Date: 2006-09-15
From: Mrs Gorp's Home - US 4, VT

To: 1/2 mile S of Governor Clement Shelter, VT
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Mrs Gorp's Home I didn't sleep very well last night...go figure, my first night in a nice indoor bed and I tossed and turned all night. I woke up about 6am, but didn't hear any noise downstairs, so I just stayed in bed for a while. I heard someone in the kitchen about 40 minutes later and went down to see Mrs Gorp making a pot of coffee. :-))) I talked for a few minutes, but went back upstairs and cleaned up some of my mess, then went back downstairs when I smelled bacon cooking. :-))) Larry was up when I went back downstairs and we all had blueberry pancakes, eggs, fruit and coffee. The rain is on it's way out and it's going to be a good day for a walk. Mrs Gorp loaned me a fanny pack and after I loaded it up, she drove me back to the Rt 4 trailhead and dropped me off. I started climbing the long, but not too steep climb up to Killington Peak. It's about 6 miles of up all together, but there's some flat walking thrown in and it's only about a 2,000 foot climb. A little breeze was stirring when I started and I caught a leaf right off to bring my count to 4, but the breeze died down and that ended up being my only leaf catch of the day. :-((( Just a few more days and I'll let anyone into the game who wants to try and catch more leaves than me. Ha!!! The Trail was still very wet from the rain. I was moving right along and feeling pretty good without a pack on my back. Even though I was wet, tired and dirty when I got to Mrs Gorp's yesterday, I felt great today and my heel didn't feel too bad. I was moving up the mountain, passed by the side trail to Churchill Scott Shelter without stopping, then walked by the Sherburne Pass Trail. It seems that I scare up a grouse or two just about everyday and today was no exception. They really give you a start when you're walking along with your thoughts and all of a sudden, a large bird takes to flight right next to you. :-))) I got to Cooper Lodge and walked inside. It's a shelter, so I'm not sure why they don't call it Cooper Shelter. There were three hikers there. I said hello and started signing the register. When the one guy saw me sticking in a couple smiley face stickers, he asked me what my trail name was. I told him I was Stumpknocker and he said he knew it was me when he saw the stickers. He's been reading my journal for some time now. :-))) I started talking to him and his wife and found out their names are Mark and Debbie from NH. They have backpacked for years from the sounds of it and was telling me about a part of the ADT that they had done. I said goodbye and started heading down the south side of the mountain because Mrs Gorp was going to pick me up just past Governor Clements Shelter in less than 2 hours. It's a much steeper part of the mountain on this side, so I had to go slower because of the wet rocks and roots. I passed by a spring, then thought about it and came back to get some water. I just couldn't pass that spring without drinking some of the cool water. I got down near Governor Clements Shelter and saw Mrs Gorp already there waiting on me. She had a Coke and a delicious roast beef sandwich!! The kindness never stops....Thank you so much Mrs Gorp. That was an unexpected treat. :-))) We walked back out to her car after I ate, then she drove me over to The Secret Shelter. It was a good secret because I've never heard of it in all the times I've been through here. We walked up to the shelter and Riverdog came down to greet us. He and Mrs Gorp knew each other already. We talked about 30 minutes before Mrs Gorp and I left. She drove me back to her house through the scenic country back-roads of Vermont. It sure is a beautiful area. I took a shower when we got back, then checked my email and before long, Larry called up to me that dinner was ready. Mrs Gorp had already put together a delicious baked pasta dinner complete with fresh bread and another very good salad....topped off of course with brownies, Cherry Garcia ice cream, chocolate syrup and whipped cream. :-))) I helped with the dishes....it's easy when you have a dishwasher to stick the dirty dishes in, then went in a sat down in the living room and talked with Larry and watched a little TV. I'm going to bed tonight as a well satisfied hiker. :-)))