Friday, August 23, 2019
Big day today. I had to cover almost 15 miles to meet my friend Mike at the trailhead on VT-11/30 by 2:00 p.m. to get to the post office before it closed. I had my dad send my final resupply box there with the meals I needed for the final few days. It was Friday so if I didn't make it, I'd be seriously delayed.
I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and got under way at 6:00 a.m. It always takes a while for me to get out of camp. There's the privy visit first thing. Then I have to retrieve my "bear bag," the bag of food that I hang from a limb on a tree a little ways away from camp. This protects it from bears and other critters. After that, I have to break down my tent and organize my gear. Then it's time to eat a little breakfast and boil water for coffee, the latter being important to get this old engine started. After I finish breakfast, I refill my water bottles, pack everything away in my backpack, and hit the trail.
I had four mountains on the agenda to get to my meetup - Baker Peak, Peru Peak, Styles Peak, and Bromley Mountain. I hiked with purpose and felt great. It was a beautiful day and with plenty of cool views and a mountain pond.
Bromley was the fourth and final mountain and I got to the summit just before noon. Fellow southbounders, Zach and Francesca, were there having lunch. Bromley is a ski resort and has a nice, grassy open space at the summit. A perfect place for a picnic! I talked to them for a little while, knowing I was on schedule and would get to my destination on time.
I finished up the rest of the miles and arrived at the trailhead at 1:40 p.m. Mike arrived 10 minutes later. I love when a plan comes together. We picked up my box at the post office and then got a pizza (real food!). My water filter was clogging again so we stopped at an outfitter to get a replacement. After a cup of coffee, Mike dropped me off at the Green Mountain House Hiker Hostel. Jeff and Duffy welcomed me and gave me an overview of the nice amenities they provide. A neat, well-run place that caters to hikers.
I did my laundry and then used the computer they made available for hikers to watch my beloved Liverpool Reds beat Southampton. It was a great day. Now it was the Massachusetts border or bust. Just a few more days with 53.4 miles out of 273ish to go..
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