Date: 2007-07-25
From: Bennington, VT

To: Story Spring Shelter, VT
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

I headed for the diner again this morning for their blueberry pancakes and real Vermont maple syrup. I have found it strange that restaurants here charge an additional buck and a quarter for a thimble-sized portion of real maple syrup instead of regular pancake syrup - if you request the real stuff. You wouldn't visit Florida only to be served Tang unless you spend extra for real orange juice. Hmmm.After breakfast, I asked for a ride back to the Trail from an elderly customer who was headed in that direction. That was easy. I didn't even need to hitchhike and wait with uncertainty. Much to my surprise, this gentleman had a knack for driving much like Mr. Magoo, the cartoon character from the 1970s. I was even more shocked when he literally stopped his truck in the middle of a fifty-five mile per hour highway to let me off. I'd have to say that a hazard of hiking the Trail would be hiker/automobile incidents - especially when you have to cross a busy highway in order to continue hiking on the opposite side of the road. A few minutes after the driver dropped me off, I found myself back at the same location where, two days before, I felt like I could not go on hiking. Today, when I reached that same point, I felt that same barrier or glass wall. I stood there for a minute wondering what to do. I repeatedly looked up the side of the mountain ahead of me and then looked down the hill over my right shoulder to the roadway below, wondering what to do. I took a deep breath, exhaled, and swallowed that nervous feeling of having a lump in your throat. From that point, I slowly continued forward. It was very difficult. I had the strength to continue (somewhat), but my desire to hike was nearly non-existent and that definitely contributed to my lack of physical strength.By the end of the day, I did accomplish more than I expected to. Nineteen miles is a lot of hiking. I spent some time hiking with a couple from northern Virginia with the trail names of Trail Dancer and Willie Goat. There's no doubt that their company helped me along today even though I was only with them for a few miles before they had to stop. These two hikers have been dating for a while and started hiking from Georgia about four months ago. If they can remain partners for this long on the Appalachian "Trial," then they'll probably have a long-lasting relationship.There was little else to write about today. Vermont has very few viewpoints. There has been a lot of "evidence" left on the trail by moose, but nobody has seen one, yet. It smells a lot like Christmas trees around here. The large rocks are covered with thick, green moss. Cold water is plentiful (relative to PA, NY, and NJ) and streams cross the trail frequently. Thick, black mud is everywhere. You'll step in it with your shoes, when you can't avoid it, then your shoes will sink in it up to your ankle, next the thickness of the mud will create a suction that will nearly pull your shoe off as you take your next step. The southbounders (sobos) who started in Maine two months ago are converging with the northbounders (nobos) Vermont. It is very helpful to exchange information with them about what lies ahead in both directions. There seems to be something different between the nobos and sobos, in my opinion. I can't quite find the words or thoughts that would clearly express the differences between the two groups. I found that the sobos were less likely to always call themselves by a trail name. They've had a different experience, so far, coming through the most difficult and strenuous part of the Trail. I've heard or, perhaps, read that at this point in the Trail, nobos have done almost eighty percent of the Trail, but only about twenty percent of the work. I really wish I could pinpoint how nobos and sobos are different, it is neither a good nor bad difference, but it is there. I guess that will remain unexplored for now. In and around the shelter area: Caveman (sobo), Stoker (sobo), Salty Dog (sobo), Wingheart, BooBoo (2007/f), Castanettes, Trail Dancer, Willie Goat, Melatonin, Jolly Green, and Tootles.