker. We know who's ahead of us, and read all their trail saga in the shelter registers. But what's happening behind us, we never know... That's normal I suppose. Though I used to not think so. When I was younger, people always told me that moms all have eyes in the back of their heads. That really seemed freaky to me as a child. I never did understand how mom could see through all that hair.   Ah, the myths that parents load their children with. Children, who, when the truth is unveiled, are so disappointed. It feels as if a piece of your soul has been torn from you, and now you must reconstruct the world.I don't think the Tooth Fairy ever woke me up when I was a child. But by the time I had my wisdom teeth pulled, there was no money under my pillow! Above all other tooth pulling experiences, that was one worthy of a few bucks. Wisdom must be priceless! Enough rambling. Towards the end of the day I arrived at the peak of Bromley Mountain/Ski Resort. I climbed the firetower at the top and had chilling vistas--literally. It's been overcast most of the day, and with the wind blowing through my sweaty t-shirt, I nearly froze. I descended and went into the vacated warming hut on the summit. I wish I would've brought enough water with me so I could've stayed overnight. Instead, I used the phone in the shelter and made some calls before working my way down the ski slope, back into the woods and eventually to the road where I hitched into Manchester, VT. I stuck out my thumb and the third SUV picked me up. Lyn, who is a Manchester native, and who's husband would not like to know she picked up a hitch-hiker, was extremely kind and helpful. Actually, I would probably be camped out in some alley behind a dumpster if it wasn't for her kindness. She showed me around town, drove me to an outfitter which was closed, drove me to another outfitter (which was also closed), let me use her cell to call two hostels and then drove me to the hostel with the best price. Everything worked out perfectly! (Thank you Lyn. THANK YOU!)And now I'm in this hostel knowing that in three days there's a possibility of snow flurries.Yikes!Easy Feelin'