Date: 2012-11-11
From: Wintturi Shelter

To: approx. 0.2 miles east of Wintturi Shelter
Miles today: 0.2

At about 5:30 am this morning I had to answer a call of nature in the darkness. It was 35 degrees out side of my tent in the shelter. With the aid of my flashlite I was able to locate the privy. After leaving the privy, I became disoriented and could not find the shelter. Eventually after wandering in the dark for a few minutes I located some blue blazes which eventually led me back to the shelter. Great start to the day!I had a more efficient morning and was packed and out of the shelter by 6:55 am. However, after a few steps I felt a fewrain drops. Drat! I went back to the shelter and put on my pack cover, but decided it was not raining heavy enough to find my rain jacket in my pack. The blue blazed side trail led me back to the Trail. By this time the drizzle stopped. I decided to keep the pack cover. It's orange and might give the hunters a better target. After about ten minutes on the Trail, I lost track of the blazes again. I tried to find evidence of the Trail, starting at the last blaze I saw. I was on a down slope and I walked back and forth looking for either the blazes or evidence of the Trail. However, it was to no avail. Where in Blazes are the Blazes?After ten or fifteen minutes, I decided it was time to find a way to the nearest road while I still had some idea where I was. Otherwise if I guessed at the Trail location, I could become hopelessly lost. After consulting the map, I decided to head southeast as a dirt road was in that direction. I followed a little valley downhill and eventually came to a wide grassy trail (or perhaps it was a narrow grassy road). I continued to follow this trail/road until it came to a junction with a recently graded gravel road. After consulting the map I decided to follow this newly graded road, as I believed it would lead me to Bridgewater Road, which in turn would lead to Vermont Route 12. I followed this road downhill and eventually came to a cluster of farm buildings. I continued to follow this road downhill southeasterly. While I wasn¢t quite sure where I was, it was easy walking. (photos 146,147) It remained me of that famous Italian airline pilot who announced ¢We may be hopelessly lost, but we¢re making good time.¢Soon I came to an intersection with a much better gravel road. (photo 148) There was a sign at the intersection reading ¢Wayside Road Extension¢. While it was not Bridgewater Road, as I had anticipated, Wayside Road was clearly indicated on my map and would lead to Vermont Route 12. I reached Route 12 at 8:30 am. I had been ¢lost¢ for about an hour and a half.   At the intersection I put my pack down and prepared to hitch a ride into Woodstock, Vermont, a distance of about six miles. Almost immediately a man rounded the corner and stopped to offer me a ride. He was the first person I met since I left Rocky at the start of my hike. He was a nice, native Vermonter, and had the junkiest car I ever saw. I could not get my pack in the trunk as it was too full as was the back seat. I rode with my pack on my lap into Woodstock. In Woodstock I looked for a pay phone to call Rocky to pick me up. I ended up going to the very swanky Woodstock Inn and the staff was very helpful in placing my calls. Unfortunately I couldn¢t get Rocky on the cell phone and it turned out I had the wrong number for my own house phone. Finally I was able to contact Dottie, a friend of ours and she relayed the message to Rocky. I went to the Village Green to wait for Rocky. Waiting on the Village Green was actually quite pleasant. (photos 149, 150, 151) It had become a cool, crystal clear morning. While I waited, two parades passed by. First, the Woodstock High School football team paraded by as they had just won the state championship. Later a parade of veterans marched past the Green. (photo 152) They had a memorial service by the by the Court House. I joined them in singing the Marines Hymn. Eventually Rocky came by and we headed home.Thus ended another of my abbreviated hikes on the Appalachian Trail after barely seventeen miles. With 170 miles to go to Gorham, NH, I have now have finally gone over 2000 miles on the AT. For now I look forward to completing those miles with Rocky next year.We enter a few photos from this hike in a week or two.Swamp Fox