105.5

We reached Maine Junction yesterday after a brief hike from Churchill Scott shelter. It had been a pretty great couple of days- my sister drove out from central NH to feed us vegetables,  and seeing family after a week on the trail was like a shot of love directly into the nervous system. Yesterday,after a shower and a light nap, we had dinner with other non-trail friends at the Inn at the Long Trail. Today we head north, saying goodbye to the AT friends we’ve made, as that trail veers eastward towards NH.

My feet are holding up remarkably well, and the trail runners I’ve been hiking in dry out quickly once the rain ends. I’ve made a few other changes from my days on the AT- I’m hiking with gaiters to keep sand out of my shoes, and use body glide between my toes to keep the blisters in check. 

My sleep hasn’t been great- my neo air and sleeping bag are very slippery, and at night I slip and slide all over the place like a flopping fish out of water.  A few nights ago I slipped off my pad and fell out of a shelter bed, waking up mid fall, and banged my elbow on the way down. It was only about a foot fall, so no damage done, just a bit to my pride when I told Moped about it in the morning.  I’ve had a few other falls, most recently up Killington, where I tripped over something, and twisted around to grab a small tree. The tree snapped, and I handed hard on my back, my backpack breaking my fall. I was briefly stuck there, upside down, like a turtle resting on its shell, legs akimbo. Not my most graceful moment.

I continue to love every moment of this trail- the beautiful ponds with loons calling in the twilight, and the rivers and streams with water so cold that a dunk in gives me a dizzy feeling. The views of Vermont’s Green Mountains, with occasional glimpses of theAdirondacks to the west and New Hampshire to the east. The way I feel in my body, even when tired: strong, beautiful, and wild. And, of course, having someone to share every moment with, from the delight of a surprise porcupine chilling in a pile of mulch by a privy, to irritation over finding that a mouse nibbled it’s way through our food bag, sampling both the trail mix and the cheese. I’m so glad that Moped and I found one another, and that the delight of hiking continues to bring us even closer.