It rained until around ten this morning, at times hard. I finally managed to get out and pick up some stuff at a convenience store and ran into Doppleganger and Language Barrier. They said about a dozen hikers got flooded out of the woods about three this morning and hiked out in the storm by headlamp. They're all over at the Howard Johnson hotel.
It stayed cloudy all day and looked to be clearing around two. I wasn't fooled, and sure enough, when I went to supper it opened up on me. I didn't get too wet. The forecast is still for it to clear overnight, although it will still be cloudy all day tomorrow and it might rain a bit around noon. I'll shoot for Cogdon shelter at fourteen miles out.
8/12/15 - Congdon shelter
I knew that Beerman was going to catch up to me sometime, I just wasn't sure if he'd pass me while I was in Williamstown. This morning I checked Facebook at breakfast and he'd posted a picture from his hotel looking out at the rain yesterday. I knew immediately where he was, the picture was of the Williamstown Motel, where I was staying! So I called his room and after breakfast, the motel owner drove us both back to the trail.
It was still pretty damp this morning and I pushed hard going up the hill out of town. As a result I got very sweaty and my shirt was soaked. Tonight my back is chafed and sore.
The trail was not too muddy, just a little boggy in spots, so I made my usual pace. Four miles into the day, we crossed into Vermont. That's eleven states down, three to go! Beerman, Wildcat and I got our picture taken by a SOBOer named Cakes. Not long after, we crossed the 1600 mile point. Shortly after lunch I started running into more SOBOers. At some power lines, Waterbug was admiring the view, so I took some pics of him with his camera. He was very happy, he was born in Massachusetts and felt he was coming home.
At about mile 1604, the trail passes close to, but out of sight of a Lake Hancock. It must be remote, because I heard loons calling.
I reached the shelter about four thirty and discovered that my SPOT device had gotten turned off about two forty five. I'm not sure how that happened, the batteries are new. Not long after I got here, a SOBO named Stretch showed up. So did a group including Young Gun, Rainbow, and Yeti. They're all slack packing up to the road to Bennington. Beerman got in just as an unexpected thunderstorm started up. It cleared off after thirty minutes, but another came over about six and it rained until nearly seven. It'll be another drippy morning I guess.
8/13/15 - Goddard shelter
It was damp but not too bad when I left Congdon this morning. I was sweated through in minutes due to the humidity, so I walked in wet clothes all day. I swear southern Vermont, who knows yet maybe the whole state, is one big after another and all on top of mountains! Too weird!
The drop to VT9 (Bennington) was steep and slippery, really eroded trail with huge stepping rocks. The climb out was just about as steep but not as bad. At Hell Brook Hollow, the fairly new wood bridge over the creek is closed, I guess because the footings are in danger of crumbling after being washed out. So I had to ford. Fortunately the water is down, even after last night's rains.
From VT9, the trail climbs almost continuously to the top of Glastenbury Mountain. Goddard shelter is just below the summit. I decided to stop here because despite the sunshine late today, the temps never got out of the sixties. Camping on the summit tonight will be cold.
Beerman is here tonight, and so are a couple of Long Trail hikers. One is a woman with her dog, they live in Austin,TX. The other is a man from Michigan, who goes by the Legend.
Young Gun and Rainbow hiked through, they are going for sunset on the summit the a four mile night hike to the next shelter.
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