Date: 2005-08-09
From: Manchester Center, VT

To: Bromley Mt. Vermont
Miles today: 0.0

We are on Bromley Mountain,VThiked 13.5 miles today from Stratton Pond***   "LuLu?" a voice asks from the haphazardly strewn floor. "Have you taken your medicine?"   "Mmhn,hmmn, I just did."   "Yesss!!! I'm staying up for the party then!"   "Really guys, I'm not that out of it." I protest, starting to giggle.   "Ha! there you go again."    Aaaurrghh!!! The members of our current hiking cadre are insistent that I was perscribed the incorrect medication or, that it was ineptly filled at the pharmacy. I certainly can't be this happy without help. Silly boys! I am a pretty happy person anyways, perhaps they forget that. Of course, the contrast is that I was pretty stinking sick! Anyhoo, I'm better and laughing again---laughing a lot!    We are all camped out in the warming hut here on Bromley Mountain. There is no water but a tremendous view from the tower and the lovely kinship of being in ski territory once again. A genuine hard-core big baby ski lift is in our temporary front yard, along with some locals who are having one of those delectably taboo fires. Nice people.    In our gang we have Touk, myself, Tink, Linux, Mouth, Navigator and ManyNames. GloryBound has ended this season of his thruhike. We all went into Manchester Center and ate yummy food and prowled the tremendous bookstore that is in the center of town. It wasn't in honor of his accomplishment really. We are all very selfish and merely like to celebrate being alive in general. GloryBound could not have chosen a lovelier place to get off, and this means that when he returns and hikes the remaining 550 miles, he'll be starting in a cool place. Congratulations to GloryBound. Fair winds blow for him as he moves to Wisconsin for seminary. We've really enjoyed his friendship.   Friendships spring up just from the ripe circumstance out here. There are so many people that I hope to keep in touch with. And then I think about my failure in the communication field all through this thruhike regarding home and friends, etc. Yikes! Is there hope for me?   So many highlights for the day and I'm starting to get sleepy. Definately NOT starting the day out by going south on the trail. Very stupid waste of energy for a northbounder such as myself.    *Finding CuppaJoe again!   *Busking (which is playing music in public with a hat out on the street for donations.) Yes, busking with Linux in Manchester Center, him on the mandolin and I with my pennywhistle. Note: We didn't make much money.   *Crazy long story that I'm too lazy to write. I ended up jumping on a Greyhound bus at the last moment and got to say goodbye to Firefly who is leaving the trail and joining the NAVY. She is such a fine person! I was blissed out not only to see Firefly, but Romer! That girl has been hiking twenties to get ahead before she had to get off for a wedding. Sure enough, the same bus that picked her up north of here by quite a ways had swung in to rendevoux with Firefly. I was in that perfect place at that moment.   *Seeing my friend Sherlock(Henri) on his birthday, unbeknownst to me. Bravo for life and good friends.   *Watching the drama of the 6pack challenge unfold as certain members of our hiking cadre drank a beer every half mile from the road to the mountaintop. This is not recommended for use at home.    *Thinking about tomorrows sunrise from the top of the tower as I float off to sleep, sleep, one of the pleasures of an outdoor life. (Yawn!) Goodnight!