Date: 2011-07-17
From: (100) Wilbur Clearing Shelter

To: (101) Bennington Vermont and The Vortex
Miles today: 21.5

My bug netting contraption worked like a charm, and as a result I awoke well rested. Portrait and I packed and then hiked out together, the first that I have hiked with someone in ages. Around 7am we reached a road and decided to walk down it into the town of Williamstown, where there was supposed to be a retro-themed diner. We traveled most of the distance on foot, then caught a ride for the remaining half mile or so (We had never even stuck our thumbs up to hitch; the guy had pulled over on his own).Inside the diner we ate breakfast until we were bursting at the seams. Near us sat another group of hikers of around my age, and they told us that a few days ago they had been in Virginia, but because school was starting soon they had ¢Yellow Blazed¢ (the act of following the yellow lines of a road, as opposed to the white blazes of the AT or blue blazes of alternative trails) to New York so that they could finish their adventure in Maine instead of the middle of nowhere. I can¢t imagine, after months in the wilderness, returning directly to class, dorms, studying, and walking through crowds of people who look at you indifferently without a clue of what you just went through. I imagine them trying to pick up as though nothing had happened, returning to their old patterns and routine as they rise up to the responsibilities of school, only to one day feel the pain of a blister scab that hadn¢t quite healed and be reminded that, ¢Oh yeah, two weeks ago I was in Vermont collecting firewood and boiling rice¢¦that was crazy! But enough of that, these differential equations aren¢t going to solve themselves¢¦¢ Portrait and I left, and were going to try and hitch until we saw a Dunkin Donuts. Knowing that we would not find such delicacies on the trail, we went in for desert and I go a Boston Cr me. Outside again, we tried to hitch but the populated Northern states are less trusting then the south, so we were not having any luck (It is common knowledge on the trail that the more populated/higher income the area, the less trusting the people. In small town areas like the south everyone is more laid back, and a hitch hiker is much less likely to be viewed as a potential serial killer). Then, when we were about to give up, a truck pulled over to pick us up, and already in the back of it were the hikers we had met at the diner. We squeezed ourselves in with them, and enjoyed a breezy ride back.Upon returning to the trail, Portrait and I began a long ascent up a mountain in the 92 degree weather (We were in the middle of a regional heat wave). My stomach began to do back flips as I exerted myself, and I was soon forced to take a break less I should throw up. Portrait described my situation the best when he said that I¢d, ¢Had one too many Boston Cr mes¢. I ended up spreading out my sleeping pad and lying on it for nearly half an hour, while Portrait typed a journal on his kindle telling of how many times he had seen me lying face down in the dirt after eating too much. I¢d lost count myself, which is sad.Resuming our hike, we climbed one last ¢up¢ and reached the summit. Shortly after this we arrived at a sign announcing our entrance into Vermont and the ¢Long Trail¢. We had reached yet another state! (The Long Trail adjoins the AT for 105 miles before breaking off again, it was the first of all long distance hiking trails in America, hence its clever name).For the rest of the day Portrait and I hiked together, stopping occasionally to rest or for water, and eating lunch at a shelter with several other hikers including ¢The Caped Crusader¢ (he likes Batman), and a brother and sister pair. Eventually we arrived at our last shelter, a small structure with only a small clearing for tenting. While Portrait read the shelter log, I opened my guide up and read about the next town, Bennington VT. At the same time that I saw it held a movie theatre, Portrait read a hiker entry about a free hostel called ¢The Vortex¢. The Vortex is not listed in any books, and therefore is only known by word of mouth and trail log entries, but it sounded like a great place, and who doesn¢t like sleeping in a small barn? Needless to say, (But I will Anyway) we decided to go. A few miles later we reached the road into town and were able to hitch in (after several eager waves of our thumbs) with a couple who were returning from a trip at the beach. They had passed us at first, but then turned around and came back to pick us up. Once in town, Portrait and I found the restaurant ¢Friendly¢s¢, because we had heard that the Vortex was located close by. We searched the surrounding houses, and eventually found one with an ¢AT¢ symbol on it. Upon closer inspection of the house¢s porch, we found that it held a note announcing the building as ¢The Vortex¢, and to go around the back. We did, and were happy to find other hikers and the small barn (You would never find The Vortex if you were not looking for it). It was a very comfortable place, with excellent hospitality. The owners of the house (a nice hippie couple) showed us around and told us to help ourselves to the shower, internet, kitchen, and anything else that was in the main house. It was a fine place, full of tasteful theatre props, paintings, a grand piano, and more. As for the barn, where we would sleep, there was a dart board, board games, and a full sized pool table. To top things off, they also had several gold colored bikes in their yard that hikers could use to go into town. (The owner told us that everyone recognized the gold bikes and their riders as ¢One of her hikers¢)After eating, Portrait and I decided to go to the movies. We got directions from the hostess, jumped on a pair of golden bikes, and tore off down the street. I was wobbly at first on the bike, but was soon having a blast as it felt like I was going tremendously fast (Everything non-walking has this effect on me). We arrived at the theatre and saw ¢Horrible Bosses¢, which was hilarious. Afterwards, we rode our bikes back in the dark, which was even more fun because we only half knew where we were going and traffic was everywhere (I caused one angry driver to beep his horn at me when I almost missed my turn, a scenario that had me crossing two lanes and jumping a sidewalk. I was nowhere near him, but he felt it necessary to express his disapproval in my lack of navigational skill). Back at the Vortex, we showered up, charged our electronics, and went to bed (I slept under the pool table). The Vortex is an amazing place and I would love to stay here another day, but I must fulfill my goal of increasing my miles so that I can catch up to Wakarusa, who is now 6 days ahead of me, as well as Mofo and several other old friends. If I can catch them before Maine, I will be happy, but catching up has its price as I will be leaving others behind. Portrait¢s ex-girlfriend is meeting him on the trail, so he will be slowing down (A tear shed for those lost).