Vermont
Bromley Mountain, 3,260 feet
Killington Peak, 3,900 feet
"If only we'd stop trying to be happy
we could have a pretty good time."
Journal Entry 7.5.00
"Staying in the warming hut on top of Bromley Mountain tonight with Good Vibe, No Whey, and Horses Trot. The sunset up here was incredible. The weather today was perfect for the first time in a long time…"
July 2000.
In Killington, my friends Paul and Nancy and their friend Mick met me on the trail and treated me to a hotel for a night. Well of course I opened the invitation to the other thru-hikers and we had 6 people in the room (Good Vibe, No Whey, Goodwheels, Butter, Wondergimp, and Woodchuck). We all had dinner at the Inn at the Long Trail. Nancy stayed with us while we drank beers and listened to the live Irish music. Woodchuck (aka "Upchuck") had a few beers too many and got "a little sick" in the hotel room. The next day Paul, Nancy and Mick left, we all went back to the trail, and Woodchuck stayed in town to recover.
Vermont turned out to be my favorite state on the trail for several reasons: beautiful, well-graded, well-maintained, and well-marked trail, lots of big pine trees, great weather, and an awesome radio station.
No Whey's dad drove up from Massachusetts to meet her on the trail in Danby, VT and invited Good Vibe, Horses Trot and me to stay in their hotel room for the night. We took showers, did laundry and then went to the movies (saw "Perfect Storm"). It was so exciting to do something "normal" after so much hiking. That night he took us all out to dinner and the next day he drove us back to the trail.
They say that when you get to New Hampshire you have done more than 75% of the trail but less than 50% of the work. The southbounders love to hear that because in their minds the rest of the trail is easy for them. The northbounders hate to hear that though because they cannot imagine only having completed 50% of the work after being on the trail for so long and having covered such a large distance. I didn't believe it when I got to NH, but looking back I'd have to say that the saying is probably true. The hardest, steepest, rockiest, and most rugged and exposed parts of the entire trail were just ahead.
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