Date: 2003-07-15
From: VT140, Wallington Gulf Road (1680') 

To: Minerva Hinchey Shelter (1605') 
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: clear sky

-- We interrupt this journal entry to bring you the latest and greatest on Tropical Storm Claudette. It is now Hurricane Claudette and hitting land south of Galveston, TX. As seen by helicopter, Galveston Island is partially underwater. We hope you had the sense to leave the island.--   Alooooohaaaaa! It's so good to be back! Back on the trail that is. Back where I know I am supposed to be. Back where I'm the most comfortable these days. Back on the AT. Wuuuuhuuu! I'm back!    By being back I'm also out of Hurricane Claudette's path. I got to experience a touch of her front-end wrath this morning by driving to the airport in her 20 mph winds and rain. Hurricane or no hurricane, Delta was determined to depart on time and did. No complaints from me. A bit of jostling about trying to find an acceptable cruising altitude but that was about it. We were home free within 30 minutes. There was good weather in Atlanta and the same can be said for the trip to Boston. All ran on time and as smooth as silk for the most part. Ahhh... but then there was the Boston to Rutland, VT part on US Airways. I'll go into that momentarily.   While on the first flight to Atlanta I was lucky enough to sit next to Bill. Bill is a retired police officer from Georgia who just so happens to have completed 650 miles of the AT. What do you think? Think we found anything to talk about? You betcha! Not only the AT though. Bill is also the proud owner of something else I want to do in the near future -- ride a Honda Gold Wing across the country via I90 and return via I10. He got me so hyped about the bike and a trip that I was ready to run off the plane and buy the bike now! Gotta do it! I was thinking about my 50th birthday in four years but now I'm thinking I don't want to wait that long. I want it now! Or right after I finish this grand adventure anyway. That would be way cool! What cha think? Wanna go cruising the Blue Highway in a couple of years? I think yes. Thanks Bill, I'll call ya! He was such fun to spend a long and boring flight with.   Now as for my third flight segment, if you put all the other airline securities together I don't believe they would equal that of US Airways. They are ... thorough. The ticket agent, like those at Delta, believed I should carry my backpack on board. I did so with no problems at all on Delta so it sounded good to me. Ahh, but this was not Delta. After practically undressing at the security point, the next victim is made to wait until someone can escort them and their belongings to a table. You are not allowed to touch a thing. At that point, you are "wanded", and partially frisked if you happen to have a zipper on your shorts or wire in your bra, your shoes/boots are swabbed and smelly inserts removed, and your bags are literally emptied with each and every item handled. Alas, that's where my problems began - the tent poles shoved to the bottom and back of the backpack (so they wouldn't bend and break while being manhandled). These were considered dangerous weapons and I was then looked at as a criminal. You would have thought I had either killed someone or was in the process. To top it off, as we were discussing the poles my credit card size Swiss Army accessories were found in my ditty bag buried at the bottom of the pack. Oops, it does include a 1" knife sharp enough to cut soft cheese and butter. The long story short, I convinced them that they really didn't want to confiscate these items but allow me to check the pack into cargo. With major hesitation they agreed, and in an irritated state watched me closely repack the ripped apart pack, handing me the poles and credit card knife only at the last moment, escorted me and carried my pack to ticketing, and dumped me. Within three minutes I was back in line doing it all over again with the boots, bra and zippers.   Security? Oh, I think they're covered.   My plane to Rutland consisted of a 16 seat puddle jumper. We jumped all over the place in the winds getting here too. Luckily it wasn't a long flight and we were here in less than an hour. I started to figure up the price per minute but decided against it. High price ticket for a short hop to a rinky-dink airfield. And since it's only about six miles from where I left the trail it's worth every penny of the outrageous amount paid!   Having no luck convincing any of the seven employees standing around chatting that they wanted to give me a ride back to the trail I succumbed to calling a cab. Twenty minutes and $20 later ($20 make you hollar?) I was on my way BACK to my trail. The driver even agreed to stop at a store for my traditional leaving town Gatorade purchase. Very sweet gal. I was hiking again by 6p. Excellent!   The hiking was wonderful! As usual in Vermont the trail was nicely graded and for the most part took me UP at a decent rate and returned me down at the same. What was unusual was hiking without poles. Strangely enough I quite enjoyed it. Had there been steep ascents and descents I'd probably be singing a different tune but for this portion of the trail it was quite pleasant having unencumbered hands. I will have to make a point of hiking without the use of poles more often. Quite nice.   I arrived here with lots of sunlight remaining. Without my poles I'm forced to stay in the shelter but since it's a decent one with limited bugs I'm good with it. I will get my poles back in a day or two. My shelter mates Thom Cat and Tyger, two Long Trail hikers, seem to like it too since they're snoozing away.   Before they crashed though, we and the other tenting Long Trail hiker went in search of moose. The noise coming from down the way was making one think a moose was close by. Upon further investigation we determined it was an unhappy cow. While looking though I came upon a "hidden" shelter. Tucked away in the brush near a pond's edge stood a four-sided building with Plexiglas windows across the whole front. As we investigated we came to realize that this was not a deer blind but a photo blind. Enough room on the inside for a pot-bellied stove, table, single board cot and chair. Someone has a wonderful little hide-away for watching the animals come to the pond and photographing them. Wonderful! That would be such an awesome thing to have the time to do. Lucky person(s) whoever they are.   Dang it, before the moths make me start making noise killing them I think it best to shut this down. It's been a good long day and I am tired. Tomorrow will be the same but since it will all be here in the woods that mean it will be a great day. So if you don't mind I think I'll climb into the bag and see what dreams I can conjure up. You should do the same. But before you go... thank you. I know you supported me in my endeavor to return so ... thank you. We're back.BSandTs: walked way to slow to even sweat much.AandPs: feet feel good with the boots on. A little tinge on the left big toe on down hills. Things are much improved.MandGs: not even US Air.Critter count: 1x teeny tiny toad, 1x chipmunk