Today’s elevation profile looks like bleeps on a cardiac monitor with many ups and downs. I feared that last night’s heavy rains would leave the trails gushing with water, but they were just ordinarily muddy. When Dennis came through here in 2008, the mud was knee-deep. At one point, the mud sucked off his boot, and he had to reach down into the mud to extract it. Guess I have no reason to whine.
At first, I tried to avoid the worst of the mud. After a while, it made little difference, and my feet got dirty and wet. My athletic shoes are not holding up to the rocks, roots, and rain. I need to replace them with more durable footwear.
We stopped at the Kid Gore Shelter for lunch. There, we met “Rusty Foot” and “Pub,” two hikers who stayed with us last night. Pub, in his late seventies, wanted to go on, but his companion wanted to stay. It was comical to see them make a decision—like old married couples. The shelter had a capacity for eight hikers and a beautiful lookout. I’m sure they were happy there that night.
We camped at the Story Spring Shelter. I took my first cold-water sponge bath, using soap for environmental reasons. Though I looked cleaner, I did not smell fresher. I’m looking forward to getting to town and to a hot shower with fragrant soap and shampoo.
Dennis and I accept that we are slow. We will get to Canada when we get there, no matter how long it takes. Not having time limitations is one of the advantages of being retired. I hope you will continue to follow along as we creep through the Green Mountains.
