Date: 2018-11-06
From: Trescott Road 

To: Elm Street
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

I planned a NERO today due to expected rain this afternoon. It¢s a good thing I did, because my aching body didn¢t want to move this morning. My muscles are aching just like they did back in Georgia! Glutes on fire!!!...and calves, and hamstrings, and traps, and shoulders! So I made it to the trail at 8:00am fir a quick 7 miles. The trail was already wet from last night¢s rain. It was misty this when I hit the trail, so I knew I needed to knock this out quickly.  The wet leaves made my path a little easier to follow. I was thankful for this as I could already hear gunshots in the not so far away distance. I really do not want to venture too far off trail today. Only about a mile in the mist turned to a steady drizzle. At the same time I began to see boulders all around me. Not on trail yet, but it wouldn¢t be long.  I hiked and bouldered my way up Velvet Rocks Mountain. There was no view from the top, so I just started right back down.  The climb up wasn¢t steep at all. So I was surprised to find my descent steep and difficult. There were lots of boulders and wet slabs on a steep grade. I was so happy to find a knotted rope to use going down a large slab. Many thanks to whoever did that! I¢m 4 wet days now without a fall!  From there the terrain was a steady flow of good sized UPs and DOWNs. The leaves remain a challenge. At one point I stood there saying to myself ¢which way do I go¢. I went on intuition and got it right!  I was moving along quickly. Sometimes the trail is a plain old path now. A few roots and rocks, but a real path. I had forgotten what that felt like after being in the Whites with boulder after boulder. For the record, I remember now that it feels GREAT! So I was feeling great when I realized I had not seen a white blaze in a while...and things were really getting swampy. I looked up and around to find a blue blaze on a tree not far away. NOT AGAIN!  Yes I was about an eighth of a mile off course. I hiked back up what I had just hiked down, and carried on. Thirty minutes later I found myself even further off trail than the first time! It was going to take a good 20 minutes for me to retrace my steps. The forest is getting pretty bare now, so instead of staying on path I just cut straight across to get back on trail. It took about 5 minutes. I continued going down until I popped out of the woods at the Dartmouth Sports Complex. I was in Hanover NH!  The trail goes right through town. I wish I had not been so wet and muddy because there were a lot of little artsy shops I would have loved to visit. The road I walked down was extremely busy. I soon learned why as I passed a school set up for voting today. How nice to see everyone exercising their right!  I passed a delicious smelling Indian Restaurant, and a lovely Parish. It was Saint Denis Parish. The building made of stone had so much character. I¢m thinking it must be over 100 years old. Hanover is another one of those cities with a soul. I could feel it.I made a turn and soon was walking on a bridge over the Connecticut River. I could see my breath for the first time today. Within minutes there was the sign. I am in Vermont! Wow! So long New Hampshire! I know I¢ll be back. I continued on a sidewalk right through the town of Norwich Vermont. It¢s another cute northeastern community.  I walked past a grade school during recess. The kids were playing outside in this drizzly weather. I lingered there for a good while and just enjoyed their energy. A group of boys were playing football with all their might. I don¢t remember the last time I watched such a large group of kids playing outside like that. Youth makes me happy!  Not far past the school the trail turned and headed out of town. I will begin tomorrow¢s journey In the woods right there. Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018) Where¢s your faith?