Date: 2017-09-05
From: Goddard Shelter

To: Bennington VT
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: few clouds

9/5/17 Day 99 - 10.1 milesGoddard Shelter to Bennington VTUp at 6:30, actually much earlier because of snoring, not the 2 dogs that slept quietly next to me. I was worried at first - it was something to see as these 2 dogs growled viciously at each other when it was time to lay down for the night. They were just sorting out who was going to sleep closer to their mom. Back to the morning though....Ate the last of my food which was a package of pre-cooked bacon with some cheese sticks on a tortilla. That just about empties my food bag other than a granola bar and a mini Snickers that will never make it to town. On the trail by 7:00and the forecast was for showers starting around 11:00. The threat of rain doesn't bother me today knowing that I'll be clean and dry by noon. The only question was how I would get into town which is about 6 mikes from the trail. Other hikers rely on hitch hiking quite a bit but you can't really plan for how long that will take and I just haven't found it necessary (yet). Had a couple easy uphills but mostly downhill on town days. Was making good time when I came to a nice overlook. Fall is really coming on fast. So much yellow and orange mixed in with the evergreens and the quickly fading green leaves. I'm hoping the change will continue as I head south. I'm still hoping to be in Harper's Ferry by the 1st week of October so I think I should see some really nice colors.  Made it to the trailhead at Rt 7 by 11:00 and tried thumbing a ride for a few minutes before I called the Catamount Motel. It was amazing that I had any cell service- it was going in and out as I sat there. The owner Paul said he'd come pick me up right away and he wasn't kidding. He pulled into the trailhead parking lot in about 10 minutes with 2 other hikers that were getting back on the trail. As we drove to his hotel, he pointed out all the places a hungry hiker might want to visit. Got checkedin and was settled in and cleaned up by 12:00. They'll do your laundry here also for only $4. I'm sure I got my money's worth because everything I owned was wet and smelly from the downpour on Sunday. I asked Paul if they had Uber around here because I needed to get to Walmart to resupply. He said there was no Uber but he'd be heading there later if I needed. Awesome!  I went to the Friendly's which was the closest restaurant around. The feet are pretty beat up and the extra distance into the center of town just didn't seem worth it. Besides that - they have ice cream here!!! Had a nice Rueben and coffee and for dessert, I had a Reese's Brownie Sundae, size large! Incredible! I haven't seen a scale in a while now but I'm guessing I'm still around 170 so I'll just keep eating as much as I can handle at every opportunity and besides, I always feel strong heading out of town and I'm convinced that it's from all the extra calories. Hung around for a while since they had a good wifi connection and was able to check my mail and read some headlines.Got back from eating and headed to Walmart. All the town chores done and it's only 2:30!! Relaxing is also a huge part of town days but it's not always possible. It's a little easier in a motel room as opposed to the hostels. The hostels are always busy with hikers coming in and out and catching up with the people you haven't seen in a while but it cuts into relaxation time.  I have a lot of journaling left over to do also. I'm working on it but it's not the easiest thing to do on the phone. I make a bunch of bullet points as I hike throughout the day but lots of times I'm too wiped out to write at the end of the day. I'll go back and fill in the blanks but it ends up sounding like more of a technical report than a journal. Sorry for the gaps- I will fill them in eventually. Thanks again for the well wishes and signing the guestbook.