Antsy and Cliffhanger met us as planned in North Adams, MA, but we ended up taking another zero day in town rather than hiking on. We made this decision after overindulging at the Mexican restaurant Desperados Mex, at which hikers eat free (excluding drinks and desserts)! They didn’t advertise this deal; the waitress just slipped it into conversation casually as we were ordering the daily special: “I’ll just take the dollar off your drinks since hikers don’t pay for food.” Once we actually understood that our meals would be free, we were quite happy to take our time and order extra drinks.
That night we took advantage of the pool and hot tub at the Holiday Inn and then watched a Law and Order marathon. Finally, the next morning we hitched back to the trail and entered Vermont. Here’s Drop (left) and Gold Bond (right) as they crossed a walking bridge in North Adams.
The AT in Vermont overlaps the Long Trail for 105 miles.
Unfortunately the first day we learned why Vermont has the nickname VerMUD!
On the second day I climbed a tower on Glastenbury Mountain and had great views of much of Vermont.
I passed many beaver ponds and lots of moose poop, so hopefully it won’t be long until I see a moose. Here’s a shot of my foot next to some moose tracks on the trail.
At the end of the day I tented to avoid the bugs. When I woke up the next morning, everyone else was long gone. Apparently while the early bird gets the worm, the late hiker gets the trail magic! I left the shelter close to 10am and met trail angel Paddy-O at the first road crossing. I stopped for an hour and was treated to great conversation and delicious food from the back of his truck. I enjoyed ice cold milk, honey buns, hot calzones, root beer, and a can of beer for the road.
After that, I climbed to the top of Stratton Mountain, where Benton MacKaye conceived the idea for the AT. I climbed a fire tower and was treated to more great views of everything around me.
I also met three older women on a section hike who recommended that I stop at Stratton Pond on the other side of the mountain. I took their advice and enjoyed my beer while dipping my feet in Stratton Pond.
When I showed up at camp that night, people were glad to see me alive but not happy to learn that they missed Paddy-O.
Slower Than That Bear, But Faster Than You 