Wednesday, August 19 10:32 pm 12.7 AT miles 14.5 total mi
AT 1636.4 Kelley Stand → AT 1649.1 Prospect Rock/Manchester Center, VT Chalet Motel
Weather: Cool and overcast
Trail Conditions: BEAUTIFUL! Gentle, gorgeous climb up to Stratton Mountain, the view that inspired Benton Mackaye. Stratton Pond is beautiful as well.
My Condition: Grateful for a town day! I stink and I’m chafing from all the salt. Shower, town food – great night!
Hikers met: 5-Oh, Snorlax
Heard a loon at the Stratton Pond area – such a cool sound! Starting to see more SOBOs, and catching up to some NOBOs. Met thru hiker 5-Oh, who Hummingbird and Puddles hiked with pre-pandemic. He seems like a really nice guy, plus he helped distract Hummingbird at Ben and Jerry’s during our head to head pint competition. Boots on the Moooooon! She was leading most of the way, seemingly half trying as I frantically shoveled chocolate ice with chocolate asteroids, toffee cows, and sugar cookie bits into my mouth just trying to stay competitive. With Jock Jamz laying the perfect melody for a comeback, I surged to a second wind and to victory, shocking EVERYONE. She wants a rematch. Darn, more ice cream. My butt was beyond chafed, but every single store in this dang town has shut down their restrooms. I went in the woods behind the laundromat to wipe my butt with a baby wipe and powder up, bringing some much needed relief.
Post Trail Analysis
What a great day! After the long, gravel downhill road walk from the trail, we got a ride from Charlie, owner of the Itsy Bitsy Farm Hostel. He was incredibly friendly during our looong ride to their place. He is one of the few regional shuttle drivers, and unfortunately needed to run and make a pickup for a hiker that was left high and dry by another shuttle driver’s no-show as soon as he dropped us off. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite the experience we were looking for – we were hoping to hit the outfitter, grab food in town, and resupply, and without a convenient way into town, and way out of walking distance, sadly that wasn’t an option here. We ended up finding a taxi into town and booking a hotel room at the Chalet, which was within easy walking distance from the bottom of that long, gravel downhill roadwalk where we started from. Charlie and co – it wasn’t you, it was me! Thank you all for your hospitality!
Got a delicious burrito from Cilantro and replaced my trekking poles which had served me incredibly well but were falling apart – missing tips and baskets, sections bent up, cork handles ripping apart piece by piece, locks slipping and poles spontaneously changing length on me when I needed them most. Ben and Jerry’s has a Vermonster, which is 20 scoops of ice cream, 4 bananas, 3 cookies, a brownie, 4 servings of caramel or hot fudge, 10 scoops of walnuts, a thick layer of whipped cream, and 2 spoonfuls of 4 toppings of your choice, all served in a bucket for you and your friends for the low price of about $40. Rather than cooperate, Hummingbird and I opted for competition. They ought to make an epic Rocky-esque movie about my victory today, complete with a montage, inspirational soundtrack, t-shirts, merchandise, the works. This town, for all its charm, really didn’t want anyone using its restrooms. I must have tried at 5 different places, only to find they were out of order or closed for COVID. Tonight in our hotel we watched North Woods Law in preparation for our journey into New Hampshire and Maine.
The thrill of victory
The agony of defeat
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