Date: 2023-06-20
From: Spruce Peak Shelter

To: Griffith Lake Campsite
Miles today: 13.4

I left around 7. I knew I wanted to spend a lot of time relaxing in Manchester during my resupply. On my way out, I met another thru hiker.A little past 8, I got to VT highways 11 and 30. I walked less than five minutes before I got a hitch into Manchester, but I was lucky. I met thru hikers Easy Street and Ringo in the car. We had breakfast together at Charlie's Cafe. I think I might have eaten too much, but it was all delicious: breakfast panini with egg, bacon, spinach, and tomato; ham and apple quiche; and a large maple walnut muffin. Yum!I headed over to the laundromat- pretty much all the businesses downtown are within a half mile of each other. They gave me loaner clothes, so I wouldn't have to walk around on a hot day with a down jacket and rain pants, which could also could use a wash. Very kind of them.I got groceries while my clothes were washing, and returned to the laundromat.  Got to recharge my phone, and ate half a bag of baby spinach leaves, yogurt, fruit, and kombucha. I organized my resupply. I was hoping to also get more journal entries complete, but ran out of time.By now, it was noon. It was sunny and hot, but that meant my boots, which I tied to my pack as I walked through town in sandals, were going to be drier. I stopped at the outfitter and got a new bowl, plus trail snacks and freeze dried meals. I was hoping to take a shower at the parks and recreation building, but it was too far away, too hot, and I wanted to get back on trail. I ate a 12 inch pizza with white sauce, chicken, jalape±os, and tomatoes at Manchester Pizza. I also got two scoops of ice cream in a waffle cone for dessert: Moose Tracks and Peanut Butter Cup.I started walking to the edge of town towards the trailhead around 3. I completely forgot about stopping at the Ben and Jerry's shop instead of getting Hershey's ice cream... oh well. I walked on the highway outside of town for about 10 minutes, then someone stopped! It was a guy I met back when I was in Cheshire, MA, getting ice cream at Diane's Twist.We chatted and then after he dropped me off at the parking lot, he said he ran into Plunger, Skippy, and the kiwis two hours ago on his AT day hike up to Bromley Mountain - where I was headed. He also noted a well sloped climb with little mud. To make things even better, a day hiker who just finished hiking gave me three granola bars! I started up the trail around 3:15. In dryish boots, hiking was a lot more fun, and I enjoyed the climb up to Bromley Mountain. There is an excellent view at the top. Since another face of the mountain is a ski slope, there is a chairlift there with additional views.I left around 4:45, descended to a gravel road after an hour, then started the next climb up Peru Peak. I arrived there around 7. No view, but there was one on the way up. I descended past the shelter, where the guide indicates an overnight fee, and went a few minutes further to what I thought is a scenic camping area off of Griffith Lake, arriving there around 8.The tent sites were all on wooden platforms, which I guess is supposed to be helpful against the mud. Still, it seems like they're designed for freestanding tents, not like my Durston XMid 1, which uses trekking poles and stakes to stay up. I got it up though, with some help from a small piece of a birch log.I finished up my camp chores and retired around 9:30.