Date: 2018-06-03
From: Burlington, VT

To: Burlington, VT
Miles today: 0.0

Do you get the feeling that my thru-hike is a soap opera, and not a well-written one at that? Characters appear and disappear with regularity, and the plot has a plethora of unresolved cliffhangers. Will Willow and Sugarfoot ever get to hike together again? Did Rocky Raccoon¢s black eyes heal? Whatever happened to Baby Bird, who we left in his tent sick as a dog back in Unionville, New York?Baby Bird, who first starred as Sam, took a few zero days in Uniontown, but continued to feel sick. He went to an urgent care clinic that diagnosed either Anaplasmosis or Babesiosis, both diseases borne by our friend, the black-legged tick. The hospital confirmed the diagnosis and initiated treatment. Baby Bird is now back in Houston recovering, his thru-hike over. He hopes to hike a Southern section later this year. No one was more assiduous about wearing Permethrin-treated clothing or in doing daily tick inspections than Baby Bird.  Rocky Raccoon¢s eyes have healed, but there¢s still a bump on her nose that she¢s regarding as a badge of honor. She¢s found friends who backpack and will be in the market for a pack that actually fits her and lighter gear.  I¢m hoping that during my week off the trail, Willow will catch up and pass where I stopped at Bear Mountain. That will give me strong incentive to catch her!  The trip home yesterday was uneventful. The taxi came on time, I figured out how to use the MTA ticket machine, and enjoyed a pleasant walk from Grand Central Terminal to Penn Station, paying homage to Gertrude Stein along the way. The Amtrak Vermonter left on time, but arrived in Essex Junction one hour and 20 minutes late. A tree had fallen across the tracks. Will I ever be free of blowdowns? It was 10:30 when we arrived home, quite past my trail bedtime.When I came out of the bedroom this morning, I was blown away by the view from our condo. When I left in late April, the trees were bare. Now they are in full summer foliage. Looking over the city to Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks beyond is better than any view I¢ve had on my hike thus far. Don¢t worry, however, I¢m not clicking my ruby heels together and incanting, ¢There¢s no place like home; no place like home ¢¦¢ I have a return ticket to New York City on the Ethan Allen Express from Rutland on Friday and will start hiking again on Saturday morning. I wonder if I can cadge a whirlpool upgrade again at the Holiday Inn Express in Fort Montgomery? Maybe if Randall is on duty!I¢m making a list of things that I need to accomplish this week, including finding new lighter weight Permethrin-treated clothing or treating my own. I brought treated clothing by Ex-Officio, but I found them much to hot to wear and they only served as pack ballast. The treated Buff, on the other hand, was not only a superior sweatband but kept most of the tiny gnats away from my face. I haven¢t worn my bug net hat yet, but I¢ll continue to carry it. I look forward to washing my sleeping bag and puffy ¢ they reek!  I weighed myself this morning and have lost 17 pounds in five weeks. I knew this would be a problem for me, but I must find a solution. I¢m going to try going stoveless for the next month. I have come to loathe Knorr Sides, Ramen, and instant mashed potatoes. Also tortillas. I¢m going to carry bagels, pita, crackers, summer sausage, instant hummus and tabouli, and lots more cheese. I¢ll keep a jar of peanut butter in an external pocket on my backpack, so I can scarf down a heaping tablespoon every time I stop. I¢ll also start carrying Snickers and other calorie dense snacks.I¢ve been told that the power tool section of Big Box home improvement stores have better ear plugs than the moldable silicone ones I¢ve been using. It¢s worth a try. My second pair of shoes probably have a hundred miles left on them, but I might as well replace them now. My green Superfeet insoles are a couple of years old and are showing bad wear. I¢m sure I¢ll find other things when I open my pack and start cleaning my gear. Assuming that I¢m not rendered unconscious by the hiker stench, I¢ll evaluate all of my gear and let you know what worked well and what hasn¢t. If you¢ve ever been tempted to believe that you are closer to an angel than to beast, go on a long backpacking trip and your true nature will be revealed in all of its fetor.  I look forward to going to church this morning, and scaring the little children with my Grizzly Adams beard. I do hope that Miss Jackie is there. She will be scandalized.