2019 AT Thru Hike: Week 12 - Dalton MA to Manchester Center VT

Week 12 of my App Trail thru hike took me from Dalton MA to Manchester Center VT. The Green Mountains of Vermont are beautiful but the trail is a mud pit.

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Day 84

Time: Wed, 26 Jun 2019 19:07:21 -0400

Location: Kay Wood Shelter Mile 1568.1 of Appalachian Trail

Stayed last night at the Upper Goose Pond Cabin. There were about 20 hikers there including Papa John, Muffet, Papa John, Ginger Goat, Rabbit, and The Lumberjack girls.

The caretaker made pancakes and coffee in the morning. There was a 4 pancake limit, but no coffee limit.

We stopped by "The Cookie Lady", a fixture on the trail for many years. Her husband died in the spring, but she still gives free cookies to hikers and sells goodies like ice cream, soda, and hard boiled eggs. Later in the summer she offers fresh blueberries from her garden.

A couple miles later we got trail magic from Rob, a long time trail angel, who is traveling around in his van supporting hikers. Genesee, who I had met in Virginia was traveling with Rob. Dairy King showed up again. He had taken 5 days off for family.

The weather was pleasant, but the trail was a muddy mess. We hiked 18 miles to the Kay Wood Memorial Shelter. Johnny Walker, Muffet, Papa John, and Sparky are here. There are also 4 guys from Northeastern University. They're out for a week and struggling after 2 days. They're making plans to bus to their car in Bennington Vermont because they don't think they can make the hike.

Love you ❤️ Miss you 😘

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=42.45227%2C-73.16182

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Day 85

Time: Thu, 27 Jun 2019 20:11:02 -0400

Location: Mark Noepel Shelter Mile 1584.8 of Appalachian Trail

Spent last night at the Kay Wood Shelter with Papa John, Johnny Walker, Muffet, Sparky, Griz, and Limey. Dairy King was going to stay, but I told him about the guy in Dalton that let's people camp in his yard and he headed there. Being in town with beer was enticing but I was too tired.

We were all out early. Most of stopped at the Java N Juice coffee shop in Dalton. I saw several other thru hikers including Peach and Gopher. They asked about my ankle since I last saw them when I was laid up at the RPH shelter. Peach said I inspired him to start hiking in his Teva sandals. They talked about some of the nice experiences they've been having. It was good to catch up with them.

I had a couple breakfast burritos, a pastry, and coffee while I recharged my phone.

It was a beautiful breezy day. My foot felt good. I was still careful with it though. I've been using the Salon Pas heating strips Rabbit's friends brought with lunch. The trail walked through the towns of Dalton and Chesire. I was worried the road walks would hurt my foot but it seems ok.

A guy in Dalton came out and asked me when and where I started and then told me that Dalton is home of the famous Cable stationary company. He said they print one side of the $20 and $50 bills for the Treasury. The other halfs are printed elsewhere for security. He said Julia Child's family owned a mill in town but lived in nearby Pitsfield.

In Chesire we all stopped at Diane's Twist ice cream shop. I got a meatball sub, salad, and ice cream. Papa John's sister in law picked up Papa John, Johnny Walker and Muffet there for a couple days off trail.

After Chesire we began the climb up Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts at almost 3500 ft.

There's still lots of mud. You rarely get to just walk on the AT. You're always concentrating on the footing and terrain.

We stopped at the Mark Noepel shelter at about 2800 ft. Tomorrow we will go over and down into Vermont. Sparky, Griz, Limey, Mammoth, UNICEF, and a father and daughter section hiking are at the shelter along with a local youth group.

Love you ❤️ Miss you 😘

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=42.60864%2C-73.18417

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Day 86

Time: Fri, 28 Jun 2019 21:16:08 -0400

Location: Seth Warner Shelter Mile 1601.4 of Appalachian Trail

Spent last night at the Mark Noepel Shelter with Mammoth, Sparky, Griz, Limey, UNICEF, a father/daughter, and a youth group.

I was the first one out at 6:15. It was a pretty morning and a nice climb to the top of Mount Greylock, the highest mountain in Massachusetts. We had heard Bascom Lodge at the top was not open, but it was...and breakfast was being served.

I saw Rabbit and ate with Tortoise, Brick, Brick's friend, and his son Drink Mix. I had pancakes with blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries along with a bacon egg and cheese cibata and at least 10 cups of coffee. 

Sparky, Griz, Limey, Mammoth, and the father/daughter also made it. A young thru hiker from the shelter stopped in and grabbed a Coke. The older established hikers are able to enjoy a lot more comforts on the trail than the younger less established hikers.

I pooped in the woods for the first time. Until now I had been able to use privies or toilets. Found a good tree to hang over and got it done. Probably all the coffee and all the jostling on the Mount Greylock descent.

Walked to a grocery store between Williamstown and North Adams. Tortoise, Mammoth, and Sparky also went. We met Shiloh a southbound thru hiker.

We all got lots to eat and did some resupply. But they didn't sell beer. States that require beer to be sold in separate stores are annoying.

My food bag was feeling as light as it had in weeks. Now it feels as heavy as it's ever been. It's easy to plan your next resupply when the trail goes through town, but sometimes it's several miles. That's a hassle. A lot times there's a convenience store reasonably near road crossing where you can do some resupply, but it takes some digging to plan on that. Usually it's more of a surprise or something you don't realize until the day you plan to cross the road.

We passed the 1600 mile mark and we crossed into Vermont aka Vermud. The AT follows the Vermont Long Trail for a good while.

I'm at the Seth Warner Shelter. I got there just before dark because all my sidetracks. I hate getting in late. Sparky, Griz, Limey, Tortoise, Mammoth, the father/daughter, Rabbit, Jukebox, and Tennessee/Ninja are here tonight as well as several others I don't know.

Love you ❤️ Miss you 😘

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=42.77208%2C-73.13696

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Day 87

Time: Sat, 29 Jun 2019 18:56:00 -0400

Location: Melville Nauheim Shelter Mile 1614.4 of Appalachian Trail

Spent last night at the Seth Warner Shelter. There were a lot of people there including Sparky, Griz, Limey, Rabbit, Jukebox, Tennessee, and the NJ father/daughter.

It rained some overnight and as we were waking, but stopped before we got going. Everything was wet and humid like a rain forest. I wore my SealSkinz socks for all the mud and they worked well.

I took a break at the Congdon Shelter after about 8 miles. A girl from the shelter the night before showed up. She's from NC and has hiked a lot of trails. She was 1300 miles into completing the triple crown on the CDT but had to get off to wait for the snow to melt. She's hiking the Long Trail until then.

A group of ladies were hiking southbound and about to finish a multi-year section hike of the Long Trail.

Jukebox and Tennessee showed up a little later. Griz, Limey, and Sparky got off in Bennington VT for a break.

A nice looking middle aged couple passed me going south. They were naked except for their backpacks. Very friendly. We all laughed about it at the shelter tonight.

It was a big knee pounding descent to the road leading to Bennington and then a big climb back up after crossing the road. Too bad you can't skip the downs/ups in/out of towns you don't plan to visit.

I had planned to go farther but the big down and up with a full resupply on my back and the humidity changed my mind.

Magnolia, Jukebox, Tennessee, the NJ father and daughter, a few other thru hikers, and a teacher section hiking the Long Trail.

Expecting rain tonight and scattered tomorrow.

Love you ❤️ Miss you 😘

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=42.88784%2C-73.09561

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Day 88

Time: Sun, 30 Jun 2019 19:58:28 -0400

Location: Story Spring Shelter mile 1631.8 (Northbound) of the Appalachian Trail

Spent last night at the Melville Nauheim Shelter with Jukebox, Tennessee, NJ father/daughter, Magnolia, and a young teacher hiking the Long Trail.

Talked with Tennessee about how our bodies are worn down and how we can't do the mileage we were doing earlier. He talked about really missing his dog.

It started to rain soon after I got in the trail. I passed Free at a nice stealth spot he camped at next to a creek.

Took a break at the Goddard Shelter with Free, Red Rudder, Magnolia, Seabass and his friend.

It rained off and on. I really like this section of the AT along the Long Trail. It's like an evergreen rain forest. It's what I imagined most of the AT would be like.

I took another break at the Kid Gore Shelter. I met Red Rudder, Greyhound, and Rabbit. There was a nice view of the valley and a lake. I called home and talked to Derek about his weekend trip to Standing Indian. I also talked to Adam and Helen. It was nice. Everyone is making 4th of July plans.

I'm at the Story Spring Shelter tonight with Greyhound and Rabbit. They're a really nice couple who are flip flopping out of Harper's Ferry. She worked for BP and they lived in Eagle River AK. They live in Vegas now and travel around camp hosting.

Love you ❤️ Miss you 😘

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=43.05053%2C-73.01239

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Day 89

Time: Mon, 1 Jul 2019 20:09:27 -0400

Location: Spruce Peak Shelter Mile 1650.1 of Appalachian Trail

Spent last night at the Story Spring Shelter with Greyhound, Rabbit, 3D, and Raven. 

I passed Jukebox at a nice stealth spot where she and Tennessee camped last night.

It was a nice cool morning. Last night I slept with my puffy. We climbed up Stratton Mountain. I was sweating but it was cool enough to see my breath. I spoke with the caretaker at the top and saw Tennessee at the fire tower.

The Green Mountains are beautiful but the trail is a mud pit. There are quite a few hikers doing the Long Trail.

I took a long break at the Stratton Pond Shelter and another at Prospect Rock where there was a really nice view of Manchester City and the valley below.

Jukebox was at Prospect Rock along with Cliffhanger and Raven.

It was an18 mile day to the Spruce Peak Shelter. Cliffhanger was there. He's hiking with Ax and Blacksmith, but they're a little behind.

A big group arrived including Dairy King, Bolt, a couple from England, and a guy from Atlanta. They had gone into town and then hiked the 3 miles back to this shelter where they had stayed last night. They brought a bunch of beer. Sounds like they had a good time. They're making plans to go into NYC for the 4th.

Magnolia, Free, Seabass, and his friend are here also.

I talked with a couple from New York who started their flip-flop AT Thru hike in Pennsylvania. Their names are Old Spice and Triceratops. The girl hurt her ankle and they had to get off trail for 11 days.

Two kids from Kalamazoo College in Michigan are here hiking the Long Trail. I saw them yesterday wearing Bedrock Sandals. They went to town today and bought some New Balance running shoes. The Bedrock's weren't working for them on this trail. They did the Colorado Trail last year but are struggling with the terrain on this trail.

Some us are planning on going into Manchester Center to resupply. I wanted to stay at the Green Mountain House hostel but they're full.

Love you ❤️ Miss you

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=43.17852%2C-72.99524

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Day 90

Time: Tue, 2 Jul 2019 19:08:30 -0400

Location: Bromley Shelter Mile 1654.9 of Appalachian Trail

Spent last night at the Spruce Peak Shelter. There was a big group. I met Cliffhanger and Dairy King, Bolt, Tom, Roo, and company packed out beer from town and hiked south a few miles back to the Shelter.

I hiked 3 miles to the road into Manchester Center VT. It was nice. This time the road came up the mountain so there was no knee pounding descent like usual.

It took about 10 minutes to get a hitch into town. A father and son in a pick up stopped. They're installing marble bathrooms in town. They asked about me and talked about other hikers they've picked up. Really nice people. They bought me an ice coffee when they stopped to get one for themselves. I offered to buy but they wanted to treat me.

It's a very nice area around the ski resorts of Bromley, Stratton, and Killington. 

They dropped me at the nice park rec center where they let hikers shower for free. They even provide the towels, shampoo, and soap and have power outlets to charge everything and WiFi. They were super nice. Cliffhanger and I took nice long showers. It's the first shower I've had since Helen left a month ago. Lots of sink and creek sponge baths.

It was a pretty day. I walked about a mile to the laundromat and started a load. I haven't washed my clothes in a washing machine in a really long time. $7.50 for a load and I only have a few things. I saw Magnolia, Free, Seabass, and co as well as Raven and 3D as I walked through town. 

I went to McDonald's nearby and saw Cliffhanger there. I had a hotcake meal and coffee and a quarter pounder meal and soft drinks and apple pie.

I walked across the street to the Price Chopper grocery store and resupplied. I saw Greyhound and Rabbit and chatted and then hung out with Cliffhanger and got a beer.

A guy that works at the movie theater offered me popcorn and drinks. I thanked him but said I was full. It was a little 2 screen old school strip center theater. They were showing Toy Story 4 and Spider Man around the world or something like that. I was tempted to take in a movie but it would have taken a little too long.

We saw Ax, Honey Bun, and Co. as I headed out. I saw Sparky in front of the liquor store and we chatted and then hitched back towards the trail. He's staying at the Econolodge tonight and was anxious to to get a shower and dinner and rest.

A nice lady took us back to the trail. She talked with Sparky about Switzerland and said that's where she went on her honeymoon and a few ski trips. She asked us about our hike and talked about hiking sections of the Long Trail.

I hiked a couple miles up Mount Bromley to the shelter.

Nice day. Nice town. Nice Nero.

Love you ❤️ Miss you 😘

Google Maps link to my location: http://maps.google.com/maps?z=14&t=m&q=43.22242%2C-72.95017

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