Date: 2013-08-03
From: VT-140 Wallingford, VT

To: Green Mt House, Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 26.0

The Florida Flip Floppers did a quick flop. In the morning, we Got a ride 26 miles up the trail to Wallingford. We then slack packed south, back to the Green Mt Inn Hostel for another great night. Stopped in town to get ingredients so Badunker could bake a cake for all. It was the first cake baked there. We just want to really thank Jeff for providing such a beautifully decorated and stocked home away from home. He has thought of everything...razors, shampoos,soaps and creams. The kitchen is fully stocked with lots of drinks, Ben and Jerry's ice cream and breakfast foods. I cannot stress enough how great this place is!!!! A MUST stay on the AT! Also Badonkadonk retired her boots there. Maybe Blueberry will post a photo of the retired boots. As per SnakeEyes suggestion we got Badonkadonk ankle boots by Salomon because she is always rolling her ankles...at least once a day. We hiked our biggest mileage, even running at times. Badonkadonk said these boots are awesome and give her support and confidence. Cub and I are now supergluing our Keen boots. The mud and rocks are destroying them. Though they are super comfortable they are not durable. Kinda bummed today. I think leaving the comfort and good feelings of the Green Mountain House is hard and makes me yearn for the comforts of home. While we were there I decided to check out the crunch sound in my backpack. I found all three of our back supports shattered. It must be a design flaw in Granite Gear or a inferior plastic because they all broke in the same spots. I'm worried about our backs, especially Cub's since she is still growing. I also bought Boots, Whoops, and Blueberry the same packs. That's almost $1,000 in backpacks. Also Cub's hiking pole broke today. It was a $15 Walmart pole and held up better than a pair of Mountain Smith poles Boots has that broke in a week. Cub's lasted 2 1/2 months and would probably have been fine if we hadn't had to loosened them to collapse them for a car ride. I also had to get Badonkadonk a new sleeping bag because she is freezing. Her last one was rated down to 45 degrees! Floridian! My advice to potential hikers is to save some $ because you will modify and buy new gear as you go. What works for one section doesn't always for another. Of course walking through 14 states gives one many different situations, temperatures, etc. We did beat our daily miles record yesterday and we did it in record time. We walked and jogged 26.1 miles in 10 hours. That included stopping and making lunch at a tiny shelter, Big Branch, that is perched right above a rolling river. We met some nice Long Trail hikers. We are now walking part of the trail with Long Trail hikers. The Long Trail starts at the Mass-Vermont border and winds its way through Vermont to the Canadian border. This trail was the inspiration for the Appalachian Trail. It's around 273 miles and coincides with the AT for 100 miles. We'd highly recommend it to anyone that doesn't want to do the 2184 of the AT. Our hike today was fun because we walked from the north to the south. We met around 40 hikers, many who we know and hadn't seen in a while because they were right ahead of us. At first they'd look confused and tell us we were going the wrong way. Then they'd realize we were slack packing and congratulate us and cheer us on. We were elated when we got done, celebrating by eating a lot of food in Manchester Center. I've put it off long enough. Must go hike. It looks like the rain clouds and sun are fighting. Pray the sun wins. We are done with being cold and wet. The girls are eager to get to Katahdin. We can feel the other hikers anticipation and glee. It will be hard to flip but then we will pick up on the SOBOs' happy energy and also know we are hiking home.Many, many thanks to all the people who have and are commenting on our journal. We eagerly get up and check for phone service. If we have it, the first thing we do is check the comments. LOTF you really pump us up with your encouragement, as do all of our friends and family. Those of you who don't know us thanks for reading. If I can answer any specific questions please ask away. I love hearing from you parents that want to do this whit your kids! Do it! My kids are loving this. We are a real functioning team, each helping the other, learning from each other and making memories and stories for a life time. This experience is beyond words and priceless. You will not regret it, no matter how many miles you complete. Thanks everyone!