Date: 2017-08-22
From: Manchester Center Mile 1650.7

To: Pinkham Notch Mile 1869.7
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Oh, damn.  My left foot blew out and I am off the Trail as of August 11, 2017.Don't get me wrong.  It was a fun couple of weeks and I really did intend to reach Maine this year. Alas, the gods had it out for me.To summarize this section:July 24-  Green Moutain Hostel.  After a bus ride up from Albany I supplied (no re-supply as of yet)And slept on a very comfortable and clean couch.  A good re-immersion into the Trail after a years' absence.  It was here I met up with Groceries with whom I hiked until she needed to take a few days off trail for her to (much younger) ankle.July 25 Mile 1660.8 at Peru Shelter.  Here came the realization that the Vermont Long Trail is really, real popular.  Crowded trail.  Met a delightful young woman hiking with her Golden Retriever before being deployed to Afghanistan.  I called her the most dangerous US solider to be be deployed as she speaks Arabic and will, by her presence empower women.  Much more dangerous than any 50 caliber.  July 26.  Greenway Shelter Mile 1675.3. Hot and buggy.July 27 Yellow Deli Hostel in Rutland at mile 1683.1.  Something to be said of hitch hiking in the company of a woman.  One looks less dangerous for being an old man.  The Deli was just as welcoming and friendly as my visit last year.  A must resupply point on the AT.July 28 Cooper Lodge Shelter Mile 1694.5.  On top of a ski resort.  The brush was thick enough where we walked to a cleared ski run in order to look over the view.  The poor shelter has been destroyed by vandals and the wooden tent plant forms were full.  Camped down my the water source.July 29. Stoney  Brook Shelter Mile 1710.8.  With permission of my fellow shelter guests I set up my mosquitoe net inside the shelter to keep the bugs and mice off.  It worked!  Grocery went off Trail to heal.  GOt  a great 500kCal ice cream sandwich at the state park where a shower was very welcome!July 30. A view spot above the valleys at Mile 1729.4.  It was late, I had water, there was a patch of grass and the sky was clear.  I simply set up my tent just off trail and embraced the night.July 31  Hanover Mile 1747.0.  Here I met Bill and Betsy who were Trail Angels extraordinaire.  For days there has been a list of TAs in Hanover circulation up and down the Trail.  Delightful small college town.  The Senior Center has showers and laundry available where one can clean up before being picked up by a TA.  The trail has a number of coolers on the road just as you enter into the north bound road walk.  Wow.At mile 1737just as you cross over the White River was a group of hikers on the porch of a partially painted house.  IT is one of those establishments which provides bunk room space for hikers but tends to cater to a move partying vibe.  Still, it was nice for a cup of joe and conversation.August 1 Moose Mtn Shelter at Mile 1757.9. THis was a dry camp but I had humped water up from earlier in the day.  No moose to be seen.August 2 HExacuba Shelter.  THere must have been a grad team of engineering students designing this one.  Set on a steep hillside it was nice enough even with the one hiker and a very old and grumpy dog.  Still, no bear showed up that night.  There is a unique sound of what happens when a hiking pole tip leaves the suction of mud:  'Schlup' is what I describe it as.August 3rd.  Hikers Welcome Hostel Mile 1785.8  Okay, this was easy to get to and the warden was nice enough to run us into the rather minimal store/deli for dinner.  Very rural and poor section of the state.August 4 Eliza Brook Shelter Mile 1807.2.  Started in sun, dived into rain, a complete whiteout on top of Mooseilauk Mt.  This was my introduction to what the AMC claims is 'Trail maintainance'.  Ugh, naught but rocks and hand over fist scrambles.  It is easy to get volunteers to paint white blazes and perhaps build log spans to get over muck but to build a trail by cracking rocks?  For that you need a payroll.  Here I met up with a young man who choose to share that he was just out of a psych institution and off his meds as he did not like how they made him feel.  Fortunately, there were other hikers present and he kept his manic level at a tolerable level.  Had I ever learned his name I would have called in a welfare check for him at the next road crossing.August 5 & 6.  Three years in the making PCT hiking pal Hog and I finally met up at Highway 1-93 at Mile 1815.8.  He drove down from Vermont (how did Vermont get north of me again?) and brought me to his home for two nights.  How delightful are the friendships of the Trail!AUgust 7.  A long, rock climb up out of I-93 lead me to Galehead Hut at mile 1829.0.  HOg had told me to spend at least one night in a hut and as it was coming down in buckets this seemed like a great night to do so.  $140 for a bunk bed and two meals.  Interesting.  THe famous skits put on my staff in homemade costumes (in this case bagels were used for the hair curls of princess Liela of Star Wars fame) were cute and simple.  Food was plentiful and I was out of the rain.August 8 Ethan Pond Campsite Mile 1840.8 Started in the rain but it cleared.  The pond in the evening light was beautiful.  This was a caretaker site and I paid $10 to sleep in the shelter.August 9 Lake of the Clouds Hut at Mile 1854.7.  Now this is where my foot started to hurt.  No real single event just soreness that got worse and worse.  I did do a work for stay at this hut (another experience to do once) and got to sleep on the dining room floor. Plus I got left over dinner and breakfast.  August 10, Osgood Tent Site Mile 1865.0  By now my foot was really hurting and the Whites have trails that would qualify as rock scrambles anyplace else.  Still, it was a beautiful day and the later afternoon descent of Mt. Madison was slow and beautiful above timberline.  The wooden tent platforms were most welcome in the moist forest.August 11 2017 Pinkham Notch at MIle 1869.7  Off trail.  Went into Gotham and stayed at the Barn Hostel.  As primative as it sounds.  Dinner with a couple of thru hikers, a nights sleep and then into Boston for a flight home to heal.  10 days later and I can finally walk without much pain.   The Trail will be there for me in the future.