Date: 2015-08-17
From: Stoney Brook Creek

To: creek and stealthsite
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Our day started with the breakfast- included with our room- and it was again fabulous. Iron Mike drove back and joined us for that. Our shuttle driver , Plans Too Much, showed up at 8:30 sharp. C.Shell and I rode in the cab while D.No and Tedzilla sat in the bed of the truck. It was chilly and D.No was bundled up- so I stuck my tongue out at him. Ha ha! I'm warm!We got to Stoney Brook and shot the breeze with Plans Too Much for a few minutes. He has been around the trail for a long time and gave us a few word of mouth only tips about where to stay up ahead. Finally, we hiked out. These cool stays are BAD for my motivation! It was hot already- supposed to be in the 90s today- and we had a roller coaster day of hiking ahead of us.The day started with a steep up- Tedzilla shot ahead. We stuck together for a while, but eventually landed in our own paces. My ears are still ringing pretty badly I assume from the extreme bang of that lit htning, and my skin is chafing on my shoulder blades and lower back. It is uncomfortable with the sweat that is literally pouring out of me in this heat. The trail continued- up and down. It was kind of hard today.I got to a spot that had a .1 side trail to a lookout tower. It was more like .2, but who's counting? I decided to check it out. The tower was a deck on top of a rustic but well built cabin. Access was a long wooden ladder. I dropped my pack and climbed up. The views were really breathtaking. Behind me was Vermont- all the mountains I have already climbed- and in front of me was New Hampshire. Big and blue and formidable looking mountains gazed at me. They seemed to be saying.....we are going to kick your ass. I stared at them, wondering how the heck I would climb them. Then I looked at the mountains behind me and thought they looked impossible too- but I already did those. Some of the southbounders love to try to psych us out by telling us HOW HARD NH is. We haven't seen anything- we haven't DONE anything. I listen and think they should tell me how hard everything is once they have hiked 1700 plus miles. Anyway, I have views to look forward to- they have Rocksylvania...heh heh. When I came down, a German solo hiker that I had passed yesterday on my southbound slack packing hike had come up to the cabin. He looked upset. He told me he was very angry that he wasted nearly all of his visa time on this hike. He was just walking through woods, looking at trees, since Georgia. He was going to get off the trail ant the next road crossing and go find the beautiful parts of America before he had to go home. I told him the views were supposed to be amazing in New Hampshire and he said everyone has been telling him just wait- it gets better- for months. He hiked through the woods in all of Vermont and now has to climb a ladder on top of the mountain he just hiked just to see a view. I felt bad for him, he was so frustrated. I hiked out, his experience on my mind. I get it- I really do- but the sights in the woods are pretty great too. What can fill your soul with wonder like an orange spotted newt? Or strike terror in your heart like a venomous snake coiled up on the trail? Or wake you up like a bolt of lightning. I think my biggest thrills have been between the views. I will endeavor to appreciate the journey- to embrace the cheesy cliche that is actually the truth.I hiked to the road crossing that takes you to Woostock and road walked a few tenths to the store. D.No and C.Shell were waiting for me. The lady that runs the place was about to close but she looks down the street and saw me coming so she stayed open. I got a coke, a bag of homemade cookies, an apple, and an orange. I sat on the steps and ate it all- then we hiked out. We took a pass on the red barn that puts hikers up, hoping to catch up with Tedzilla. We hiked a few more miles and found him camped in a pretty spot next to a creek. Lady Slipper and Highway were camped there as well. We have leapfrogged with them for a week or so, and we enjoyed getting to know them a little around a fire. It was a nice end to a pretty day- but a tough day of hiking. I used my iPhone for light since I still don't have a headlamp.