"He's back...."

Judd was SURPRISED!!!  He thought he'd take the bus from Williamston, MASS to Augusta, MAINE and would walk or taxi to wait for me at Jonathan's--a small biker bar 1/2 mile from the Concord Trailways station.   BUT, Phil and Omer picked Judd up and took him to Jonathan's at 7:30pm Thursday where a sign and crowd of neighbors, family and strangers were waiting to buy him drinks. 

The sign was a duct tape, old-Ryley's art crayon-creation from Happy Hour on Tuesday..... Carol even put the "buy him a drink" posters in Jonathan's bathroom!

from Sept 28 - a tight squeeze

Just part of the trail. A squeeze like this throws confusion into the mix with the rolly-polly weekend warriors
42.8851° N, 73.1101° W

Hottest day on record, at least that is the rumor for this time of year. The colors are incredible. And the place is full of day hikers or over night hikers. Boys with beer bellies and girls with pink shoes and packs that must weigh a ton. Everyone seems to have heard about the college hikers in NJ who when confronted with a bear all scattered running. The bear must have thought hmm food. DONT RUN WHEN YOU SEE A BEAR!🏥
These weekend warriors are way trying to give stuff away. Food mostly. They don't get that I've planned what I need and that's what I'm going to eat. To make my pack lighter if nothing else!

From Sept 27 - Now he's begging

Glastonbury Mt. Fire tower towards Mt. Greylock
Spent the night at Kid Gore Shelter with three fellows from Ohio and Pennsylvania. They have been hiking a week on the AT for the last 28 years. They met on the AT and the fellow from penn. Met his wife on the AT. These guys were good fun. It was their last day and they insisted that I needed to stay at the hostel on top of Greylock. The view is incredible. After these last two fire towers I start figuring out how that could happen and actually it fits right into my schedule. The north side is supposed to be a steep climb. A “mini white mountains” my buddy MAV says who passed thru there about a month ago. Then it's a gentle roll down to Cheshire, MA. The trail goes right thru town. There's a Catholic Church ( no showers) that gives hikers a bunk for a donation. That would be an ok place for trail end this season. I hear the greyhound comes to Williamstown. Then I just have to figure out how to get back to there. Before these guys shove off I beg the almost empty fuel canister they are not going to need to get home. I'll need it to boil water
42.9778° N, 73.0719° W

From Sept 26 - the last 4000 footer in VT--two pics

Mr Greylock from Stratton fire tower. This is the last almost 4000 footer in VT. Great fire tower at the top and all the distant hills are id'd. There's the prize Mt. Greylock.
61° Clear
14–120 Canedy Hill Rd, West Wardsboro, VT, United States

Killington from Mt. Stratton fire tower. It's such a clear day what a great view.
61° Clear
West Wardsboro, VT, United States

from Sept 25- "pondy" tasting water

It seems like the streams are drying up and good tasting water is hard to find. You get discriminating. First choice is to get wage out of a spring. Most are just trickles but the water is clear and cold. Second choice is a moving stream with a rock or sandy bed. Usually there's critters like fish and frogs. Third choice is a pond. The bottom is usually smokey ( not always) there's definite critters. It tastes kind of pondy. There's always exceptions. You always look at the color when it's in a clear bottle or in my platypus bladder. I usually treat the water with aquimira drops. A two part system of some kind of chlorine and an activator. I have two 20 oz moxie soda bottles. They are thin enough to fit into my packs side pockets with out getting squished. So the aqua it's comes in two little dropper bottles one with a little cap. Into the cap goes four drops of each. Let it react for five minutes then dump it into the unpurified water and wait 20 minutes. The other day I noticed a kind of bleach stain on the side pocket where I keep my drops. I did not pay it much attention until today when I tried to squeeze 4 drops of chlorine out and the bottle was empty. Nice I thought but I knew I had some backup iodine tablets in my first aid kit. Ever since i got caught in Virginia in freezing weather I have tried to stay away from filters that could freeze up. You could sleep with it I suppose but that would be like going to bed with a cold water bottle. So I went looking for the iodine tablets and they weren't there. 

Then I remembered that I took them out I favor of a new little sawyer filter that I tried and subsequently sent home because I didn't like the set up. I allowed myself the luxury of the filter because I decided really I would not have to worry about freezing filters-I hope. Anyway that means I will have to boil my water for the next couple days. That means no more long cold drinks of water. That means fuel will become an issue. A filter really does give good tasting water. I use the aquamira because it's light and convenient. I'll have to practice with the sawyer filter more. The other problem with using a filter is that when you do get to civilization the town water tastes terrible. We are spoiled at home with such good tasting water coming right out of the ground

61° Mostly Cloudy

Bondville, VT, United States

Stratton Pond
Can't seem to get the colors to show up very well after the sun goes down behind the ridge. Day light hiking hours are getting shorter. Have to plan on getting to a campsite before 4 pm if want to do all the peeved stuff before dark.

58° Mostly Cloudy
West Wardsboro, VT, United States

Styles Peak, Sept 24

Styles Peak, VT
The trail is better in some places than others. If it's not like this, you can cruise for 15 or 20 miles in a day. And most of the trail through the Green Mtns has been pretty accommodating for at least 15 a Day. It all depends on where you are at 2 pm because that's too early to stop. Hiking right up to 6 or 7:00 is doable I just have to get past the uncertainty of getting into a camp site with day light to do camp chores: Get water, set up hammock rinse off, if there's water ( it is so nice to rinse all that sweat off), get into my longies ,cook supper.🔠🐘wow lol at me go with these pictures. I'm heading into Manchester Center and the red sled to pick up a box I mailed myself from Norwich . There's a diner within walking distance so I spend the night and get real home made hash with my eggs in the morning🐼
52° Clear
National Forest District 58, Londonderry, VT, United States

Sept 25 "lies and stories"

Somebody got wicked hungry. Met Grey Jay and Wicked Whina on their way to the long distance hikers meeting . It's sete around the second week in October in one of the towns the trail goes through in MA. I'm learning about all these long trails all over. The long trail goes from the VT/MA border thru to Canada . The southern half coincides with the AT but the northern half is supposed to be very different. The part north of the Maine Junction in Killington and the long trail inn. There's also the Coos trail in NH. And more. Stayed at StrAtton pond shelter. All the local green mountain club caretakers were here. James was here. They are trying to fix up a trail that goes around the pond and is flooded by a beaver dam. All of them seem to have college degrees and spend the season here doing care taker trail maintenance work for what I suspect is less than minimum wage. Had a long chat with one of the fellows about making hard cider, mead and brewing beer from toxins other than a kit. I gotta try some of this. Had a nice campfire lots of good stories and someone passed around a couple cups of spiked cider. Nice stuff.
It was a really good group of youngish people. We told lies and stories and wondered how the AMC became known as the Appalachan Money Club. The green mountain club seems much more laid back. Course their mountains are much more laid back and they only half to deal with a fraction of the people and way fewer New Yorkers….
58° Overcast
Bondville, VT, United States

What a marble coincidence?!

While Judd is posting about marble, I'm at a happy China hour with neighbors, discussing marble and Judd.

Baker Mt. VT
Vermont marble is supposed to be famous. It is greasy stuff to hike on.

60° Mostly Cloudy
Danby, VT, United States

Sept 23 - undies/compression thingies

Woke up at little rock pond shelter it was dang cold and windy. There's a. Are taker here and he comes around in the afternoon with a lot of perked coffee chats and asks for 5$. It's really not a bad arrangement. The shelter is clean and the campsites are well defined. James claims to have tried to fish out front all summer with no luck. Seems hard to believe it's a pretty little pond. There's a couple here renting with a package of bratwurst and they offer me one warmed up hot dog style on a stick. They try to go out in the leaky canoe but the wind is blowing too hard. Did I say it was cold? My hammock works well but only because I have a good insulated blow up mattress that slides into a sleeve on the hammock. If I happen to get too far to one side , off the pad, that side gets durn cold. Also with that good pad I can sleep on the ground or in the shelter with some comfort. Other hammocks fix the cold from below problem with under quilts. Down quilts that hang under the hammock. It might keep you warm but won't give any padding if it's raining and you want to set up in a shelter😁, oohhhh look what I found- emoticons!
43.399° N, 72.955° W

So I woke up in the morning about 7 am and there were about 16 Ross all within 30 ft of shore. James was not really trying. (See the rise in the picture?). He has gone off to another caretakers site apparently to work on a trail that has been flooded by beaver. I've got the system of transitioning from long underwear in my sleeping bag to vertical and hiking. I put my socks on first. Usually everything is still damp and on these morning cold. I let them warm up inside for a bit. Then pull off my bottom longies and get my undies/compression thingies on and my long pants. Then gaters and boots. Then my longies top comes off and the damp stinky yellow hiking shirt goes on and then my red insulated a little rain coat. It's chilly for a bit and sometimes rather than take the towns to heat water for bfast I'll pack up quick and start walking. The warmest 😗🎅 place to be hiking on the trail. The good thing about my pants is that I can zip off the legs and change into gym shorts when I get warmed up. I like hiking in shorts my legs don't feel clammy and sticky. So far I usually end up i yellow hiking shirt and shorts and the yellow hiking shirt gets sweat soaked and did I say that it stinks?
43.399° N, 72.955° W

"A funny little garden" (Sept, 21/22)

"From Sept 21" (arrived today)

Mailed
Microburst really did a number on the trail

62° Partly Cloudy
43.7368° N, 73.0237° W

Ever since Killington I have been hiking on the AT and the southern

 half of the LT. I hear the northern half of the LT is much more difficult. 

This section is pretty doable

54° Partly Cloudy
1601–2099 Spring Lake Rd, North Clarendon, VT, United States

From: <jmthompson79@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 11:37 AM
Subject: Entry: Sep 22, 2014
To: Melanie Thompson <melaniemay.thompson@gmail.com>

White rocks cliff trail. Blue blaze
A funny little garden of sorts that people have made. Maybe if I go on this white rock side hike
I can discover my own white rock to add to the art. Clearly these rocks were stacked wedged
and leaned here by hikers
2805 VT Route 140, East Wallingford, VT, United States

all I got (13 hours ago) from Instagram

"Gttttgg Good dog Alice!"

Gttttgg
Good dog Alice!
I check into the Inn at Long Trail. I get the last room available , in town I think, and pay a premium for it. It's a hundred year old institution apparently ,and the LT used to pass right through it on its way north. It has a very nice Irish pub downstairs. I had a boiled for supper with a cup of beef stew made with business of course. They have a room temperature Guinness draft which involves a three our process. You pour and let it sit, pour and let it sit then pour again, and in the foam on top you make a picture of a harp with the last bit of the last pour. I'm told there was live music but I was long abed. Oh the reason the place was so busy was that they were having the Spartan games . Sort of like a tough kidder except the contestants don't know what bazaar tests of endurance and strength they will be asked to do. Apparently they were up and down Mt. Killington and Mt. Pico all weekend.
50° Overcast
291 Thundering Brook Rd, Killington, VT, United States

The rest of the story.... from Sept 19

Coming into Killington and I have a box waiting for me at the inn at Long Trail. The problem is there's no room available . There istomorrow without the hiker rate and I reserve it. I end up setting up my hammock with 3 other hikers on the lawn of the meadows inn. Still it's 10$ per person and 10$ for AYCE breakfast. I gave the man 20$. Out on the lawn there a newly wed couple I camped with last night. They are bummed that there is no room available- some private function. Bellows ( his name) comes up with a concession for his wife Watermellon. We order out for pizza, there's a place tut will deliver. I'm sort of bent on eating the spaghetti I've carried since who knows where but I succumb. Three peppers and sausage. And it was dang good. It got cold tonight and it was the first time I slept in longies and down jacket.

54° Clear
143–199 Archie Baker Rd, Killington, VT, United States

A cryptic message just in from Sept. 19

jmthompson79@gmail.com	4:48 PM (5 hours ago)
to me

I suggest to bellows and Watermellon that they each keep separate journals and someday put them together in a book. Watermellon said they already were. Now that would be a good book. No catastrophic events driving you to find God on the Appalachian trail and write a book to better man and woman kind. Just two kids , newly weds . On an adventure solving problems and plugging on. Since I had pizza last night I have an extra supper. Spaghetti- not my favorite. On my way to breakfast I leave it with a note for bellows and watermelon. They needed one more supper to make their resupply and this did it. Two days later at one of the hiker registration boxes I see a note that says thanks Fathergoose. Real nice couple. Coming out of breakfast I meet Alice. She's the queen of the grounds and looks just like a little wrinkly hairy pig. She doesn't let the two boys from NY get anywhere near them to take a picture. Maybe it's the Yankees hat. I get to pull her ears, she seems to like that. Today the AT crosses the Long Trail. It's called the Maine trail. North of here the AT heads towards Maine and the Long Trail heads toward Canada. It could just as easily been called the Canada junction. And south of here until the trail head of the LT it coincides with the AT. North of here the rumor is that the LT is very difficult. Ther are also stories circulating about the Coos trail. Coos is the northern most county in NH. I guess the Coos is similar to the Long Trail(LT) in that it goes north to Canada in a rather rugged challenging way.
54° Clear
143–199 Archie Baker Rd, Killington, VT, United States

This in tonight: from Sept 18--Sugar maples and stone walls

 

jmthompson79@gmail.com	4:14 PM (5 hours ago)
to me

Blackberries are coming in
I finally get back onto my AWOL guide with Winthurri shelter. I don't feel like I'm hiking blind anymore. I came over Ascutney mountain today. My parents lived in VT early on and named their first dog Scutney.

Sugar maples and stone walls.
Seems like all day long there have been stone wall, stone foundations and sugar maples. From the looks of the trees growing in and around them it must have been about 150 years ago that this place was clear cut and fields. Goes along with the same era as the grave yard I walked through. This place must have been full of farms. It seems amazing that in a brief 100 years it could all be reduced to these remnants. even the roads can still be seen.
Bethel, VT, United States

"I think I'm ready to come home"

I'm sorry, but if you see the video without the sound it looks like he's been taken prisoner or subject to all manner of torture.   He's okay... It's windy.... He'll be home Oct. 1--    Melanie

jmthompson79@gmail.com	10:11 AM (8 hours ago)
to me

I think I'm ready to come home. A few more days. The end point will be Mt. Greylock. Then Greyhound in Williamstown, MA to Augusta around Oct. 1.
Ttfn


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a fellow SOBO-er makes good time.....

Father Goose featured prominently for a day in this AT-SOBO hiker's journey:

http://www.appalachiantrials.com/humbled-monson-to-stratton/

Dayna hiked on when Judd got off the trail for dental appointment, Caratunk festivities and ultimate diarrhea.


http://www.appalachiantrials.com/author/dayna-thomas/

Lost in the cloud pictures FOUND!

It turns out I've been cutting and pasting Judd's emails directly into the blog and only I could see the pictures (as blogmaster) -- no one else could. So, I've gone back a few posts and re-downloaded and uploaded the original pics for your viewing pleasure. There's really only one of Judd:  The "He made it to Hanover" post from Sept 14.

Salamanders from Sept 17

Up and up and out of Norwich VT--seems like the road goes straight up for about a mile out of Norwich. The tral follows. Right before it turns into the woods there are a couple of houses with coolers and trail angle signs. One of the places has a list of all the volunteers in hanover and Norwich that will let you spend the night in their basement or barn for free. I wish some one had put this on the north side of town for the SOBO's instead of only on the south side for the NOBOs .

I keep seeing these little salamanders in the trail. They are so bright it looks like they should be plastic.
Because I lost my guide I'm sort of walking with just a map. I feel a little naked not having all the sights and water holes identified . I'll get to Thistle shelter and then Winthurri shelter and the. My resupplies guide kicks in.

It must be Vermont. Maple sugar tubes are all over the place. Not working now but ready. I am also amazed at the stone wall. This place was all farmland a hundred years ago and the stone walls are still here. Some of the cap stones are giant. I can't figure out how they were placed without days of labor. There are even foundations. You can see the layout of house barn shed all built out of stone. The trail is sort of an up and down thing. I still slow right down on the up hill. I think it's best not to plan to carry more than 5 days of food. Keep it light!
64° Clear
808–998 Sugar House Rd, West Hartford, VT, United States

Tyrannosaurus

Another only-in-Vermont-thing on the sandwich board. When I woke up it was pouring rain. I'll spend another night here. The budget seems to have gotten completely out of hand. I think part of it is that the trail goes through these vacation resort places and not little country towns. It cleared up in the afternoon and I went for a walk. I liked this sign. A meeting of the annex book club. I wandered around a cemetery too. This place must have really been hopping mid-nineteenth century. Some stones went back to 1700.
Come to find out Sue was packed up and shipped off to her next venue. They said it took 6 tractor trailer trucks to move the most complete Tyrannosaurus skeleton ever found. And I missed it by a week. I went to the very cool book store next door and finally got a book to carry. West With the Night -- A sort of autobiography of Beryl Markham. A woman who grew up in Kenya flying airplanes and training horses. She was the first to cross the Atlantic flying east to west. I like it so far.
61° Mostly Cloudy
368 Main St, Norwich, VT, United States

Little Free Library from Sept. 15

VT-NH marker on Wheelock Bridge over the Connecticut River

Doing my best to get up and down Main Street. Picked up my packages at the post office. Got Solomon to replace the boots I wore out in the whites and send them to me here, general delivery. The box I picked up at The Barn in Gorham that was supposed to get me back to the Bigelows is here for my change of plans and resupply to go south. I remembered about three days ago that there were two fuel canisters in the box that I has asked the post office to forward. Oops. I figured the Feds were going to nail me for some obscene fine. Stopped at Aubechon hardware and got Velcro for my new boots to hold on my old gaters.This is where I'll UPS my box to the next resupply the Inn at Long Trail. I keep running on circles. It's kind of fun wandering around Hanover. Especially since I sort of know my way around

I went to the community center to do my laundry . Sat in a little room in the basement in some lost and found shorts so I could wash everything, EVERYTHING ! There was even a shower available. Then went shopping at the CO-OP. What fun. I've given up thinking I'm going to eat peanut butter for lunches. I splurged on granola bars . I figure it's only a couple mile walk to  Norwich where I'm going to stay at the “hiker rat” at the Norwich Inn. On the way I see the banners and am reminded that T-Rex “Sue” is at the Montshire . Off I go, I'd heard about this a month ago. I got to the gate 27 minutes before closing and I still had a bit of a walk to get there. So I turned around and headed for Norwich. I passed a sign that said King Arthur Flour .6 mile away. I decided to keep walking. Got to the Inn in no time and went straight to Dan and Whits for instant oatmeal for my breakfasts. I really wish I could find instant grits. I have really grown to dislike instant oatmeal. Although the last time I made it I put the hot water right into the little package. Works ok if you are careful and wearing gloves and if you are wearing gloves your hands are probably cold anyway. I also got 50 feet of para odd for a bear/food bag hang if I need to. I seem to have lost my other one. And I got a postcard. And when I asked the cashier if she had a stamp she reached down into her purse and gave me one of hers. It was a Dan and Whits postcard.
63° Clear
W Wheelock St, Hanover, NH, United States

A new State with free beer

I thought selfies reversed the image. Shouldn't these letters be backward? A new state! Vermont. I confess I stayed at the Hanover Inn one night mostly because I couldn't find a hostel also because it was so close to all my chores. Oh, and Main Street which was fun and full of good food. And now I'm headed for the Norwich Inn which will be a little more affordable. At least they have a hiker rate. I think I've wanted to stay there ever since we say it sitting there beside Dan and Whits. They have their own brewery and give you a free beer when you check in! And Dan and Whits is all kinds of entertainment. Kind of like Husseys except in half the space. And the AT goes right by it. And there's a post office and there's a free bus that will take you almost anywhere in the upper valley. I got Kentucky Fried Chicken in West Lebanon.
W Wheelock St, Hanover, NH, United States

He made it to Hanover - Sept. 14!

Made it to Hanover
56° Clear
2–3 W Wheelock St, Hanover, NH, United States

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