Date: 2007-07-13
From: Congdon Shelter

To: Goddard Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Another awesome day on the AT.It was a cool crisp morning in southern Vermont, when I awoke to here someone stirring around near the shelter. It was Abby packing up her gear. I emerged from my tent about 30 minutes later. I lowered my food bag that was suspended about 10 feet above the ground from a tree limb. I sat down at the picnic table to eat my poptarts and oatmeal bars. Stealth Blew and Megaphone approached and prepared their breakfast at the shelter. I had met three new hikers and hadn't even started hiking today. Stealth Blew had signed my guest book when I was trying to reduce my pack weight before starting this journey. I have seen his adhesive labels with his name printed on them since Georgia, but this is the first time I met him. Megaphone just recently got on the trail and is headed for Mt. Katahdin. Abby is doing section hikes. We all talked for a while then Abby left and I started to pack up. I left the shelter around 9:00.It was another beautiful day for hiking. The temperature was probably below 75 degrees all day and there were very few bugs hanging around. There was a lot of climbing today. The trails were a little better than yesterday, since most of the muddy areas had boards or rocks to cross. I passed Abby on the way to Melville Nauheim Shelter for lunch. I also passed most of someone's wardrobe. First there was a shirt, then a sock, then a pair of men's underwear.....hmmm....men's underwear, under armor and they are in good condition, mine are a bit tattered, I decided to swap out my underwear and they fit --- just kidding, I didn't touch them even though they were suspended from a branch directly over the trail. A little ways further there was a wash cloth on the sign to the shelter. Well at least he should be clean. There was a hooded sweatshirt in the shelter.I cooked mac & cheese with peas and carrots for lunch again. I was sitting at the picnic table looking up at the clear blue sky thinking what a beautiful day it was, when it suddenly got dark and I heard thunder. Where did that come from? I was in no hurry to go anywhere in this. I moved in the shelter and read a couple chapters in my book. It only sprinkled for a few minutes during the two hours I spent at the shelter, but I had enjoyed the extended break. I passed Abby who had stopped to eat by a creek. I was able to find the Crystal Light Wild Strawberry Energy drink mixes in North Adams, so I had one for lunch and was ready to climb Glastenbury Mtn. I was cruising along when Tintin approached from the North heading south with Joseph Stalin just behind him. I last saw these guys in New Jersey. They had decided to take a couple days off at a friends house this weekend and were heading back to hwy VT9 to hitch up to Manchester. I am sure they will pass me again. A little further I found Pythagoras who was headed south with the other two Brooklyn boys. There were a couple clearings with some good views on the way up the hill. I met Kristin and Jessica at one of the view points. They are hiking a section of the Long Trail which coincides with the AT for about 90 miles in Vermont. I continued to climb the mountain and reached the Goddard Shelter at 6:15. I met Sir Wounded Knee and Lady Green who started a thru-hike last year. They had to get off the trail in Vermont last year because Sir Wounded Knee was having foot pain. Today was their first day back on the trail and they plan to complete the AT this year. I talked to them a few minutes then headed 0.3 miles up the hill without my pack to check out the view from the lookout tower. I forgot to take my camera, but there are 360 degree views that are the best I have seen since the Smokies.I went back to the shelter, found a place to set up my tent, and cooked some Lipton noodles for dinner. Jessica and Kristin had arrived and I talked to them during dinner. I was sitting there when I looked at my watch and saw it was 8:00! I wanted to get some sunset pictures from the tower. I put my stuff away and ran back to the top of the mountain. I was happy to arrive about 15 minutes before sunset. The views were incredible. Unfortunately the camera doesn't do well with pictures towards the sun. I started taking pictures with my camera and then it beeped and flashed a red battery symbol. I had forgot to charge the camera battery in North Adams. Oh well I still enjoyed the beautiful scenery with layers of mountains in every direction looking out across the tops of the trees. To the south I could see 9 slender objects rising from the top of a ridge. I am sure these were modern wind generators, but they were to far away to clearly identify.So ends another wonderful trail day.