Date: 2014-08-05
From: Danby-Landgrove Road (mile 1664.8)

To: VT 103 - Yellow Deli Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

There are pros and cons to slack packing. Today was no exception. I hated to leave Green Mountain House Hiker Hostel this morning. It is the closet I've felt to being at home on the trail. Jeff, thank you so much for your hospitality and flexibility. This hostel should be a must stay for any thru-hiker. Kozi's Mom, Wanda, graciously offered to slack us again today and the plan was that she would meet us at a road crossing 8.5 miles up the trail and give us our packs and we would hike on to the next shelter. There was an early complication, however, an everyday occurrence out here it seems anytime you try to make plans with a group of hikers. Kozi's phone died, so instead of slacking with us, she and her Mom were going to drive to the nearest Apple Store in Albany, NY while I Believe, Longbow, Owl Bear, Ghost, Little Spoon, Bison and I slacked. We would likely get to the road before they got back, but I was happy to wait, appreciative of Wanda's trail magic. Bison was on the phone with Kozi when I got to the road before 2:00, and it was going to be another hour and a half or so before they would get back from Albany. Wanda offered to meet us at the next road crossing another 6.3 miles ahead so we didn't have to sit and wait. For I Believe and me, that was past the shelter we'd planned to stop at for the night, but the majority ruled, and hike on to the next road we did. It had been a beautiful day, but as is the usual case this time of year, there was a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. We listened to thunder for probably and hour before it became clear, it was headed our way. I Believe and I made it to the shelter where we'd originally planned to spend the night minutes before it started to rain. We waited for about 45 minutes for the rain to let up. Had we not slacked, we'd have had all our gear and could have just stayed there. It was still raining, but we needed to get going to meet Wanda who still had to drive back to ME after giving us our packs. It rained most of the next 2.7 miles to the road. I Believe fell on a slippery rock and got a small cut close to her eye. I had my first aid kit in my slack pack and Wanda, an RN no less, cleaned up the wound once we made it to the road. It was one mile to the next shelter, but it was going to be a steep, rocky ascent and descent, and I Believe and I had already decided we would not climb on wet rocks with tired legs at the end of the day. Kozi had already called The Yellow Deli Hiker Hostel in Rutland by the time we'd reached the road, and the hostel had room for the five of us who opted to stay there, rather than hike the mile over the wet rocks to the shelter.So, tonight I am spending a forth night in a row at a hostel. I'm here with Kozi, I Believe, Owl Bear and Bison. Had I not slacked and carried my pack, I could have stayed at that last shelter and stayed dry. But wait a minute. If I'd carried my pack all day, I would have walked more slowly, not made it to the planned shelter stop before it started to rain, and gotten wet anyway. Had we not slacked, I Believe wouldn't have had the opportunity to come to the hostel and get cleaned up after her fall. Wanda and Kozi, thank you so much for slacking us 14.8 miles today. It is always faster and easier on the body to hike without all that weight. To slack or not to slack. There are pros and cons,,,,