Date: 2009-07-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 131.0

Dear readers,It's been an eventful week and feels like a long time since I've been able to write an entry. A thank you goes out to Momma Wags for posting photos from my most recent memory cards and typing up a brief entry to tide all of you TJ junkies over until I had a chance to update it myself. I am typing this from the library in Hanover, New Hampshire - goodbye Vermont (or should I say Ver-mud?)! 12 states down, 2 to go. My next state line will be NH/ME!!!!! INSANE!Vermont was good to Gangsta and I. Up until three days ago, we had two weeks of nice weather. The last three days have been rainy, but that's what we get for two weeks of sun. Temps have also been cooler. It has hardly cracked 80 degrees this entire summer. I am not complaining. The mild 60s and 70s we've been experiencing have been perfect hiking conditions. The only downside is a lot of great swimming holes have gone unutilized. Some might swim in those temps, but not I. I am a weenie when it comes to cold water. Vermont has been gorgeous- definitely near the top of my list of favorite spots on the AT thus far, with the only other contender being northern TN and southern VA. I know the trail will only continue to get better as we head north, too.Our zero day at the Fox family home was wonderful and relaxing. There is something very comforting about being in a home rather than a hotel or hostel. While there, Rainman's sister, Hilary, was kind enough to let me use her brilliant blue nailpolish on my toes, too! I was thrilled! It's the closest thing to "cute" my feet have looked since March. Who knew nailpolish could be so exciting? I smile everytime I take of my boots and socks at the end of each day and see the splash of color on my feet. It's been a party in my socks ever since. Wow, that was an entire week ago. The past 7 days have felt like a blur. And, I haven't done laundry or taken a shower since! I am feeling a bit conscious about it at the library right now. And I wonder why the computer next to me has been vacant since I sat down?The days were all relatively unexciting. We climbed a lot of mountains. We hiked with Loon, her boyfriend who was out for a short section, Dom, Plunger, and Mr. Right for a few days. We split when they nero-ed at the Inn at the Long Trail, but will meet back up in Hanover this afternoon. We climbed Mt. Killington which was a long climb but definitely worth the incredible view of the Green mountains at the top! I also paid waaay too much for ice cream, onion rings, and a gatorade at their grill on the summit, but it was worth it. And I thought Shenandoah would be the last time I'd pay over $3 for a Gatorade? Nope. Being thru-hikers, we got to ride the gondola down the mountain for free, so we did that just for kicks, too, which was fun.The only real excitement that comes to mind when I think of the past week is the run-in with the raccoon that Gangsta and I had while camping one night with Plunger and Mr. Right. I awoke around midnight to a really loud noise very near my tent. I assumed moose or bear. It's amazing what our imagination can do to noises when we are either alone or it's dark. I thought I heard snorting and grunting, but I think that was my imagination running wild. Either way, it woke me up. Thinking *hoping* it's G getting up to go pee in the night, I say "G?"Very alertly, she responds "Yeah Wags?""Oh good, that's just you walkin' around" I say, relieved.Then in a high pitched and slightly panicky voice, I hear "no, that's not me!"A very awkward and nervous silence ensued. Our tents were too close for comfort. No more than 4 feet apart (due to a lack of flat ground, I swear), and whatever I heard that had woken me up had apparently woken her up before that by running along the edge of her tent, brushing her back, waking her up. Then she tells me that she thinks it's a RAT. I almost laugh out loud and inform her that whatever is outside is not a rat because that sh*t is LOUD. Wide-eyed, we lie there awake, listening, waiting. Then all of a sudden, I hear Gangsta feet away, start to panick "Ohmygod,ohmygod, whatever it is is right here, practically in my tent." Of course, tonight of all nights is when her headlamp had died. Fumbling she finally gets her iPod to light up and sees nothing. 5 seconds later I hear a blood curling shriek in the night. I assume something is knawing her leg off. It turns out to be a raccoon who had poked his head back into her tent vestibule. Plunger and Mr. Right wake up from the scream and Mr. Right manly walks around camp with his headlamp looking for the offender who had run off. I made him hand me my trekking poles for protection which were leaning against a nearby tree and he finds Gangstas water bladder 30 ft. away. The raccoon had unzipped a pocket in her pack and pulled it out. Obviously gone, I put earplugs in and inform Gangsta I'm going back to sleep. She responded "what!? How can you go to sleep after something like this!? You're just going to leave me here awake by myself!?" Yup... goodnight. In the morning, I noticed the top compartment of my pack had been pulled out from my vestibule as well. No contents were missing however. Yes, raccoons are sneaky little (fill-in-the-blank).Why do I like hiking with Gangsta so much? Because I know that when she is around, the wild animals won't mess with my stuff. Oh, AND because when we come to an electric fence with steps for us to safely cross it, I can count on her to touch it just to make sure the sign is telling the truth.Alright, that's all for now. I've got plenty more to write about but time is almost up on this computer. We are zeroing in Hanover and hopefully the house that I'm staying at with Loon, Gangsta, Plunger and Mr. Right will have internet so I can write a more lengthy update. I'm glad I could enlighten you with that funny story for now...Happy Trails,Wags