Lucky Turkey
Rainy Vermont hiking…meh
At the beginning of each hiking season, I spend my first few days trembling with anxiety over hitch hiking. I plan my long hikes in ways to minimize hitch hiking, but my plan included going into Manchester Center, 5 miles down the highway into town. I resisted getting out of my sleeping bag and headed out motivated only by hunger.
It was misting and kind of raining this morning and I stood by the side of the road around morning commute time in full rain gear, hoping that cars would see me despite the limited visibility. It was a harder hitch than I imagined—Vermonters are pretty good about picking up hikers, especially when its raining and the hitchhiker is a girl alone–but after a few minutes, I got a ride with a nice older woman (ok, this wasn’t Wyoming hitchhiking hard, but it was harder than I expected!)
I’ve been getting into shelters so early every night that I’ve been getting more and more bored. Its shameful going to sleep at 6 when it gets dark at 9. So, I decided to get a book and ended up grabbing a book about a man who walked across Spain in the 1930s. Looks cool!
The way back to the trailhead was a very easy hitch, yet going up Bromley Mtn. and Styles and Peru Peaks with five days worth of food was not so easy! Yet, it was all made worth it when I saw a wild turkey on the ski trail up to Bromley Mtn. I’m a big turkey fan and haven’t ever seen a turkey this far north on the AT, so it was a really special experience to see it hobbling around in the fog.
Although I’d gone to trouble to get $5 bills to pay the caretakers at Peru Peak shelter, the caretakers haven’t started working yet. I was at the shelter with another LT hiker, the Fox and Hound, a girl with her dog. Also, before I hit the trail, I checked 7 different stores for heet for my new alcohol stove (my first!). Luckily, I got some denatured alcohol at the Mountain Goat outfitter in town (great outfitter, nice people, and best hiker box I’ve seen anywhere). Hot food, new book, and another girl on trail with a cute dog–can’t be beat!
2550 feet of gain today
