Day 32: Driving home!

Woke up, drank some coffee, Ellen and John went to work. Weighed ourselves, Chad lost 6 lbs, I lost 2. We helped ourselves to some hash browns, eggs, sausage, cherries and yogurt for breakfast, packed up our stuff and hit the road. We are on our way to Syracuse to Chad's parents' house to sort/clean our gear. Then I'm back to Buffalo tonight! excited to sleep in my own bed! Will post pics from camera soon (fb and some online album). Also, it is amazing/depressing that it takes 10 hours to hike 20 miles, and less than 20 minutes to drive 20 miles...

Day 31: Exit Plan and Culture Shock

Took a taxi from Peru, VT to Bennington, VT. As we stepped out of the van, saw our friend we met our first night, Johnny Walker, walking right past us! He had gotten off the trail for a few weeks and had just hopped back on! What a cooincidence! Chatted with him until Amy and Steve came to pick us up (thanks guys!). We had lunch with them and they took us to the train station in Poukeepsie, NY. We took the train to Grand Central Station. Walked through NYC with our packs, got some funny looks, or people just avoided eye contact with us...to Penn Station, where we took another train to Summit, NJ. Ellen picked us up there and took us to their house (where the deHavillands so kindly let me keep my car for a month) and we spent the night.

Day 30: our last day on the trail :(

we woke up in a cloud because we were in the mountains, and got an early start to the day (7 of us on the trail by 8...well 8:14). It was a 6 mile hike to the road which takes you into town. we started hiking with everybody, because we had a silly plan: whenever we passed by another hiker, Jack Rabbit would play "Chariots of Fire" on his iPod and we would all hike dramatically in slow motion past them. To add to the awkwardness, Larb and Handstand didn't wear pants. Good times. We parted ways because we had a cottage reserved in Peru, VT and they had to go to Manchester Center (laundry, post office). awe checked into Johnny Seesaw's, which was a nice ski lodge and restaurant, and they even picked us up at the trail. We showered, lounged, started eating peanut butter and nutella out of jars then decided to go into town for some real food. called a taxi service and got a ride from a crazy man named Leonard. We ate at Friendly's (3rd time) then met our friends at the laundry mat.  Doing laundry on the trail can be awkward, because everything you have is filthy, and you want to wash it...so you end up wearing nothing but rain coat and rain pants (Raindancer), or swim trunks. I wish i had a picture of this scene. Then, we hung out in the motel room they were all sharing, ate some pizza, watched some Lord of the Rings, then I got a migrane and we said our goodbyes :( went back to our cottage and crashed for the night.

Day 29: 21 Miles

Traveling with a group can really make you pick up the pace. we did 21 miles miles, including up and over Stratton Mountain (3961 ft). Pink Floyd is really fast, he was up ahead, scouting out a place we could all stay. left us notes on the trail telling us where to go. I was the last one in, at 7:30pm. Solid 12 hours of hiking, boy we were tired. Luckily, we had some extra food, so we had 2 dinners. then we had a hot chocolate festival. everybody enjoyed french vanilla, amaretto, and mint hot chocolates as well as some hot apple cider with tullamore dew. we had a very strange bug net burning ceremony and called it a night :)

Day 28: Hitch-hiking!

hitching out of Bennington! in the back of a pickup truck. 7 of us :)

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Day 27: The Vortex

summited Consultation Mtn. and hiked 13 miles to the VT 9. Grabbed a shuttle into Bennington. We are staying at a place called "The Vortex" it is a free hostel run by an art teacher and her family. She offers her couches, front porch, barn and woods behind her house to AT hikers. She says that her house is our house, we can shower (she has soap, shampoo and towels) and use the kitchen, computer. living room, etc. she has a room full of musical instruments for people to jam. picture is of the barn, some hikers playing pool. there is a whole wall of thank yous from hikers. Friendly's is 2 doors down. we went with some friends we have been hiking with and all ordered "fatty melts" (not what they are called on the menu. burger made with grilled cheeses instead of a bun, i had a boca burger) and milkshakes and lots of calories. right now, the girls are braiding the guys beards,
hangin out in the barn. in the morning "pink floyd" is making us all pancakes from scratch. :)

Day 26: Into Vermont!

I'm in Vermont! Bam! The AT follows the Vermont Long Trail (273 miles, goes north into Canada) for 105 miles. I wonder what the liquor laws are in VT... 3 more miles to the shelter, already went 13, lots of steep hills. I would say it has been our toughest day so far. ready for dinner, and bed.

Day 26: Mt. Greylock

left camp at 7:15am, summited Saddle Ball Mtn (3238ft) and Mt Greylock (3491ft). A lighthouse sits at trhe summit (and smells like urine inside) as a tribute to soldiers of MA. On a clear day you can see the Green Mtns of VT, Catskills and Taconic Mtns. We will have an overpriced 2nd breakfast ay Bascom Lodge up here, and might even stick around for lunch so Chad can have a burger. Food tastes better on top of a mountain. PS: I saw a girl eat a "breakfast burrito" this morning that consisted of a tortilla with nutella and m&m's. this is socially acceptable among hikers, and I need to get some tortillas.

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Day 25: Cheshire MA & up

Dan headed back to his car with a group of hikers going the same direction. We headed up up up. Summited North Mountain, which had a great view at "The Cobbles" I wish I took my phone up there to show you the view, but it was uphill and off the trail so we dropped our packs. You could see the little town of Cheshire which the trail goes through, a lake, and Mt. Greylock. Greylock is the highest peak in MA. We were excited to hike through Cheshire because there is a ice cream shop, an outfitters (we need a VT map soon!) and a pizza place. Ice cream shop: closed. Outfitters: closed. Pizza Shop: closed. Well great. We ended up going to a gas station just past the town and getting cold drinks and some unhealthy carbs. After the gas station it was up up up. We are close to the summit now, staying at the shelter. There was a forecast for T-storms and we heard thunder so we ended
early at the Mark Neopel shelter. Full house (20?). Played pass the pigs with new friends (pic).

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