Date: 2018-07-08
From: Stratton Pond Shelter

To: VT 30/11
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

With temperatures only falling into the low 50s, I slept comfortably last night. Most of us in the full shelter were up and about by 0500. Since I slept through the night for a change, I didn¢t finish yesterday¢s journal entry until around 0600. However, I was on the trail by 0700 and it would be a relatively short walk to VT 11/30, where I would catch a ride to Manchester Center. Which Way was driving down from Burlington to meet me, but she didn¢t expect to arrive before 1PM. The trail took me back down to and around the north side of Stratton Pond. As I was approaching the pond, the caretaker was headed up. He told me that an older hiker showed up yesterday without a sleeping bag or any cold weather gear. The caretaker loaned the man a sleeping bag and his puffy jacket to stay warm through the night. However, the hiker did not return the jacket. The caretaker told me the hiker was headed northbound and asked me to keep an eye out for him. I asked him the mans name and the color of his puffy. He replied that his name was Tom and it was a blue Patagonia jacket. Then I remembered seeing Tom standing outside the shelter early this morning wearing the blue puffy. He left camp at least an hour before me, announcing to no one in particular that he had blisters and would be moving slow today. For the first six miles of the hike the trail followed a mostly gentle path over easy terrain. There were more miles of rock free and root free trail today, than in the previous 40+ miles traveled in Vermont thus far. Able to keep my head up more, I was constantly surveying my surroundings in search of wildlife. However, there was none to be seen today. So, I just took in the ocean of green that surrounded me. Since entering Vermont the trail has been passing through the Green Mountain National Forest. The Green Mountain Range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately 250 miles from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Quebec, Canada. The verdant forest of the Green Mountains is thickly covered with a variety of plants and trees. The forest floor is a conglomerate of small moss covered boulders, ferns, broad leaf plants and a variety of shrubs and tiny wildflowers. I am also seeing more mushrooms and other fungi in Vermont than any other state. There are a variety of trees. Today the forest was replete with tall Beech, Hickory, Maple, and Spruce trees. About 90 minutes into my hike I came upon a pack sitting on the side of the trail. There was a stream below the path and a hiker collecting water to filter. I thought it might be the man with the caretaker¢s puffy, so I called out, ¢Tom.¢ When Tom looked my way, I confirmed with him that he had stayed at the Stratton Pond Shelter last night. He responded in the affirmative, so I asked him if he had accidentally taken the Caretaker¢s jacket. After a pause he said that he had. I asked him to give it to me so that I could deliver it to the Green Mountains Trail Club HQs. He did. Tom seemed a bit disoriented so I asked him if he was doing okay and if he needed anything. He said he was fine, so I moved on.About six miles into the hike the trail turned onto a forest road. It followed the road for about a half mile, where the AT and a blue blaze trail intersected. I turned left on the blue blaze and hiked about 100 yards to Prospect Rock. The high ledge over the town of Manchester provided a great view of the town and Mount Equinox. Only four miles remained to VT 30/11. Although the elevation profile was still fairly flat, the terrain was a little more tedious from the first seven miles of the hike. Also, the day was warming up and I was just not feeling it today. Anyway, I crossed VT 30/11 a little after 1200. Meanwhile, Which Way was enroute from Burlington and closing in fast. The original plan was to meet her at the Green Mountain House Hostel. But, I decided that the shower would have to wait. When I got to the busy highway, I crossed the road and stuck my thumb out. About 40 cars later, a man in a truck pulled over and picked me up. I couldn¢t help but think that if WW had been with me I would have caught a ride earlier. Anyway, the friendly man named Keth gave me a ride to town, giving me a lowdown on the best eateries. Meanwhile, I was on the phone with WW, who had just arrived in town. I told her where we were going and she pulled over at a gas station to plug it into her GPS. I looked out my side window and just as a cute little gal was pulling out of a service station. It was WW. How could I miss that?!? I got on the phone and told her to follow the truck in front of her to the pizzeria. It was great to see WW and we caught up on her little excursion to Burlington as I stuffed my face with pizza. Afterward, we drove to the Green Mountain House. You may remember that we met the proprietor, Jeff, on Day 9, way back in GA. WWs knees and blisters were acting up that day, so I raced ahead to the highway to see if I could hitch a ride to the Top of Georgia Hostel. Jeff was in the area for the AT kickoff down at Amicalola Falls. He was working his way north and had stopped at the parking area and was getting ready for a day hike. Anyway, he graciously gave us a ride to the TOG and told me that he was running a hostel of his own up in Vermont. I told him we would see him there. I¢m glad we did, because he has the nicest hostel we have visited so far. Jeff, AT Class of 2006, actually lives in Cleveland. He wanted to open a hostel after his hike.Eventually he found this lovely house in Manchester Center. The rest is history. Jeff (and usually his wife Regina) come here from Cleveland four months out of the year to open the house to hikers. Jeff actually stays in a renovated barn next to the big house. It is the only hostel on the AT that I know of where the owner lives in the barn and the hikers get the house. And the hikers absolutely have run of the house here. The kitchen and living room are fully equipped and open to hikers. No additional charge for laundry, pancakes, eggs, coffee and your first soda. The freezer is stocked with pints of Ben & Jerry¢s Ice Cream for just one dollar. So many other details make this place amazing. He even had an Army flag flying for me! And WW said this if the first place we¢ve stayed that had fabric softener sheets. She loved that! Jeff has a helper named Duffy who does a great job of keeping the place spic and span clean and making sure hikers have everything they need. Jeff says this is just a hobby for him. It is certainly a labor of love.Looking forward to a ZERO in beautiful Manchester Center with with my sweet little WW tomorrow.Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 1,115Descent - 1,870Grade - 5.4Weather:Day - 83 / SunnyNight - 53 / ClearOver The Horizon: Killington Peak, VT