Date: 2005-07-01
From: North Clarendon, VT MP 1668

To: Rutland, VT MP 1686
Miles today: 0.0

Ahhhh, Vermont. Shorts and I had a nice stay with Allen yesterday. Today I'm in Rutland which is near Killington Ski Area. The Long Trail shares the AT from Massachusetts to this point, then splits off due north to Canada. I've met some long trail "thru hikers" who are thrilled to chat with someone who hiked from GEORGIA, not just since Massachusetts. The AT takes a sharp right turn to New Hampshire after the "Long Trail Inn" where Shorts and I and several LT hikers stayed last night. I should be in Hanover, NH in about three days. Vermont is in a death grip of a heatwave right now. It's hot like the Sahara and muddy like Vietnam. I've slept in my hammock every night since leaving Pennsylvania (Every night i'm in the woods, that is) because the bugs are plentiful. They drive hikers to near-hysteria for a few days until we just lose our minds and don't care anymore. Oh, and I AM roughing it! honestly!! I've just slept in a bed a few nights recently because I can. I'm in shape, but these bigger mountains really make me feel GOOD about being in shape. I climbed Stratton and Killington (2000 foot climbs) in the blistering heat and humidity only stopping ONCE the whole way up (for water) on each climb. I still have not seen a bear in all my miles of hiking! Snowdog, KB, SB, and Shorts and I were at Bromley Mt. Shelter a few nights back.... and Snowdog saw a bear in the morning while he was packing his tent! The animal was less than 40 feet from me. I was sound asleep. There was, however, a spruce Grouse (a type of wild chicken) who was upset that I was hammocking on his turf. While setting up, the chicken stood 7 feet from me, followed me around, and spent the night meandering around my zone. Maybe the vicious bird kept the bear away. I'm thinking of wearing my food while I sleep just to see a bear in the wild. Maybe some pork chops hanging from my neck will do. HA! then yesterday, SHORTS saw a bear coming down off Killington Peak, I didn't. Get this! I got half way down that mountain and realized I left my lucky hat at Cooper Lodge near the summit! I had to backtrack uphill to get it. BAH! On a sad note, Brad Boston made it a week from Katahdin southbound and suffered a knee injury. Bummer! He's home now. I think he had a weak knee from a soccer injury earlier in life. At least he had the guts to try. Two days from now is a road (VT12) where, in 2003, I met Wonderboy and Zig Zag for the first time. There was a hostel about half a mile west on the road called "The SteepleJack's Place", a big red barn that's really classy and fun for hikers. However, it's NOT in the guidebook this year, and nobody I've talked to knows anything about it. I'll go there anyway (It's the back woods of vermont... nobody moves!) and he's probably still there. Why he's not in any books is a mystery. Sounds like a fun side adventure, eh? I've just past the 4 month anniversary for this year's adventure. I'm not usually one for trail math, but I've been averaging about 450 miles a month so far, which puts me at the first week in August for the end of the trail (Mt. Katahdin). I've got 486 miles to go. Dave and Susan, I'll be in Hanover on Monday for the holiday. Life's a garden, DIG IT!Aaron