Gorham, NH to Maine Route 17 (1891.5-1956.2)

Wednesday 9/6; Gorham, NH (1891.5)

Zero day waiting out the weather. We stayed at The Barn at Libby House. It is a pretty decent hostel. Not our favorite, but among the better hostels we've stayed in. Highly recommended for a quiet stay in a nice little town. We meet a couple of Mormon missionaries in the street after dropping some post cards in the mail. They were nice young men who asked questions about our hike and politely have us a very quick spiel about The Book of Mormon before handing us our very own copy. We thanked them and promptly took it back to the hostel and added it to the obligatory Hiker Bookshelf. Every hostel has one; sort of a take one leave one sort of deal. Maybe someone will use it.

Thursday 9/7; Gorham/Crawford Notch to Lake of the Clouds Hut (1844.4-1855.4)

Guys, we managed to score a work for stay! We pushed 11 miles and are among about 20 hikers here, but the "Croo" is fantastic and allowed most of us to work for stay. This means we'll help out a bit in exchange for a spot to set up beds on the floor, and leftover meal that want eaten by paid guests. The food is very good and it's warm and dry. No complaints here!

Today's hike was a good one, overall. I was a little down and cried some for no apparent reason. Bean was super patient and very sweet, and we got through 11 tough miles to land here, 1.5 miles below the summit of Mt. Washington. The forecast called for rain and clouds. We had some mist and lots of clouds, but no real rain. As we hiked, the clouds lifted some and we got some unique ridge views with low clouds and shadows, and the light on the hills was spectacular! We even got a rainbow! So now, it's about time for sleep. We hope to avoid the rain again tomorrow while going over Washington!

Friday 9/8; Lake of the Clouds Hut to Madison Hut (1855.4-1862.6)

Today sucked. We started the morning with work for stay at lake of the clouds which involved opening windows and scraping the black mold off to help prepare the hut for end of the season closure. It was FRIGID outside and all our fingers were numb. All in all, not a great work for stay, especially since all the hikers are dinner last night regardless of their work status. So we got started very late (10AM) on the day we're going over Mt. Washington. The climb wasn't too terrible, though the fog was very dense. We made ok time and approached the overly clouded summit. Yard Sale and I came upon the weather station which was barely visible through the cloud cover. It was quite eerie to look at, to use YS's word. We found the summit, took our photos, found the visitor center, got warm drinks, and moved on. It was somewhat anticlimactic as we got absolutely no views and it was pretty cold. The day was very, very long, and was made longer when YS and I got off our trail and onto another. We went quite a ways before realizing it and making our way back, and lost week over an hour in the process. By the end of our second day above tree line, we were all exhausted and ready for safety and dinner. We approached the hut knowing this one notoriously doesn't accept with for stays, but knew we had no other choice. It was 710 when we arrived and sunset is approximately 725. And... They ACCEPTED us!! We were SO relieved!! They didn't have enough dinner for us, but we didn't care. We slept on the floor and woke this morning to wipe down the walls in the hut, and stomp down the kitchen compost. We did get some breakfast.

Saturday 9/9; Madison Hut to Pinkham Notch (1862.6-1870.4)

Thank G-d, we're finished with the Presidents! Coming down Mt. Madison today was painstakingly hard! We inches or way down lots of Rocky trail, all still above tree line. We did have some really nice views coming down as we headed for the trees and below the clouds. It wasn't a particularly bad day, though I wound up pretty grumpy this afternoon. I'm so entirely exhausted and really need a break, but we really want to get through the Wildcats, which are the last peaks in our Whites. Two more days and we'll be finished! Assuming, that is, that we hit our mark tomorrow. 13 miles is an awful lot in this terrain and with tomorrow's climb, and we have to stop at under 6 or go all the way to the 13. Makes a challenging day! We plan to start with a solid breakfast, though, so hopefully that helps.

Sunday 9/9; Pinkham Notch to Zeta Pass Stealth Camping (1870.4-1878.9)

Well, today didn't go as planned (really, what day does?). We'd hoped for 13 miles to Imp Campsite, but it turns out The Wildcats are no stinking joke! U-Turn, you weren't kidding! Anyhow, despite all that, it really wasn't a bad day. The weather has been absolutely beautiful! I bit windy, and a little cool in some spots, but clear skies and sunshine make for stunning views! Plus, we started the morning with breakfast at the Pinkham Visitor Center. A buffet that has giant, fluffy, whole wheat pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, blueberry coffee cake, and an assortment of other options...a thru hiker's perfect morning! We were up early to take advantage and still try to make it 13. When we arrived at the hut 5.8 miles into our day at 2PM, I knew we weren't going to make it. So we decided on a stealth camp site, and we're here with Yard Sale, Ma'am, and Smash Newton. Apparently Bear Pop may show up at some point, too. They're working on a fire, dinner is soaking, and life is good. The tent placement options leaves a bit to be desired, but we've reconfigured the arrangements for tonight inside the tent and I think it might prove to be pretty darn comfy. I'm tired and hope I sleep well.  We'll finish the Whites tomorrow and head into Maine. Big things coming...

Monday 9/11; Zeta Pass Stealth Camping to Gorham, NH (1878.9-1891.5)

These last couple of days have been so hard. Today was definitely better than/slightly easier than yesterday, but I just kept feeling how tired I was as I walked. My mind and body are so overwhelmingly exhausted. We only had 13 miles to go today which is a long day here, but we believed doable. So off we went. Ultimately, we did manage it, but I felt like we were simply never going to get there. The last 3-4 miles of the day were super nice and well graded, and we got a hitch pretty quickly after hitting the main road. We opted for a motel room for just the two of us. We enjoy hanging out with all our friends, but when we really need rest look we do now, the quiet of a private space is so important!


Tuesday 9/12; Gorham, NH, zero (1891.5)

Wednesday 9/13; Gorham, NH to Dream Lake stealth site

We heard that the first miles out of Gorham would be relatively easy. They were and we managed a couple miles past where we'd planned to stop. Our general process is to plan on a stopping point and then evaluate. Often, there is a further option, and a shorter/fallback option. Today, we landed in between the two. We camped with Yard Sale near a quiet lake. It was a nice evening of discussion over dinner and early bed time. Apparently we hot 1900 miles today, which we totally missed. But we're excited nonetheless! Tomorrow... MAINE!!

Thursday 9/14; Dream Lake stealth site to Carlo Col Shelter (1901.2-1908.5)

The challenging terrain had been quite frustrating as it's slowed is down considerably (as you can see from our mileage). We're trying to keep our cool and not worry about time, but it's hard with such short days. We stopped short of our goal today. As we were stopped filling water for the final 4.4 of the day, a SOBO showed up at the shelter beat down and ready for the end of the day (at 3pm). We know this feeling. It sucks. We had just been arguing (again) over pace an whether or not to push the 4.4/what time we could realistically expect to arrive if we did, and this guy (On Again) shows up and shares that today has been his absolute hardest day in Maine. This is saying something, guys. So we promptly agreed that it was probably smart to stay put. Bean too a spill after collecting water and has a big gash in an arm and hand, so it makes the most sense. It's frustrating, though, because it's only 3:15. We've got hours left in the day, but no water or camping until the next campsite. If we hope tomorrow and find stealth and a stream in a few miles, we'll both be ticked. But I guess it is what it is. We're excited to be in Maine and entering the home stretch. I'm hesitantly ready to find the end of this journey.

Friday 9/15; Carlo Col Shelter to Bull Branch Shelter (1908.5-1915.6)

Mahoosuc Notch is finished! This is "the most challenging/fun mile on The AT." I did find it challenging, not so much fun for Fresh. Bean enjoyed it very much. Basically, it's a rock scramble/maze that you have to shimmy and squeeze through, and then balance over for a mile. There were a couple of moments that I was truly scared I'd fall and Bean had to help keep me calm and moving. It was another short day due to the difficulty here. This one mile took us (me) 3 hours to traverse. Literally. We hoped to make it another 2.4 and we probably could have. But there's a camp site just after you finish The Notch, and we opted to stop here. It's actually quite nice. So we'll walk out of camp in the morning straight uphill for 2.5 miles to conquer Mahoosuc Arm, and then I think we'll be finished with the Mahoosucs. Thank goodness!!

Before all this today, we had some hard climbs, but they were we'll worth it. We going ourselves above tree line again, though for the first time in Maine. It's gorgeous with the fall leaves beginning to show their reds in the valleys. Have I mentioned how much I love Fall?! In fact, I'm super excited to be going home in time for all the fall festivities! Anniversary, birthday, Halloween, THANKSGIVING (my Favorite!), and all the fall themed everything around town. Plus.... Pumpkin things! Pumpkin Noosa Yogurt is a new favorite!

We're camped again with Yard Sale tonight which is a treat! We like her a lot and it works out well that we've been seeing a bit of her lately.

I've deduced that I love the camping part of backpacking. I even like the hiking part when it's minimal miles per day and there's no real deadline to meet. But camping is my roots and it's really what I love.

Saturday 9/16; Bull Branch Shelter to Bald Plate Shelter (1915.6-1924.9)

Thank goodness for the end of today. I was starting to think that all of Maine was gonna be less than fun. But finally, this afternoon we got an actual trail which we could actually hike rather than rock climb. Though we're told not to get our hopes up because the next couple of peaks are apparently very hard. The southern half of Maine is very, very hard!

We ran into a number of day hikers today. One lady gave us a whole pint of blueberries! They were SO good!! We ate the whole container on the spot. All after climbing vertical rocks to see a hazy view of fall colors below. It was a beautiful day that brought a better mood for Fresh. Looking forward to town couple of days and PANCAKES!!

Sunday 9/17; Bald Plate Shelter to Andover, NH (1924.9-1932.9)

Finally a decent day with a decent pace! At least for the second half of the day. The first half was quite challenging, though the views we're stunning! We made good time and called for our ride into town to the hostel. First things first, showers. Then food, of course! Then a decision to slack pack tomorrow. We are super excited to get some miles in AND sleep in a bed again! A shower at the end of a hiking day is an absolute novelty.

Monday 9/18; East B Hill Road to South Arm Road (1932.9-1943.0)

Slack packing is AMAZING! We are back on our pace, for today at least, and knocked out 10 miles before 3PM. It felt great and had me feeling like I might actually be able to do this. After weeks of slower pace than we'd become accustomed, it feels like I just can't possibly finish. My body is simply exhausted. So this splurge which includes a bed at night and showers at the end of the day is so nice! And...we're doing it again tomorrow! 13 more miles will take us one day out of Rangley. We're looking at 3 or so more weeks to finish, and we are getting so excited! More tomorrow before posting this...

Today 9/19; South Arm Road to Maine 17 (1943.0-1956.2)

Another successful slack pack in the books! Today really was a great day. The hiking was moderately hard and we moved quickly without packs on. We're a bit concerned about putting them back on tomorrow. They'll feel so heavy!

Yard Sale and I had another great discussion, and OG and I had a first. We're all full of emotions about coming to the end of the North bound section. These emotions seem to range from relief and excitement to apprehension and fear. Most of us feel a jumble of many emotions, and for some of us, it's very overwhelming.

Wishing all who celebrate a peaceful Rosh Hashannah and a meaningful Yom Kippur fast.

And wishing Jessica and Marc and Jazz and Branden beautiful wedding celebrations! I know you'll both be gorgeous brides. Wishing you only happiness in your marriage! Remember that everyone there celebrating with you (and some of us who aren't) are your village. We are the people you'll call on when you are ready to celebrate, or when you're struggling.

I'm sorry I won't be there to celebrate these occasions with all of you. You're in my mind and heart as we continue on our journey toward Katahdin, and then home!

Hanover, NH to Glencliffe, NH (1741.8-1791.1)

Thursday 8/24; Happy Hill Shelter to Red Velvet Shelter (1741.8-1749.1)

A short day spent booking it into Hanover, NH, and then milling around town for most of the day. Things learned in the process? Dartmouth is gorgeous, Hanover is an absolutely precious town which caters to hikers and is full of overpriced everything, and I (Fresh) want to visit again.

We ate at a little place called Lou's which had the best berry pancakes I've had on trail yet. Also a pretty great omelette with Gouda, bacon, kale, and tomatoes, and a few doughnut because every hiker needs one of those. So yummy! We had a free side of pizza each for lunch, and gelato to top it all off. We're now a mile out of town at the shelter, which we're sharing with a bunch of pre-orientation Dartmouth students. Apparently, pre-orientation programming is a thing now. Or is it only at the Ivies? I overheard a couple of the girls chatting and I'm shocked at how shallow their conversation seems to be. Was I this air-headed at 18? Gosh! Anyhow, a great day. Looking forward to tomorrow!!

Friday 8/25; Velvet Rocks Shelter to Trapper John Shelter (1749.1-1764.3)

Wow, the weather! What a gorgeous day to start getting into some bigger climbs again! The climbing sucks as much as I remember, but the views are beautiful already! We wandered through the miles stopping to talk with new people and friends. We met Shaggy and his friend whose name I simply can't remember (sorry!!). They were so nice! SOBOs who we hope will keep in touch! We have camped the last couple of days with Deacon who is going to Maine. Tonight we were talking about Miss Janet and her amazing kindnesses. I wish there was some way to repay her, but there some isn't. She's so very kind to this community and gives so much of herself to us all.

Saturday 8/26; Trapper John Shelter to Hexacuba Shelter (1764.3-1776.3)

I forgot to where yesterday, so I'm making it up today (Sunday). Yesterday was largely uneventful, which was a blessing after the night before. I'll start there...

Friday, after blogging (which I did early), we made dinner, talked with a fellow hiker who want feeling very well, hung out and chatted with a bunch of hikers who were both new and old faces, caught up with GWAG, and we all went to bed. I had read a little, was trying to tune out another Dartmouth group which was very loud, and had almost dozed off Wolfe Dog told us that they were calling 911 for the hiker who didn't feel well earlier. Long story short, they called, got the rescue crew our location, and waited. I didn't get in the middle, as I felt like there were enough people helping. I did help pack up the sick hiker's things when they decided to take her down the mountain, and her significant other was going with her. It turns out she's doing just fine, but it was tiring and scary to take part in. Her hiking partner kept thanking you for helping and telling us not to worry about it, that they didn't want to bother. We had to make them ok with the fact that this is what the community is here for. We hello each other. It's what makes us a great group of people. After they departed, I went down and asked the Dartmouth student group to be quiet. Then we crashed.

The following day (today), we're tired and sluggish, and had our biggest climb in a while up Smarts Mountain. The climb was hard and long, and I injured my knee on the way up. No idea at all what I did, but it hurt so badly at one print that I wasn't sure I could get the rest of the way up. I did, and we rested for lunch at the top. The only view was afforded by climbing the fire tower, which I haven't done in some time as I have become uneasy with rickety things on stilts. We meet Scott and Brynn, day hikers who gave us sweets, fruit, beer, and carried out our trash. They were pretty great!

We made our way down the mountain to decide if we'd push on to the shelter or camp near the stream at the bottom. We decided to push on and it worked out ok in the end. The shelter was neat, built part way up Mt. Cube, it's built on the shape of a hexagon and has a bunch of space. We camped with a couple of SOBOs (Nameless was among them and was super nice!), and two sectioners, Julia and get grown son Chris. They were out for the weekend. Turns out, we met Julia back in Connecticut a couple of times (we recognized her), and Chris graduated from GA Tech. So we found all kinds of things to chat about!

I started feeling a little under the weather and we slept. I hoped to feel better in the morning.

Sunday 8/27; Hexacuba to Stealth Site (1776.3-1786.5)

Well, my knee felt a bit better this morning and has done well today, overall. We walked well, found the omelette man, and sat a while eating extra protein provided by this trail angel. He made us giant egg scrambles with ham, cheese, peppers and onions. We had bananas, doughnuts, and juice. It was amazing! Then...I realized I really wasn't feeling very well. We walked a bit more discussing what the best choice is. There's a hostel we were gonna slack pack from but we aren't sure about bunk space and we certainly don't want to pay nearly $20 each to camp in the yard. Add that to the fact that I'm not feeling well, and we decided to call it an early day and put the tent up here by a small stream. I'm hoping that an extra couple hours of rest will help me feel better in the morning. We're officially in The Whites and I need to be healthy and strong to get through them. I think it was the smartest decision, though it's frustrating. It's a pretty day and we stopped before 5PM. It feels like wasted hours. But I guess a few hours of down time is better than getting sick and being down for days. Anyhow, back at it in the morning.

Monday 8/28; Stealth Site to Hiker Welcome Hostel (1786.5-1791.1)

5 miles today. We were supposed to be here yesterday but...You read how that went. And I'm not feeling any better. Energy level is low and our package with all our winter gear isn't here yet. So we're hanging for the day. The gear will certainly be here today, so we'll head out tomorrow, assuming I'm feeling better. Until then, this place works fine. Lots of beds, a hot shower, and a hiker feed tonight!

Tuesday 8/29; Mt. Mousilake slack-Bean/Zero-Fresh  (1791.1)

I woke feeling all but worse. So I got stressed and cried, Bean was sweet and supportive and told me that it's ok. So, off he went to home over the first mountain in The Whites, and I went back to bed for the morning. Watched some movies, slept some more, set an alarm to send home the gear were replacing with the winter gear we received yesterday, and woke 10 minutes before it sounded to hear Erik's voice arriving from his slack. Meaning...he finished slacking our first White Mountain in 5 hours. He's fast! He says it was amazing and shared photos from the climb and summit. My anxiety over the climbing to come is not helped by this set back.

Wednesday 8/30; Zero at Hikers Welcome Hostel (1791.1)

And...We're both under the weather. I woke early to use the outhouse and recognized that I feel much better, but still need another day to recover. When we woke later, Bean told me he couldn't to hike. So, unplanned zero it is. I felt like the lead caretaker at the hostel was less than helpful (Tricks was AWESOME though!!), So we decided to switch locations, resupply today, and be ready to go in the morning. Hopefully we're both feeling up for it. So we're in North Woodstock, NH tonight, we've had a tasty meal, and we're resting in a private room. We certainly should have moved yesterday. We had a discussion at dinner about how close we are to the finish and how we feel about that. Basically, we simply can't believe it. Neither of us is ready, nor can we figure out how we'll tell you all about our experiences. It's a bit hard to explain. Actually, it's kind of impossible. So we'll be working on this for the next weeks. Until then, hoping tomorrow is a great day!

Great Barrington, MA to Hanover, NH (1520.6-1741.8)

Monday 8/7; Great Barrington, MA to Wilcox South Shelter (1520.6-1532.3)

Uneventful day, today. Our mileage was low moderate and we were finished early. We finally net Kanga, Sherpa, and Baby Roo for a few mins. They are a couple who have their one year old daughter out here. They're super sweet, and Pig-Pen is right, Roo is adorable! It was great meeting them, finally! Pig-Pen has been talking about them for weeks and weeks. It's been chilly with rain and clouds all day. We're all in long sleep clothes, sleep socks, and I'm in my sleeping bag liner for warmth. Tomorrow is a little longer day, but Upper Goose Pond Cabin is said to be worth it! We're excited to see for ourselves!

Tuesday 8/8; Wilcox South Shelter to Upper Goose Pond Cabin (1532.3-1548.1)

Another uneventful day. A good day, though. We made good time and arrived at Upper Goose with time enough to cook down at the "beach" (which is basically a floating dock). Alexis is here (she has a trail name--OG--which apparently has multiple translations), and Bluebird, STAX, Pterodactyl, and Sir Poops A Lot! There was a good laugh had by all when I stepped onto the dock and froze because it felt so unstable. My standard response is, "I don't yike it," While gritting my teeth. Apparently Erik had predicted I wouldn't like it and would, in his words, "Trip out."

The caretaker here apparently makes pancakes for the hikers in the morning. I've craved pancakes on multiple occasions out here and am super excited! Long day tomorrow. We're trying to build a buffer in order to make our goal to Maine!!

Wednesday 8/9; Upper Goose Pond Cabin to Kay Woods Shelter (1548.1-1565.7)

Well we started the day with pancakes. With so many hikers around currently, it was sort of an ordeal getting our turn. Honestly, I'm a little surprised that I can be very grateful and a little disappointed at the same time.

We made great time today, even with stopping at "The Cookie Lady's House." This sweet lady makes cookies and will give them to hikers when she's home and available. She was so stinkin' sweet and had beautiful flowers! We enjoyed our time and continued on, finishing the 18 miles we scheduled for today before 7PM. We promptly are and are now in bed. We've learned a whole new meaning of meaning of "falling into bed."

A short day tomorrow with town lunch and a resupply will be so nice!

Thursday 8/10; Kay Woods Shelter to Crystal Hill Campsite (1565.7-1572.9)

We haven't hiked this few miles in a really long time! Started the morning late and slow (intentionally), which was so nice! Ate some breakfast, had warm drinks, started walking. It was only 2.8 miles to town, though I managed to fall down a flight of trail stairs in those miles. We, of course, found our way to food first. We shared blueberry pancakes and we each got an omelette. It was so good!! I have decided that I LOVE blueberry pancakes! We then took showers at the community center. Nothing feels better than being clean! And we "loitered" all day drying someone things, eating some more, reading, and chatting, before hiking 3.8 to camp. I very unproductive, relaxing day!

We packed out dinner, and as we were finishing, a new face who goes by Purple Rain arrived and asked if she could set up a banquet and take photos. She was working on a task for a giant scavenger hunt in which she needed to "host a banquet on a major trail." We'll, it just so happens she's flip-flopping The AT. It was fun and a nice way to meet a new hiker.

Another pretty short day tomorrow as we included closer to Vermont and Pig-Pen's last day with us. We'll sure miss her when she goes home.

Friday 8/11; Crystal Mountain Campsite to Mark Nopel Shelter (1572.9-1582.6)

A short day and Dunkin Doughnuts = pretty happy hikers. Pig-Pen wasn't feeling well this morning, so we weren't sure how the day was going to go. We knew we'd hit the post office right along the trail, and while we were there, we decided DD was a must. We also happened to come upon a Dollar General for protein, and headed up the first half of Mt. Greylock. We're camped here and will push 16 tomorrow before Pig-Pen's last miles on Sunday. Erik is building a fire currently, at Pig-Pen's request. They are her last days with us, after all....

Saturday 8/12; Mark Nopel Shelter to Seth Warner Shelter (1582.6-1599.1)
Today was a very long, emotional day. We said goodbye to my second trail sister. Pig-Pen left the trail a day earlier than expected. She thought yesterday she wasn't feeling well because of a different food she ate, but it turns out she was getting a migraine. She had been feeling awful and her friends was able to pick her up a day earlier than planned. I'm sad to see her go, but excited to see what comes next for her. Pig-Pen, thanks for the laughs friend! I miss you already and can't wait to visit you and get the grand tour of New Haven! Until then, keep going and remember that you've only extended your adventure!

We said goodbye on top of Mt. Greylock, which is the tallest peak in Massachusetts. We were sucked in with fog and had no views, but the was memorial at the top was absolutely gorgeous! We spent some time with Pig-Pen before heading out to conquer the rest of our 16+ mile day. This was a bit overwhelming given that it was already after 11AM. Definitely NOT our typical. We're usually nearly or half done with our miles somewhere between 11 and about 1. The walking was mostly nice, though there was a lot of climbing in the second half of the day. We didn't arrive to camp until 730 PM, and with thunder sounding above. So we grabbed a tent spot (the shelter is full), and got the tent up just as the rain started. And...We're sleeping in a water bed. The front of the tent is in a puddle and it really sucks. I am overwhelmed tonight and feeling very lonely. Hoping tomorrow goes smoothly and we are able to dry out.

Sunday 8/13; Seth Warner Shelter to 

Bennington, VT (1599.1-1610.6)
An uneventful 11 miles into town and we stayed put. We got pretty wet last night and made a last minute decision to see if we could find a reasonable motel room. We did (The Catamount Motel is amazing--clean room, kind service including am free shuttle to and from the trail, and they do your laundry for a small fee!!), And we don't regret it for a second. It was nice to have a little time together not worrying about that one chore. Anyhow, Bennington is a nice little town. Definitely on the list to revisit in the future! We saw a small protest in town, too, in response to Charlottesville. A small group of citizens speaking out against hate. Very neat to see!

Monday 8/14; Bennington, VT to Kid Gore Shelter (1610.6-1625)

What a great day! We're really into BB King and Bill Murray at the trail head. He does the best trail magic,v which today was grilled cabbage, zucchini, fish, and beer. SO GOOD!! Thanks, guys!! The first half of the walking was a little daunting with a lot of climbing. I'm not a strong climber and it can be a bit frustrating, even discouraging. But we made it to the second shelter, the air was crisp and the light perfect, we met Ollie the dog (a Poodle/Bernese Mountain Dog--amazing!), and saw many friends including OG and BRAVE!! I was so excited to see her. Remember when she named me all the back in Georgia?! So.. we pushed on to the next shelter. 4.2 fewer miles to do later, AND we made our intended can for the night. AND!! I got to hike with OG and pass time super quickly! Excited to have had a really good day. Missing Pig-Pen!

Today 8/15; Kid Gore Shelter to Stratton Pond Shelter (1625-1640)

What a great day! We started by 8 am in drizzly weather with a chance of rain. Took a couple of breaks and then started up and over Stratton Mountain. I was nervous about the climb, but was pleasantly surprised that it was not so bad. So we climbed, completed 15 miles, and were at camp by 5PM. There are a bunch of sectioners here, and all seem nice. I went swimming in the pond which was so nice! Sort of like a bath before bed. We had dinner, are hanging out with OG, and met Chris, the caretaker here. His trail name in 2015 was Varsity, and he knew the girls (Muddy Duck and team). He was SO excited when I mentioned them!! It's been a really, really good day!

Wednesday 8/16; Stratton Shelter to Bromley Mountain Summit (1640-1653.7)

As I write this post, I'm sitting on a rock, on top of Bromley Mountain in Vermont, wrapped in my puffy and me sleeping blanket, watching the sun set over the distant ridges. It's AMAZING! We talked about not pushing the extra 1 mile to come up here, and it would have been such a mistake to pass this up. One of my favorite memories was sunrise at Masada, and now I'll see the sun melt over the horizon on my own coast.

Today was good. Easy, short, enjoyable. I think I have finally found my groove out here, and it's amazing!

Thursday 8/17; Bromley Mountain Summit to Little Rock Pond shelter (1653.7-1670.5)

We're sitting at the pond after eating dinner here. It's been another beautiful day. I think I'm in love with Vermont. We hit a summit today with breathtaking views of hills all around. We're camped with Colwyn who's hiking the Long Trail, and Dana and Jill, also LT hikers. We're all hanging out before heading back up to the shelter. Apparently it's going to rain tomorrow. Which is a pretty big bummer, but I guess we can't have beautiful weather every day.

Friday 8/18; Little Rock Pond shelter to Clarendon Shelter (1670.5-1684.1)

As always, rain sucks. And oh my gosh do Bean's socks STINK! When they get wet, they simply wreak!! Today really was ok, though I genuinely don't like hiking in the rain. We may have not tomorrow, but we'll be in town on Sunday and will have showers and do laundry. So I guess it's manageable.

The infection on my toe is healed, I think. But now I've got the exact same thing on the same toe on the other foot. Darn feet just don't want to cooperate. We've got just over 500 miles to the finish--Joints just need to hold out a little longer.

We're camped tonight with a group of Harvard students on a pre-orientation trip. Everything they have got soaked last night in the rain. It's a little sad, honestly. I hope they're all having fun despite the weather.

Saturday 8/19; Clarendon Shelter to Rutland, VT (1684.1-1700.8)

Big climbs don't ever get easier. Today is no exception. We did decide to push into town today instead of nearo-ing tomorrow. The down wasn't so bad, even if the up took 45 minutes longer than typical pace. But, we hit 1700 miles today which means we've got under 500 to hike. Do you have any idea what that feels like? We can't even figure a way to put it into words yet (and I'm writing this two days later!)!

But! We made it down with about 25 minutes before the local bus arrived to take us into town. What a fantastic service! Were sleeping tonight at the Hostel at The Yellow Deli. Some call the community a cult, but we hear really good things, so we're going to check it out for ourselves. We'll let you know...

Sunday 8/20; Zero in Rutland, VT
The Yellow Deli: A Beautiful community of caring, generous people who live communally and work well together. I'm certainly intrigued. We didn't hear much about the believe system which seems to be some form of Christianity. They call themselves part of the twelve tribes, Wikipedia mentions Messianic under affiliations, and they all have Hebrew names, so we presume some form of Messianic-like Christian something or other. Two Step apparently had a conversation with Aysh about the religion and learned that members believe that a good soul, a person who faithfully tries to be good, is more important (or at least as important as) than the technicalities, which I understand do include Jesus in some way. Anyhow, the never if the community welcomed us with open arms and genuine care for our needs. The hostel is donation based, and they ask for guests (ie hikers) to help by folding clean laundry, stripping beds when we leave, cleaning/tidying common space, helping to prepare meals, etc. The community has a farm nearby (more on that below) and runs a deli, presumably for income, with fresh, homemade food. We arrived on Saturday evening, showered, and were invited to join for dinner. We were served a fresh, vegetarian meal that was like a taco salad of sorts and was so good! We learned that the power company was going to cut power for a while the following day for maintenance, and that the deli's Sunday prep would largely be completed on Saturday evening. As the meal finished, all members set to work with their assigned tasks. It really was something to see. A group of us hikers helped to cut bananas and strawberries which would be used in smoothies. We enjoyed talking and singing and generally goofing off while spending some time helping our new friends prepare for the following day. We ate lunch at the deli (with a 15% discount because we're hikers) and it was AMAZING! The homemade bread is so good! I'm very interested in spending a day on the farm at some point and seeing what that's like. All in all, the community was very welcoming and we're beyond grateful for our time there!

Otherwise, our day today was exactly what we like on a zero day...A whole lot of nothin'! We read, dried/UVed gear, washed clothes, and caught up with friends, and unfortunately said goodbye to New friends TRex, Jet, and Colwyn. Good luck on the Long Trail, friends. We'll be in touch! We made a short visit to the bookstore across the street which was pretty neat. They had a whole table with political reads, a wall dedicated to race, a young adult book written by Jazz (a prominent transgender teen)...I loved the controversy there! And the t-shirts with screen prints of classic books' cover art, of course! It was a perfect zero day!

Monday 8/21; Rutland, VT to Stony Brook Shelter (1700.8-1710.8)

As usual, getting started after spending time in town was later than usual. As a result we cut 15 mile day down to ten which means we have to make up the 5 at some point in the week. Oh well, tis life, I guess. It was a decent day. A pretty gnarly climb, but we'd better get used to them. So we stopped early-ish, made dinner, and now the blog is caught up and it's time to read for a minute and then sleep. We'll told in Hanover in a couple days (meant to do that in Rutland--oops!).

Tuesday 8/22; Stony Brook Shelter Pomfret Road stealth site (1710.8-1728.9)

A challenge, today was. I had hoped that FINALLY seeing U-Turn and The Colonel this morning would mean a fantastically great day! But...(sorry gentlemen) PMS had other plans. I was slow and sluggish despite the joyful reunion. It was so great catching up a little, though, and I can't wait to do so after the trail when we'll both have service and be able to have a full blown conversation!

We found our way to "The Lookout" and climbed up to have a view. I thought maybe it would help cheer me up, but instead, I got lost after missing a junction (I'm a bit over the poorly marked trail, Green Mountain Club--fix it, please!). I sort of freaked out for a minute and then took the phone out and used the trusty Guthook's to find my way back. But not before tears of panic set in.

We went through the day, breaked for lunch, walked a while more, wandered to a farm store where our array of treats we're all drinks, and included Sprite, chocolate milk, maple soda, and Gatorade. Cravings are real, people. And I've realized there's nothing that chocolate milk won't fix.

We agreed to push a little further (2 more miles) over the next "hump" and stealth there at the stream. Well, we climbed the hump of a mountain and Bean asked if we could go over this hump to the next stealth spot 2 more miles. I added as long as he promised not to be mad that we would get to camp at 730 or later. He agreed and we started walking. Well, he started walking; I trudged. Then, as if on cue, it began to sprinkle. I sent Bean ahead because he's faster than I am and I knew he could get to camp and get the tent up [hopefully] before the rain started. We apparently didn't communicate well because I crossed the next road expecting to see him and the tent, and I couldn't find him. I got super upset thinking I'd somehow missed him and turned around. I finally pulled the guidebook out and realized he was ahead, so I turned BACK AROUND to go find camp. I was sobbing by the time I got to him.

He did already have the tent up, though, and the sky was just starting to let loose, so that was a plus. It's now thundering and pouring, we're dry, but I have to pee before I go to sleep.

All that said, I'm pretty proud of the fact that we did 18 miles without even realizing it today. I somehow though we had only done 14. But knowing we pushed out 18 makes the very long day a little more worth it. Here's to a better tomorrow...

Wednesday 8/23; Pomfret Road stealth site to Happy Hill Shelter (1728.9-1741.8)

Have I ever mentioned how amazing the sunshine is after a rain? Today's sun was so gorgeous! The morning sky was fall clear with glittering light shining through the leaves as they whispered in the wind. It was certainly a better day than yesterday, but then we only walked 13 miles today. It's pretty incredible what a difference a few miles makes. We took our time and had a long break mid day near a river for lunch. The hiking wasn't easy but wasn't too bad, either. Getting us warmed up for the remainder of the trek. We will make it way into New Hampshire tomorrow. Another state down, now only two to go.

We were reminiscing with Bluebird tonight about the experience thus far and all the amazing people we've met and the changes in ourselves we've had the privilege of fostering. I'm just blown away by all of this. I'm sure a part will come which will touch on some of it, but for now, let me just say "Thank you" to all of you who have made this journey such an amazing one. I really am blown away.