Date: 2002-09-21
From: Maine

To: Finally in Massachuetts
Miles today: 15.0

September 21, 2002 Saturday 7am I am in the parking area below Harmon Hill. I didn¢t sleep too well, there was a lot of traffic but it really wasn¢t too bad. My lip was all puffed up this morning but it did quit bleeding. I put some tincture on it about 3 times last night and some iodine. So I think I will heal. But I am still dizzy. I am sure happy I got my old hip belt back on again. He was very good about it. But it seems like make a lot of mistakes but I do seem to be able to get them corrected. I get obsessed with it and then don¢t rest until I get it corrected. (I just want to add here, that like father like daughter, I am the same way. Hell hath no fury like making it right). It was kind of nerve wracking but I did get it done. I got up at 5:30 and got the cook pot going and had Hot Cocoa and Oatmeal with strawberries in it, 2 packets. And you will never believe what I ate next. I had a pop tart, ha. I get tired of those pop tarts after a few days but when I get to the store I buy more. What else is there? But I can tell you I am getting to be an expert on pop tarts. The cheap ones like the store brand, they are not the same as Kellogg¢s I can tell you that. It¢s worth it to pay another dollar that is what I am going to do next time. The sun is supposed to shine and it¢s supposed to be warm today. Be in low 80¢s and then it¢s supposed to rain all night and tomorrow. Sometimes, when you get to the close to the top of the mountain, you run into a lot of ferns. I was just thinking the other day about this lady and her son who were hiking. She said oh it¢s so pretty walking along the trail looking at those ferns and I thought you know at home all I have to do is walk 10 feet and I can see a pretty fern everyday if I want to. Ha.   I like northern Vermont much better than southern Vermont. Northern Vermont you come to the crest of hill or a mountain and you look back and you see the scenic view of the farm homes or villages and meadows and it was much more picturesque on the trail. Here it is just rocky and nasty, especially since I don¢t have my coordination, especially since my arm is bothering me, kind of like when I was an ironworker and hurt my neck. I just don¢t have it right now. Just crested Harrmon Hill and I can look back and see Bennington down below. I have to find a place to take a picture but it¢s so hazy I can hardly see the town anyway. I guess I won¢t waste a picture.    I keep slipping, I think it¢s these shoes, I just don¢t¢ think it¢s me all the time. I should just swallow hard and get a new pair of shoes/boots. I keep thinking this terrain is going to straighten out here in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Then I won¢t be on these slippery rocks all the time. I don¢t know what to do. See there is another decision; wish someone could make it for me. I always seem to make the wrong one. I know what Mary would say, she would say, GO BUY THE BOOTS. Just stopped in to the Congin Shelter just to register in and there was a couple there.   Older couple and first thing I notice is they are reading out of the bible. And they are reading the upper room, and I listened to it and I thought it was nice that they read it out loud. They weren¢t really reading loud enough for others to hear. They sort of acted like they just wanted to read for themselves. Then I thanked them for reading that. Then they started singing. Hymns. I told them I would like to find a church tomorrow if there was one near the trail. They said they were having a revival meeting in North Adams, a tent and everything, now that would be interesting to stop and see that. He said that El Toro spent the night there with them. I really regret not being in Iowa when Dale and Erlene were there. They are 2 of my most favorite people in the world. But sometimes you just can¢t do everything. I am sure they had a good time but I do miss them and regret not being able to spend time with them. Would have been a great time. I do miss them. We would have played golf and hung around and took a few road trip and here I am retired and have all the time in the world with them, but maybe I can get out there to see them soon. But it¢s too bad I couldn¢t have been there when they came back to Iowa. But I planned this trip long before I knew they were coming so that is how it goes sometimes. Its starting to cloud up and its noon and I have 3 miles to the next shelter. Don¢t know whether I will stop in there or not and then put my rain gear on and keep going. I just crossed the line into Massachusetts. It¢s 3pm. Man this was just the rock scramble from Hell from Sherman Brook. I can¢t negotiate those, I fell down and I am just getting goofy. My body just wears down and I start tripping over roots. My legs are wobbly and I stumble and trip. I decided stay in for the night at this Sherman Brook Campsite. The stand isn¢t big enough for my tent but I made do. It¢s a mile and a half from the road, last night it was pretty noisy. SO tonight should be quieter. This is Saturday night, and sometimes the kids will party at those roadside campsites. So I am choosing those not so close to the road on the weekends. So I will get up early and go to the Stop and Shop and then call Mary and see if I can talk to Brenna. Stopped in about 4:45 and there is nobody here at the campsite and it¢s pretty lonesome. But for some reason they seem to come in late at the campsites. But the hickory nuts keep falling and keep thinking someone is here and then there is no one. Crack, crack they go. We are having quite a rainstorm, can you hear it, it¢s quite storm. I hope my tent don¢t leak.