Date: 2015-07-19
From: Red Sled Motel, Manchester

To: Lost Pond Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

I slept so well last night in that bed. With a mattress thicker than 3/4 of an inch. And comfortable clean sheets instead of my sticky sleeping bag (that fabric, ugh!).I am debating the return of my winter gear as I approach higher elevations (yay mountains!) I am psyched for the Whites.I even slept late. I am always thinking, "GOTTA SLOW DOWN, THE END IS TOO NEAR!" Then I am on the trail and thinking, "GOTTA KEEP HIKING, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL DAY! BURN OFF THOSE M&Ms!"Back and forth, back and forth I go. Last week was fast to try to catch my friends (and what a failure that turned out to be!) Also, I didn't have enough food to add a day. Also, I get kind of addicted to the hike. And to candy. It's very bad...John of the Red Sled offered me a ride to the trailhead this morning, but I had forgotten to look for duct tape yesterday at Price Chopper, and needed to get some to protect my sore feet before returning to the trail. So instead, I started walking down the road towards the hardware store.As I passed the off ramp to the highway, a work truck stopped and the driver yelled, "How far've you come?""Total?" I yelled back."Where'd you start?""Georgia!""Wow! Alone?! Good for you!" He shouted before driving off.Shortly thereafter, an older woman pulled over and offered me a ride. Marion (no idea if that's spelled even close to correctly) was one of the most interesting rides I've had, maybe second only to the alcoholics.I dumped Gertrude in the back seat and climbed in the front. As she turned around and headed to the hardware store, she explained that she has a very dirty sense of humor and likes to play dirty songs for the hikers she picks up.This lady was like 70+, on her way to church and to visit her husband, who had a stroke five years ago, in an assisted living facility. She was wearing rubber chicken earrings.And we sat in the parking lot and listened to a song, sung by an Elvis impersonator about how he wanted to be dug up so he could beat up Michael Jackson.Marion was also willing to wait for me to purchase my tape and drive me to the trail (SO LUCKY), and for the next leg of the ride I was treated to "Mrs. Claus Cut Off Santa's Schlong' (to the tune of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." And next? Another schlong song, but about Bill Clinton.Now, I really do not have a perverted sense of humor, but this lady was hilarious. Totally not what you would expect by looking at her. My life just keeps getting more interesting.We pulled into the parking lot, a grungy man in denim jeans and jacket sitting among the cars throwing up a peace sign. Upon our arrival, she played the last song, which she traditionally plays for every hiker she leaves in the trailhead parking lot.It was about boobs.To the tune of "We Didn't Start The Fire" ("Here's a little ditty 'cause we love your titties.")Seriously. Hilarious.As I was climbing out of the car, issuing profuse thanks, the grungy man approached. He was very clearly drunk.The next few minutes were a confusing exchange. Introducing himself as Hawkeye, he asked (and by asked, I mean slurred) where I had started. Once he said his name, it all fell into place. I was pretty sure that I had heard Croc Rocket and Banana Bread talking about him a few days ago, and how he only drinks whiskey and Pepsi. That explained the yellow, rotting, and missing teeth that he was flashing in my face.Hawkeye asked (multiple times) where I was going. He told me (multiple times) that he started in January. He also told me (also multiple times) that he wanted to get into town.I was starting to get paranoid that I was going to get stuck with this guy. Thankfully, my new favorite trail angel Marion leaned over to peer out at my new acquaintance and ask, "Does he need a ride? If he's going now, I can take him."I passed on this message, and Hawkeye approached. But instead of just getting in the car, he kept asking questions that I had already answered. He was also concerned for his belongings, asking if I thought they would be okay. "I'm camped right over there by the stream." He said three times, puffing on a cigarette."I'm sure it will be fine, no one wants your smelly hiker stuff." I said consolingly. I highly doubted that anyone would bother his things.Marion, who was risking being late for church, impatiently called out through the passenger side door, "If he wants a ride, we have to go now.""She has to get to church, so get in." I said, ushering Hawkeye towards the car."I want to go to church." He said."I am NOT taking you to church." Marion said, good-humoredly."She'll take you to town. I'll see you up the trail." I was itching for this experience to end.Before climbing in, Hawkeye gave me an awkward hug. "I hope I see you up the trail," he said. "You're gorgeous."OH, GREAT. ANOTHER HIKER TO TRY TO OUTRUN. Not that he is probably very fast.I yelled ten more thank yous to my savior as she started to back up and depart, waving as she carried away my fellow hiker, saving me from what would have undoubtedly been a long and unpleasant ordeal.I walked up the trail and across the little bridge across the stream. Hawkeye's little hobo camp, with a tarp strung up between two trees, a single trekking pole stabbed into the ground, and a pair of scissors buried up to the handles, was just past the water.And in front of Hawkeye Hobo Camp? A fire, still smoldering in the pit.I groaned. The freaking goon had left his fire! I dumped Gertrude and investigated. The pit was covered in dried leaves. There was enough smoke coming off to indicate that the fire was not very close to dead.Cursing the departed drunken idiot, I dug out a ziploc bag from my pack and headed to the steam to fill it up. Upon my return, the smoldering remains of a fire had caught into a real fire, blazing up among the leaves.AGHH! I didn't want the Green Mountains to burn down before I could hike them! I rushed over and dumped my bag of water on the flames, logs sizzling as smoke plumed into the air.I made about ten more trips back and forth between stream and fire, until I felt that I had safely extinguished it. Scraping at the ground with my boot, I cleared all of the dead leaves from around the fire pit, leaving a big ring of black earth. Just in case. I worry a lot.Feeling reassured that I wouldn't get caught in a forest fire, I sat on a log to apply my newly purchased duct tape before putting on my stupid Merrells (I have been spelling that wrong.)My Merrells have been peeling back more and more. Those toes keep gaping up at me like a fish, calling, "We're just going to trip you more and more and more!" I wish I had a giant stapler to make them shut up.The hike up Bromley Mountain was kind of a killer, even though it was nice and gradual. Gertrude is like... stupidly ridiculously heavy and I struggled uphill at the pace of a weekend day hiker. I stopped at the shelter to load up on water before the last mile of the climb, because the next water source was so far away. SO HEAVY.The top of Bromley was AWESOME. The last 0.3 miles opened out into ski slopes. White, purple and yellow wildflowers swayed among the tall grass in the morning breeze. The sun shone down, warming my sweaty skin as the wind cooled it. At the top, a little warming hut for skiers greeted me. Hikers are welcome to camp there, and it was so cute that I was tempted to take a trail Nero, and just crawl in and read my book all day. But it was so early, I knew I would eat halfway through my snack bag if I stopped.I walked to the ski lift to admire the view and take a break before continuing on.I stopped at Mad Tom Notch for lunch, taking an extra-long break and doing mile math in an attempt to establish a tentative plan for the next few days.A day hiking couple stopped to talk to me as I snacked, and asked about my hike.Then I continued, up mountain number two! Hike hike hike. The mountains are killing me. But Vermont is so pretty. I think it might be my favorite state so far. A week ago, I would have told you that all of the states were awesome for different reasons and that I couldn't rank one above all the others. But Vermont is winning me over.I stopped for a break and Silent Force caught up to me, then went on.A little later, I caught up to him, where he had stopped to talk with Funk and Next Year. Hiker reunion!We chatted then I led the way to the next shelter, tailed by Silent Force. He told me that he is slowing down in hopes that friends will catch up. He named quite a few people that he had been hiking with that ended up behind him. Columbo was one if them.I am still hoping that I will not run into Columbo again. Maybe one day I will relate the rest of that story. Not until I finish my hike, though.Silent Force stayed at Peru Peak Shelter but I kept on, pausing at Baker Peak to admire the view and rest. Then I descended to Lost Pond Shelter. It is very small and cute and I kind of love it. I had kind of hoped there would be a pond. I bet it's north and I will find it in the morning (I will find Lost Pond, get it?! Or maybe I won't, since it's lost....) I still managed a good feet-soak and towel bath. What a nice day it will be when I get to break from my ritual stream bath and tick check and return to daily showers. Also sad though. Gonna stop thinking about that now....Funk arrived after me, and then Next Year. Hooray for friends! Everyone got water and strung up sweaty clothes to dry. We sat and talked and then just sat. I journaled. They journaled and did mile math. Dinners were prepared and cookies eaten.And then the storm hit. Thunder and lightning and rain and hail. Luckily all of my chores had already been completed. After some reading, it is off to sleep!My hiker hunger and gluttony has returned full force. I had it under control for a few days last week, but now I am back to too many snacks and carb-loading and M&M gobbling ways. I am SO HUNGRY. THE MOUNTAINS ARE DOING IT. ALL THIS WORK MAKES A RED PANDA RAVENOUS.Gotta keep drinking more and sleeping more.I am thankful for Marion! I am thankful for a reason to laugh and for good company tonight. I am thankful for my parents, continuing to do trail magic while I am gone. They are amazing people and I am so glad that they have taught me to try not to be selfish (although I do of course often fail, I do try.) I am thankful for mountains even though they kick my butt. I am thankful that I may have people to meet soon! And that Coco and Magnus and Chris aren't too far behind me. I miss them.