Date: 2009-08-25
From: Sherman Brook Campsite

To: Congdon Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: few clouds

What a fantastic day. I managed to stretch things out over 12 glorious hours: making a few miles, taking lots of rests, enjoying some decent views, soaking up the wonderful weather, reading, writing, speaking to some real nice folk, even crossing over into a new state.And it all started innocently enough with a steady tramp up through a not insignificant boulder field. I'd be lying if I said there was much spring in my step these days but the boulders were a nice change from all the muddy trail I have been encountering recently, and if not quite springy, my tempo did seem a little more sprightly than normal. Of course, we have encountered boulders before and I dare say there will be a few more during the trail ahead but as boulders go I had to think that these weren't too bad.I took a break for breakfast and then, once on my feet again, crossed into Vermont. The 90 miles of Massachusetts were behind me, only three more states lay ahead.This was Long Trail territory. For the first 100 miles or so of Vermont the Appalachian Trail is the Long Trail and the Long Trail is the Appalachian Trail, all of which results in a fairly heavily used section of trail; a section of trail where the impact of all those people, all those boots and all these weary footsteps manifests itself in all this mud.Popping in by Seth Warner shelter for water and to scribble a few pages of journals I bumped into Nate and Amanda; two exceptionally charming people just starting out on their Long Trail hike. It wasn't late, but it certainly wasn't early and it was apparent that they were in no hurry, easing themselves gently into their daily routine by enjoying a late breakfast and the warm mid morning sun. Life was treating them well and when they finally did set out I stayed behind to write my journal.With only 12 miles planned today I reckoned it should be a nice relaxing day - maybe 6 hours for actual hiking and another 6 hours worth of anything but hiking, and as I have been falling behind with my journalling it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do a bit of catching up. I like journalling but the funny thing is they don't write themselves. Sometimes just sitting doing nothing seems like a better way to spend my time. Today, though, I reckoned I would have time for both.I wandered from one beaver pond to another, stopping where the ground was soft, the shade was plentiful and the views were rewarding. I took off my shoes, I read and indeed wrote some of those promised entiries. I continued on and met Jeff, stopping for a superb chat about America, its people, its history and its place in the world. We covered a lot of ground (both good and bad) and I was a little sad that we were not going in the same direction, and that our destination was not a small Inn where we could have continued our discussion over the occasional flagon of foaming ale. But that was not the way of things, he continued south while I wandered on passed another beaver pond, this time with an obvious lodge or wood pile rising out of the lake.The day was wearing on and I was keen for one last push to the shelter, a push that was intended to leave me enough time to settle down once again with my journal, but as I walked along by a river I realised that this would be just as good a spot (no, better) for a spot of journalling. Indeed why not take a weight off and have a spot of dinner while I was at it; and this new book really is quite fine, maybe just a chapter (or two) seeing as I have my shoes off. And so another hour and a half slipped past in peaceful repose.Eventually I did stroll those remaining yards to the shelter where I found a family of four and Kate with her ukulele. Strange sort of instrument a ukulele (or at least I think so) but it was a smashing accompaniment to Kate's great voice. She played quietly at the back of the shelter, Joni Mitchell I'm sure, Carey I think. The rest of us went about our business, but quietly so, not wishing to drown out this unexpected gift.I headed off to my tent and turned in for the night and as I did so I was thinking that I knew some people (OK, one person) who seems to think that Vermont is the best place in the whole wide world and that, perhaps, on this showing they might just be onto something.