Date: 2008-08-23
From: Thistle Hill Shelter

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

We got up bright and early this morning and made ourselves a cold breakfast of granola with milk and bagels with peanut butter. We have become very efficient now at getting all of our stuff packed up and ready to go. We were the first ones to leave the shelter area this morning and as we passed by the front of the shelter on our way out, we wished the thru-hikers who stayed there last night well for the rest of their journey. Within about 15 minutes of leaving, we came into a large open field that the trail passed through. It was very pretty because there were low lying clouds that had settled in the valleys last night that had not burned off yet. We could see the surrounding hills poking up through the tops of the clouds. It took us about 10 minutes to walk through this field and just as we got to the other side, we looked back to where we had come into the field and noticed that 3 of the thru-hikers from the shelter were just coming out of the woods into the field. They caught up to us within 1/2 hour and passed us by. Climbing up onto a ridge, we could hear all of the trucks and cars that we presumed were traveling on Interstate 89 far below, but we couldn't see anything since the low lying clouds had not lifted yet. We passed by a spot where an Adirondack chair had been placed at an overlook near the trail. Too bad it was so foggy or else we would have taken a look. After this point, we began a long decent down towards West Hartford where the White River flows through. We reached the road by about 9:30 and from here it was a long road walk down to the White River and through West Hartford. While passing through W.Hartford, we stopped at the Village Store, where we got some nice big muffins and drinks. They had a lot of stuff you could buy here and if you want them to make you breakfast, they do that too. The 3 thru-hikers who had passed us by earlier this morning were also there when we arrived enjoying a mid-morning snack. Leaving the Village Store, we continued walking on the road for awhile, taking a few turns until the road eventually led us under I-89 and back to the trailhead into the woods. Entering the woods again, we began a long steady climb. Eventually the trail flattened out again and we moved along nicely, getting to the Happy Hill Shelter at about noon. An older woman day-hiker arrived while we were having our lunch. She was trying to hike the whole AT in small sections, which she's been working on now for a number of years. Good for her! Sitting in the shelter having lunch, I began to realize that my thoughts were now focused on the end of our hike. It's kind of a weird feeling when you're about to complete a long backpacking trip. You have to start turning your thoughts back to the real world, but at the same time you want to cling to every sight, sound, smell and feel of the outdoors for as long as you still can. For the rest of my walk into Hanover, I just kind of savored every step. Within a couple of miles after leaving the shelter, we emerged from the woods onto a paved road. From here on, the rest of our hike was road walking. Coming down a long hill, we started to pass by a lot of very pretty houses as we approached Norwich. Reaching Norwich center, we took a right and continued on down Rt 5 until we passed under I-91. Coming up over a small crest, there it was - the end point of our hike. We could now see the Connecticut River several hundred yards further down the hill. We crossed the river and came to the VT/NH border, and so it ended, almost that is. After pausing on the bridge for awhile, we continued walking up into Hanover. When we got up to Dartmouth College, we went down a busy side street where there are a lot of shops and small restaurants. We treated ourselves to some hot dogs and sodas and sat down on a bench to eat and relax for awhile. Being a bit dirty after coming out of the woods, we received a few quizzical looks from people, but for the most part, the folks around here are used to hikers coming through since the AT passes right through here. We called our daughter, Molly, to let her know we were in Hanover and would be starting the drive home soon. Finally, we hoisted our packs on one last time and made the final walk down the road to the lot where our car was parked. Driving home was kind of fun. We kept the windows open and just enjoyed the warm afternoon breeze blowing through the windows as watched the Vermont scenery pass us by. Entering Massachusetts, we decided to stop in Amherst and get some pizza there. Ann and I both went to U-Mass there, and we just felt like taking a drive through before going home. Stopping at a Pizza Hut, we gorged ourselves on a huge sausage pizza and soda. It's amazing how much you can eat and drink after hiking like this. Finally, at about 7:00, we arrived home. Molly was waiting for us there and gave me the "Oh My God" look when she saw my beard. And so it ended, at least for now. It was a great trip. We hiked through a lot of adverse conditions at first with all of the rain and mud, but we did just fine through it all. I think that if we can do a hike such as this one, we will be ready to take on the whole Appalachian Trail, but that is a story to be written about in a few more years. For now, it's just back to work. I hope anyone who has read this journal has enjoyed it. Maybe we'll see you on the trail sometime!