Date: 2014-07-04
From: Congdon Shelter, VT

To: Goddard Shelter, VT
Miles today: 14.4

The Fourth of July did not start with fireworks only the wet stuff (I.e., rain)... It rained all night and the day promised intermittent drizzle plus some down pours. I moved slowly this morning, packing up my wet gear then passing by the shelter to see who was stirring. Most of the folks were up and moving but no one was in a hurry to get back on the trail.   I headed out walking through the very mushy and very wet trail. The mud in Vermont is a rich dark black goo that swallows up your shoes when you step in a soft patch. There are lots of boardwalks along the trail but there are still plenty of muddy spots to traverse. I am often rock hopping or attempting to skirt around the stuff when possible. Mid morning I came down off of the ridge to state highway VT9. It was a step descent with plenty of rock steps. I took them very slow knowing how slippery they are when wet and also not wanting to repeat my spill I had a few days ago. On my way down Sea-biscuit passed me. We have been shadowing each other for the past couple of days. At the parking lot on VT9 we met Steve who was providing trail magic for thru hikers. A soda and some sweets were much appreciated as we ate them under his cars hatchback to shield us from the rain. The trail leaves the parking lot and crosses a river and then runs up over 1500 feet across Porcupine Ridge and Little Pond Mt., climbing another 500 feet to Glastenbury Mountain. Even though I was on the ridge there were very few outlooks or opening to be able to get a sense of the elevation. The Vermont Green Mountains are precisely that.... Green!   The tree canopy is thick over the mountains from top to bottom and the undergrowth is thick with green saplings. Even the rocks are often covered with a thick green moss. For days that are sunny, only small rays of sun poke through the canopy. For days that are cloudy and raining, walking beneath the canopy can be quite dark and a bit dreary. I pushed on to the shelter atop Glastenbury Mountain, reaching it by mid-afternoon. I ran into Sea-biscuit again. He planned on pushing further, possibly to the next shelter about 4.5 miles further or beyond. I had planned to drive on further also but the rain kept falling and my feet were soaked so I decided to settle in at the shelter. Since my tent was wet I was also concerned that If I reached the next shelter late in the day the shelter might be full due to the 4th of July crowd and I would have to sleep in my very wet tent. So I hung up my wet stuff and settled in for evening. In the shelter I was joined by two college couples doing a weekend hike plus a long section hiker came into the shelter near dusk. Other weekend hikers showed up near dark and set up camp around the shelter. Compare to other states there are not many places outside of the shelters to camp in Vermont along the trail. As a result during the weekends, the shelters and adjacent tenting areas are often full or near capacity. As the rain pattered on the shelter's metal roof, I cooked dinner and visited with the long section hiker and I crashed shortly after eating. I hope tomorrow will bring some drier weather and a place where I can lay things out in the sun to dry.