Date: 2016-09-05
From: US 4 NE of Rutland VT

To: VT 12 / Barnard Gulf Rd
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: clear sky

Updated & Revised EditionHappy Labor Day! US 4 to VT12/Barnard Rd for 23.7 milesI've been thinking about a trail name for Shawn. I really think Animal is appropriate!! He's keeping up with his dad and doing big miles. I believe today will make 3 or 4 Twenty Plus days. My cousin Nancy said that the Tour D'France guys were Animals, when we drove through the super high mountains and part of the race area. So...that's what made me think of this name for Shawn. No longer being passed by over weight grandma's, but coming into his own & doing it!! Becoming a hiker! Still struggling to breath on the ups, but doing great!Yesterday they ran into a hiker that personally knows one of our TJ readers and he writes his own blog, Rowdy! She even wanted a picture of Big & Animal, as she read about our accident & falling on his blog and was excited to tell Rowdy she met us, or at least one of the Peas!!Today they will summit Quimby Mountain at 2515 feet. Hopefully they make good time today so they can get ice cream at On The Edge Farm. They close at 5:30pm. Good motivation to hike at good pace. The farm is .2 west off the trail and Animal said "just get the ice cream for us, I don't care if it's melted!" I arrived at the meeting spot at about 11. Passed the parking spot & ended up at The Edge Farm store. I bought a pack of bacon for morning, homemade garlic/parm sausage and an apple crisp pie. Back to the parking spot....no space left!! Back to the store! She suggested hiker friendly, Daniel's barn/hostel adjacent the trail head & filled parking spot. White pickup in drive, score, he's home! Love to have us, suggested I leave Big a note to come here, even though its almost within sight. The barn is but not ours truck. Daniel said its by donation, there's an outside shower & we can put a tent up in the barn!... Nice! Oliver & I walked to leave a note, it's less than .1 of mile. Oliver, I mean Pumpkin, and I met Foxy a NOBO when we were leaving the note for Big. He went straight to the store for ice cream. We also met Scooch a FF from NH, she's hiking with broken arm, she got while hiking AT. She bunked at Daniel's barn last night. He must have had a lot of hikers, because he mowed a big patch of tall grass down, next to the barn! Flat & tent perfect! Oliver met cows for the first time! He was very apprehensive, but the girls were very inquisitive & he settled a lil bit...but stil not thrilled! Did i also mention that Oliver didn't want to walk up the stairs at Yellow Deli. He is a FL flatlander & it was a full flight up & I don't think he ever encountered a stairwell.I keep forgetting to mention how extremely blessed we've been with beautiful weather! God is certainly smiling upon us with sun and puffy white clouds speckled here & there!I've been thinking about Shawn's trail name....maybe even Beast, instead of Animal. I'll run it by him tonight. Big Cypress thinks it should be 580, since hes hiking 582 miles.They arrived at 530pm. Well Big did and shawn was half hour behind.We visited with Crash Pad & his wife (forgot name), they are hiking with Ontario & a big group. Critter Report:I saw a Ruby Throat hummingbird, and a Eastern Wood-Pewee fly catcher, Blue Jays and a Woodpecker knocking on a tree.