Date: 2017-07-16
From: hwy 11/30 and Manchester Center

To: Manchester Center 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

AGD and IMFMaybe I¢ll leave today¢s entry at that.But come on, Scout, how about some details?Let¢s start with Jeff, my host. The Green Mountain House is a regular house, contemporary and quite nice, decked out with everything a hiker might want, a truly well-equipped kitchen, down to the varied and generous spice rack, a computer, guitar, spacious living room, q-tips, razors, Epsom salts and a bucket to soak your feet in the salts as I did today.  Here's Jeff: http://www.trailjournals.com/j...¢Scout, did you know I started this AT hostel because of the PCT?¢Huh? Did I hear that right? I started taking notes as I settled into the sofa in my bedroom for three. (Yes, I said sofa.) ¢I stayed with Bob Riess in San Diego in 2006 and he drove me out to start the PCT. And yes, Bob¢s driving was dang scary. Some say it¢s the most scared they ever were for the entire trail. For Jeff it was only second scariest.It was a big snow year. On Fulkler Ridge in the San Jacinntos, 180 miles up the trail he got lost in deep snow above 8,000 feet. ¢I thought about John Donovan who got lost in the snow here the year before. And died.¢ Jeff wandered for four hours. Way scarier that Bob¢s driving. Then he got lucky. He stumbled upon Trauma, Justin Lichter, who knew where they were and guided Jeff out. Two years ago, Trauma and his buddy Pepper did the first-ever winter transit of the PCT. Jeff was lucky indeed. Jeff went home. He couldn¢t bring himself to tell his wife. He was a very experienced hiker and this had spooked him to the core. When he finally told her, she mulled it over for days, if not weeks. Her response, he says, was to suggest, ¢Why don¢t you consider operating an AT hostel. He did and I¢m here.What was she thinking? Jeff says that she knew the AT hostel season would smack dab overlap the PCT hiking season. It would forever keep Jeff off Fuller Ridge.All to the benefit of myself and other AT hikers.Why¢d I run that photo at the top? Jeff and I had one more thing in common (Frodo: Ummm¢¦ you haven¢t really told us the first thing you had in common.) Philmont Scout Ranch, the premier Scouting experience in this country. That¢s the Philmont Bull. When I say Jeff was experienced, he was a Philmont Ranger in the ¢70s, the elite of backpacking staff. http://www.trailjournals.com/j...And Jeff¢s a trail angel, too. When it came time to settle up this evening for a two-night stay ($35 per night, no charge for laundry or the shuttle to the trailhead; a bargain), Jeff surprised me. As I pulled out my wallet, he said, ¢So what do you and Frodo say to PCT folks who try to pay you when you host them?¢ I told him, ¢We tell them to put away their wallets.¢ Then he looked me in the eye and gave a slight nod of the head. I was to put my wallet back in my pocket, too. I¢m all the way across the country, he was never in our San Diego home; boy, do I feel warm and cared for. AGD.And then this evening, Dot, Franky, and Bucky hit town. I¢d texted them this morning, ¢I have something I¢d like to talk to you about in person."  It¢s been a week to the day since we had dinner together at Andy and Annabelle¢s. Dot said they were guessing, speculating all day. Was it good? Bad? I did surprise them. Or rather, Frodo and I did, because Frodo was the prime mover. Dot had guessed a piece of it. And as I surprised them, I¢m going to surprise you. You¢ll see over the next two weeks.No, Princess Jessica, not even you can force it out of me. Not even if you threaten me with the dungeon.But if Reuben Scout asked me real nice. No, that¢s not fair to send in an adorable six year old¢¦Early tomorrow, back on the trail. On Wednesday Dot, Franky, and Buck plan to meet we at highway 9 and we¢ll start hiking around each other. LIG (Life is good!) A convivial dinner group: http://www.trailjournals.com/j... Dot and her resupply: http://www.trailjournals.com/j...From our son Sean: Mayda (his wife) looked at your moth photo from the trailjournal (http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/photos/21828/1117972) and identified them as Hyalophora cecropia, a type of Giant Silk Moth. She's jealous that you got to see some!