AT Miles = 17.6 / 1673.0
Other Miles = 0 / 54.1
Total Miles = 17.6 / 1716.2
Miles to Katahdin = 505.3
So far, the month of August has a perfect record for sunny skies! Wonder how long that will last.
Today was a beautiful day. My boots were absolutely saturated from yesterday, and for some stupid reason I did not put yesterday's wet socks back on, but rather started the day with clean socks. Within minutes they were squelchingly wet from my boots. What a waste of clean, dry socks!
The trail was still running with water and deep in mud, so my feet never had a chance to dry out. Since I came up short in mileage yesterday, I had to make it up today. I hiked hard all day to get to the road by mid-afternoon and hitch a ride into Rutland, where I am staying at the hiker hostel run by the Twelve Tribes here. The bunk room is on the second floor above their restaurant, the Back Home Again Cafe. There is a street fair going on today, right outside the window. That's rather fun. I understand they feed us well here. I'll find out in another hour or so.
I came into town from Rt 103, rather than from Rt 4 as most hikers do. The hitch proved a bit problematic, but eventually I talked one guy that stopped into going out of his way to take me to Rutland. In the end he refused my offer of gas money, and we had a great conversation on the way here. I hope getting back to the trail in the morning doesn't prove too difficult.
The last few hiking days I have been covering ground my dad and I covered on my very first Long Trail hike, back in... '73 or '74 I guess. I have been thinking about that hike and my dad a lot while hiking. So Dad, do you remember that hike? Stratton Pond? Prospect Rock? Camping on top of Bromley Mountain? Those awful freeze dried eggs we ate at Mad Tom Notch Shelter (which no longer exists)? Little Rock Pond? I think I remember everything about that hike.
Well, rain coming again tomorrow, so I'll be back on the trail. If I get to Sherburne Pass tomorrow, I think I'll try to get a room at The Inn at Long Trail.
--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"
Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com
1 comment:
Yes son, I sure do remember that first hike. It has been a fond memory of mine for a long time. Thanks for allowing me to share it with you. Love Dad
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