Date: 2003-07-22
From: Stony Brook Shelter (1380') 

To: VT12, 
Miles today: 13.7

Aloha! You'd never guess where I'm sitting right now. Don't even try to guess; I'll just tell you. I'm actually lounging on a sofa on the second floor of an old... barn. Yep, barn. The place is actually called "The Barn". Catchy, huh. I'd love to tell you that there's some long romantic or exotic history about the place but I can't. There very well may be but since it's not listed in any of the guidebooks and I only found out about it by reading the registers and talking to a south bounder, I really couldn't guess what it may be. All I know is that it's dry, has electricity, and running water across the street. Works for me!   I imagine I should back this up and get us here before going into any more detail. Always like to tell a story from the beginning. This story begins with the rainstorm you never heard last night. It continued all night long - loud and hard.   When I awoke at 5:45 this morning I actually heard birds twittering and thought the downpour we experienced all night long had finally moved on. Wrong! Their singing was just a ruse. Within 15 minutes, during my bag stretches, the birds stopped singing and the rain began. It wasn't 15 minutes later that we were back watching it pour. It would pour, let up, fog in, let up, and pour again. This continued for hours. I was the first to leave and didn't bother to do so until 9:45. Starting out when it's raining is totally different than having it start raining after you've already started hiking. Don't ask... can't explain it.   My departure time turned out to be excellently timed. The sun peeped through somewhere around the 30 minute mark and remained out for most of the day. With the sun making its way through the trees and the trees sprit zing me just enough to keep things cool, it turned out to be a lovely hiking day after all.   The trail did its normal; it went UP and it went down. The one thing I'm not crazy about in Vermont is their need to continuously make the trail do mini roller coasters. I understand (sort of) going up to the vistas, peaks, etc. and then down to the brooks, streams, valleys, whatever but I don't understand their need for making even the flat parts roller coaster. You can't seem to get a stride going because you are constantly having to adjust for the two steps down, four steps up then 24 steps down and 3.5 steps up then 1.5 steps down (like stepping in a hole) only to start hiking 5 or 6 steps up. Any combination but always continuously. It can be downright frustrating at times. Vermont is gorgeous with wonderful trails and I rate it highly. My number one state right now actually. I'd truly love it if they'd just get rid of the bugs and roller coasters!   Besides the roller coasters the hike was quite nice. I actually took in an off peak vista or two. One of which gives the viewer one of the few views between Killington Peak and New Hampshire. The side trail actually takes you to a cabin with a steep ladder that leads to an observation deck on top. It's a privately owned cabin and the owners permit its use as a viewpoint by hikers if no one is staying in the cabin. Same goes for staying inside. I had thought about trying to make it to the cabin last night but decided against based on not knowing whether or not I could stay. Turns out I could have but you can never tell.   Finding this place wasn't as easy as I had been led to believe. How hard could it be to locate a big red barn 100 yards off the trail on the right? Harder than you'd think actually. Without signs to lead you around the back of the first barn/shed to the back side, past the electrified fence holding three large Scottish horned cattle, to the ramp leading up to the second floor landing, you get confused. I, and I understand another hiker here did the same, continued down to the next red barn based on a penciled sign that said to continue to the next barn. As I was returning to the first barn I saw two people setting up a tent in the yard across the street from "The Barn". Red Beard and Curly (northbound section hikers) had gotten permission to set up a tent behind the house next to a lovely stream vice stay in "The Barn". Definitely the smartest decision. Anyway, with their assistance I found my way to here. My sofa bed.   Joining me this evening are two sound bounders named Grambler and Three-Ounces. Say it with me - two nice young men. They've been a wealth of info for what's to come in the not so distant future. Grambler's experience on Mt Washington gives me concern but not enough to stop now. Seems he visited the top when the temperature was a mere 36 and the winds were around 60. Can you imagine what it's like in the winter!   Red Beard and Curly joined the three of us for dinner and pleasant conversation. They're section hiking a small piece of the AT leaving Red Beard with only the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine left to complete the whole trail. Excellent! I still say that section hiking is much harder than thru hiking. Anyway, nice folks and I'm glad they crossed over to "The Barn" and joined us.   Ahhh... I understand that I may have water, electricity and a couch but for the other amenities I need to hike to the woods. Joy! They're not that close and there are bulls in between. This could be fun.   With that said I'm going to go play matador and let you go do whatever it is that you do before going to bed. You sleep well and I'll see you tomorrow. I'll let you know how sleeping in a barn worked out for me. No hay?BSandTs: normalAandPs: left foot arch - same thing but actually included swelling today. Not for long though. Wierd.MandGs: baby roller coasters...waahCritter count: 1x teeny tiny toad, 4x Red Efts, 1x small toad, 3x black and tan garden snakes (approx little finger width and 18" long), and tons of moose poop (dare I think it? no, don't want to get my hopes up)