Date: 2010-08-04
From: Mountain Meadow Lodge

To: Winturri Shelter
Miles today: 15.9

Fell asleep early and woke up before the sun began to rise. I threw a load of wash in and hopped into the hottub. It was a little cool and some light rain was falling. I filled up on hard boiled eggs, eggo's, fruit, coffee and juice before hitting the trail. Late start. Dark clouds whirled around sometimes exposing blueness above. It was a nice temperature to hike. About 1 mile into the hike a strikingly beautiful gal come jogging up from behind me. We chatted for awhile about the trail and then she and her running partner moved on. I wondered to myself what sort of athlete she was because of her firm and toned body. They jogged for awhile before turning back this time approaching me from the opposite direction. They both stopped and we trail talked somemore. Turns out she is a ultra marathon runner and has considered doing a thru hike. I offered her my journal contact site and indicated that I would love to help in any way I could. Her name was Shannon and she and Dave were off running once again. Ultra marathoners often run races from 50 to 100 miles. They all seem to do very well as thru hikers. The heat and humidity has been over the top. All the weight I had gained in Rhode Island has dripped off of me in buckets. My clothes stay soaking wet all day in sweat. The hills are beginning to round out again but the steepness keeps on coming. I heard from Bennie aka Batteries Not Included aka BNI and he has left the trail. He had about a 2 day lead on me when he reached Killington. He had been dealing with some feet blisters from the start and near the top he pulled a muscle. The next day he limped down into Rutland to lick his wounds. After some contemplating he decided to take the next Amtrak into New York City. He has a cousin there and was hoping to make a stop there. He said he had fun and is still having the time of his life. I've been running into alot of SOBO. Lately. What they have so far accomplished on the trail is all we have left. All the NOBO's I meet now are completely new to me and nobody knows any of the hikers I new of before I left the trail for my break. There is a enhanced level of acceptance from the NOBO's that I now run into. I talked of the comraderie that occurs overtime. Now that we have all made it this far the connectedness is immediate. Tonight there were 8 hikers camping out in and around the shelter. Only 2 hikers knew each other everyone else was a new face. Talk happens as it does out here and before long everyone was in shock that here we all were, have been for the last 5 months and we never bumped into each other. There was this feeling of togetherness that's hard to explain. Like soldiers arriving one by one coming off the battlefield beaten and battered but nonetheless comforted by the survivors still hanging tough. Commonly people will comment on the Victory of this hike to be just around the corner. Almost like it is guaranteed. Not so. Many hikers that I am running into now are having a tough time of it. They are in a state of exhaustion both mentally and physically as I was. The last 500 miles is not going to be a picnic and we are all approaching it cautiously.