Date: 2013-06-28
From: Bennington VT (Rte 9)

To: Goddard Shelter on Glastonbury Mtn
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: broken clouds

Two months ago today, I was in Franklin, NC, staying at the Sapphire Inn instead of hiking- due to rain. Today I started from Bennington and it was not so long into the hike that it started to rain, I guess I just attract that kind of weather! Why it is so hard to get back into hiking after 30 days off, I'll never know, but after 6 miles, I was already tired. The initial hike was up out of the "pass" where route 9 cuts through the Mtns; it was a ~1500' climb, followed of course by a descent into "Hell Hollow"- lol, who thinks this stuff up- it should have been called "Hell Climb". The area in Hell Hollow was damp, but not egregiously so. As I closed in on the Goddard Shelter (another, albeit shorter, climb), I was ready to call it a day. It had stopped raining maybe about 45 minutes before I arrived and stayed dry just long enough to get my water before the skies opened up. The weather was like this for the rest of the evening- on and off periods of intense rain- Oh well, welcome to VERMUD, right?! There were three gentlemen already at the shelter when I arrived: Barry (visiting from MN and just out on a "10 hour hike"- he is visiting all 50 states and this was how he chose to see VT), No Doubt: a gentleman who has done all of the AT except VT and has come back to VT to finish it off this year and Jericho whom I've followed on and off here on trail journals. About an hour after I arrived, a man and his two teenaged kids (son and daughter) showed up, during a break in the rain, they set up their tents, but a few downpours convinced the daughter to hang out with us for the night in the shelter! And boy did it pour that night!!So today was of course tough- I've done nothing to stay in shape since leaving the trail in May. There was minimal wildlife today and no great views just lots of greenery (apparently VT believes in a very natural version of the AT, there were sections that were just barely definable as a trail). There were lots of mosquitoes (thank God, I broke down and bought a net for my head, I guess I will be lathering up with DEET each day! My arches (I have none), were killing by the time I got to the shelter. I had really wanted to go on to the next shelter to make in a 14 mile day but the terrain was pretty rocky in some areas (reminded me of PAINSYLVANIA) and my feet were just all beat up. A friend from facebook said to me before I left on this trip: "I love VT, it speaks to me." Well Norm, VT spoke to me too today, it said: "Turn around, you idiot, turn around!" Now to contemplate what to do about tomorrow and whether I can make up the 4 miles I lost today, but that is hours off yet... It is a nice shelter- Goddard Shelter- but there is a lot of noise here with the peepers and frogs all getting it on. Funny thing, you can hear them over the rain hitting the metal roof...loud little bastards! Time to sleep...hopefully the weather will clear up by tomorrow morning!Good night, from Vermont... welcoming me back to New England in that tough love sort of way that is what New England is all about!!More photos for the trip can be seen at: 2000Miler Vermont Day 1