15 miles (28 Total)
Congdon Shelter to Glastonbury Mountain
42.97742, -73.07162
We slept okay for the first night and morning soon came, along with a light drizzle that only lasted a moment. It was still humid and warm, and everything was sticky and gross, something we will have to get used to.
First light is really early here in Vermont, around 5:15 AM. And we were up around then, sleeping on and off for another hour or so. We finally gathered our things and were off hiking by around quarter to eight.
The green tunnel continued and we walked again through dense forest, hopping and maneuvering our way around copious amounts of mud, slick rocks and slippery roots. It reminded me how slow this Trail can be sometimes. A mile out here is far longer than a mile on the Pacific Crest, and probably twice as slow as a mile on the Camino.
Nearing the end of the day we ran into a large group of guys by Goddard Shelter that had passed us during the morning. As we sat near the shelter having a snack, one of the guys walked by us and he looked really familiar to me, like someone we had known on the PCT last year.
“Does that guy look familiar to you?” I asked Carolyn. “From the PCT? I think we camped with him one night before Sierra City.”
“Kind of. I think his name was Muffin.”
When ‘Muffin’ walked by again, I asked him: “Your name isn’t Muffin, is it? Did you hike the PCT last year?”
He laughed. “Yeah, it is. I thought you looked familiar, too, but I was like, there’s absolutely no way I know these people.”
We chatted with Muffin for awhile and talked about what we had been up to for the past year. He actually has ridden the Southern Tier as well, and had e-mailed me late last fall with some pointers.
He is hiking the Long Trail with 6 friends from College, and they started yesterday as well.
What a small world.
It actually baffles me that we ran into him. What are the chances of something like that happening? A million in one? A billion?
I should quit hiking now and by a PowerBall ticket.
Tonight the black flies are out in force. We had to wear our headnets and pants to set up the tent. The zipper on one side of the tent is nonfunctioning, so we both have to get in on the same side of the tent too. This isn’t ideal when there are so many bugs out. But there isn’t much we can really do.
There is supposed to be really bad storms tomorrow, with potential for torrential downpours in excess of 2 inches per hour. I hope we can get to the next shelter in time before we have to walk in that mess. We bought some ponchos this time around, from Walmart, so I’m not sure if I feel better or worse about walking in the rain. I think they will be good. They are from a reputable company, and they can go over our packs too, which is nice.
As I sit here writing this, two flies have just flown into my left eyeball. I can’t get them out.
This trail isn’t going to be easy, is it?
