Date: 2004-10-20
From: Rutland, VT

To: Mrs. Gorp's hiker hostel, Wallingford, VT
Miles today: 17.4

17.4 miles todayMrs. Gorps Friendly Hiker HostelWallingford, Vt. Today started very early when I turned the light on in the motel room at 4am and Hippie yelled at me to turn it off. Well, we got up at 4am...ha! I repacked all my stuff that I had spread out in the room to dry out. We loaded everything in the truck and got ready to leave to go and spot one truck at Rt. 103 and drive my truck to Rt. 4 at Killington. I don't know what was wrong with me yesterday, but I could tell when I woke up at 4am, that feeling was long gone and I couldn't wait to get started walking today!! It really had me worried yesterday because I have absolutely no idea why I felt like I wanted to be anywhere else but in the woods. We were just starting the trucks when a hiker came walking down the street in the dark and Hippie yelled out to him to see if he needed a ride somewhere. His name was One Thing and he was getting off the trail and taking a train home. I had to scrape the ice off both our trucks before we could drive off. Hippie gave One Thing a ride to the train station and I followed, then we took her truck and parked it at the trailhead of Rt 103. When we got back to Rutland, it was just 7am and the McDonalds had just opened up, so we went in and had breakfast. After breakfast, we headed on up to Killington and parked my truck. We got on the trail at 8am. It was 32 degrees out this morning, so it was a nice cool morning for a hike. I started out first and just took it nice and easy climbing towards Killington Mountain. The higher I went the cooler it got. Hippie caught up to me and we finished hiking up to Cooper Lodge Shelter where we took a break and ate a little snack. There was still quite a bit of snow around, in the trees and on the ground. It must have been windy when it snowed up here because the snow was still sticking to the sides of the trees. It was beautiful, but it was chilly, so we got started walking again. My fingers were a little numb, but I knew it wouldn't take long to warm up walking, so I didn't bother getting my gloves out. I found the nicest spring I've seen in a while, so I drank up and filled my water bottle. These mountain springs are one of my favorite things to come across. The water always tastes so good and is always so cold. We hiked out of the snow as we hiked down towards Governor Clement Shelter. I checked to see if there was a register to sign, but there wasn't, so we didn't stop. It was a very nice day and the sun was out and warmed it up into the 50s. There were still some leaves on the trees at the lower elevation. All the red leaves were down, but there were some really nice yellow leaves mixed in with the evergreens, which made a nice contrast, especially with the bright sun shining on them. Hippie and I kept walking and decided to pass by Clarendon Shelter since it was only another mile to where her truck was parked. I had forgotten how steep a descent the last half mile was down to Rt 103. Hippie made a loud groan behind me when she twisted her knee wrong. She kept walking while she was saying some words that would be bleeped out on network tv. We got to her truck before 3pm and drove to Rutland and decided to eat dinner early. We stopped at the steakhouse we ate at yesterday and I ordered the same steak again because it was so good. This hiking with two trucks definately has some advantages!! I've never eaten better on the trail than I have the last couple of days and it looks like we will be moving the trucks down the trail with us until Hippie has to go home in about 10 days. After dinner we went back to get my truck and I stopped shortly after that and checked my email. I had an email from Mrs. Gorp inviting us to spend the night at her house in Wallingford. I gave her a call just to make sure it was ok and she said that she would like for us to come and spend the night. I have to say it again...trail people are the best!!! Thanks Mrs. Gorp. I got a shower and even washed my clothes in a REAL washing machine. They even had a drying machine!!! I'm not used to so many luxuries. Hippie went to bed early. She acts so old sometimes. Mrs. Gorp and I stayed up for a baseball game. We talked about some of the same people we know from the trail. I didn't know it before tonight, but she left Springer two days before I did in '02 and must have stayed just in front of me. I also found out she finished her first A.T. hike in '79. I got to talk to her husband, Larry, for a while this evening and he told me about a cross country trip they took on his motorcycle and how they went to see alot of the national parks on that trip. It was a real nice evening and Hippie missed most of it. Hippie and I didn't see any other hikers on the trail today. It's something to think of all the hikers going through here a couple months ago and now there are hardly any. Another great day on the A.T.