Date: 2002-09-13
From: Maine

To: Sherberne Pass Vermont
Miles today: 17.0

Friday, September 13, 20026:45 am - Day 38I am on the trail, and last night I pitched my tent inside the shelter. It¢s a freestanding tent so I thought, what the heck, pitch it right in here. It was pretty nice and there was one other guy in the shelter and he didn¢t take up much room.   Squeaky, he is the one that I met last night and he will be getting off the trail soon. Nice morning so far, kind of cool but starting right out with a climb. Was a beautiful sunrise this morning and I woke up the sound of the cow¢s mooing. There must be a dairy farm or some kid of cattle farm nearby.   I just saw an animal, a dear, crap you see those in Iowa everyday, probably five times a day. I am now sitting here beside the road and there is a grocery store, general store, country store that has all kinds of stuff just down the road a mile. Trying to decide on whether to go have a cup of coffee or not. I think I won¢t. I think I will just go on, unless somebody stops and gives me a ride. I will sit here just a little bit and then take off. I have been thinking a lot this morning about why I am doing this. I talked to a lot of other hikers on the trail and they go through the same thing. You just walk and walk and walk and you have to have your head down all the time so you don¢t slip and fall on rocks and roots. Then pretty soon you start saying to yourself. Why am I here? Why? And then I think why do people Climb Mountains? Why do they cross the ocean? Why do they do the things that they do? It¢s because it¢s there; it¢s a challenge. I guess it¢s also part ego. I don¢t know the real statistics on the AT but they say 2500 start from the south and only 300 finish and from the north 500 start and not sure how many finish, will look that up. Don¢t want to be quoted or give out misinformation on any of this. I stopped and went up this road and I could hear these guinea hens. It¢s about 800 feet and it¢s a country inn, a bed and breakfast place. I walked up here and there were all these guinea¢s. I hadn¢t seen guineas since my grandpa and Grandma Reed had them out on the farm. They were good watchdogs. Boy they really raised a ruckus when I walked up here. They really made racket. I was gonna get a cup of coffee and the innkeeper said she threw it all away. So I am heading on. I do like the women in southern New Hampshire and Vermont. They call everyone dear. Just ran into a north bounder called !funkyavocado (Funky Avocado).   He is from Connecticut, only second north bounder I have seen in 2 days. Just met another North bounder named Clint and he is meeting up with Funky Avocado. Clint is from Champagne, Illinois. I ask Clint how Funky Avocado got his name and he said, well he loves avodado¢s and he ate one on the trail and he was going on and it didn¢t agree with him. It went right through him and he had to poop. He got off the trail and he started pooping and here comes this family along and it kind of grossed them out. So they called him Funky Avocado from then on. The trail here is sure funny in this part of Vermont. Up and down, up and down, you got to go clear up on the ridge and then across then you come to a road, there are so many roads.   Then you go up again, across a ridge and then to another road, a constant up and down but it¢s not too bad. I met a friendly young couple just the other side of Woodstock road, here in Vermont and they had their 2 dogs with them. They were just out for a walk in the woods. They were very nice people and those dogs were having a great time. Met Mushrooms, from Seattle, north bounder thru-hiker. Got his name because has taken over 500 pictures mushrooms and he puts them on the internet. http://home.attbi.com/tildymschnieder/LorenAT/. (I tried this website and it won¢t come up) will look for it.   He is right, I never did mention the mushrooms but they are just gorgeous and so many different colors, they remind of the colors that¢s on teletubbies. Just bright and some of them even look like teletubbies.   I don¢t know if I mentioned it before but I have been so tired the last few days. I go uphill and I just struggle, I don¢t understand.   Vermont is tougher than the whites, or it could be just me but I am ready to quit and it¢s only 2 in the afternoon. I am almost ready to stop at the next shelter and make it a day. My legs feel shot and fatigued. I finally stopped for the night about 6 and found a camp spot by a stream. There is road here, and I can hear people.   Couple of other section hikers came by and it was about a quarter after 6 and they are going to try to make it to the next shelter north and they probably wont¢ make it. I fixed my supper. Macaroni and cheese, hot cocoa and pita bread with peanut butter and for dessert I will have a pop tart with peanut butter.   Today I made a little over 17 miles. That is pretty good for all the ups and downs.   474 miles on day 38. I am really feeling burned out tonight.   I didn¢t rest much in Hanover and should have relaxed. I have a notion to get cheap motel in some near town in the next few days and just sit there and relax and take it easy. Watch TV and take 3 or more shows and just relax.