Vermud Lives up to Her Name!

I'm currently in Woodstock Vermont, with 20 Trail miles left to Hanover New Hampshire. This hike has been a significantly different challenge from the Thru-hike attempt. It has been bounded by logistical concerns that have infected the hike a little and made it very difficult to just relax and walk. First and foremost has been Southwest Airlines losing all my gear, which they have yet to recover and have not the first idea where to look to find it. I spent two hiking days looking around for cheap gear that would get me on my way. The second big challenge is a lack of a clear goal. I have three weeks and so am hiking North as far as I can in hopes of getting close enough to finish with one trip next year but not knowing the terrain intimately I really don't know how far that is. I really miss my Trail family and with the NOBOs here now (those running up the Trail) I don't get much of a chance to get to know them and I'm faster than most section hikers so I am in a quiet and solo bubble. It has been a little lonely and it is hard to overestimate how much friends keep you motivated in a thru-hike. Lastly is the concern of getting to the bluegrass festival in New York for which I have tickets. It is a simple 4 hr drive but the transit system here is designed to go to Boston and NYC neither of which is helpful for Oak Hill New York. It has been difficult to motivate with all of these external and actually not terribly important concerns.
Vermont itself has been lovely with a few really good climbs and beautiful ponds. The trail especially in the southern part has been a mud bog. It ate the leather of my first pair of Five Fingers. I switched to the Nylon ones, much better. I had great stays with the great people at The Green Mountain Hiker Hostel in Manchester Center and The Inn on the Long Trail near Killington. I played red light, green light with a juvenile moose who refused to get off the Trail for about a half an hour.
I will miss Vermont but am looking forward to the serious business of the Whites and the remoteness of Maine.
Sadly I wont have but a few fuzzy camera pictures of this part as Southwest has my hiking camera too.

An adventure just getting back.

I am poised to return to Bennington and resume my walk. In order to do this though, I have had my dogsitter cancel on a few weeks notice, Southwest airlines lost all my gear, I split open my toe, and I have scrambled and scrounged to put together the cheapest camp I could manage to get me walking. As always the walking is the easy part.

The Surreal Hop into a Past Life

So I'm halfway on my journey to Damascus for Trail Days and a week in last summers life. Some trail magic, some hiking, and some wonderful reunions. I'll have pictures and stories as the week progresses.