Williamstown, MA to Manchester, VT

Mile 1654

We're in Vermont? And entering New Hampshire this week? How did this happen?

"What are you doing? My pants are still down from my bathroom break!" "Don't worry, it's not in the picture."

We're currently at the Green Mountain House Hostel in Manchester. This place is great. It is a lovely home dedicated to thru hikers, equipped with a full kitchen, large tv and dvd collection, fast computer/internet connection, wifi, three bedrooms, clean bathroom, toiletries, washer/dryer, Ben & Jerry's in the freezer, etc. There are 7 thru hikers here tonight, some of which we have known for a while and some new friends as well. Most of us got food at the grocery store and cooked together for a family style dinner.  We wish we could stay longer, but our ride is coming tomorrow morning to take us to church.

After our lovely stay in Williamstown, we planned to be in Manchester by Saturday night to be able to go to church.  It's much easier to push yourself to do a big hiking day when you know you're going to a town.  We've started running into some southbounders! Southbounders, or sobos, are hikers that started in Maine and are hiking south to Georgia.  They usually start June 1 or after, so northbounders don't meet them until the northern states.  Sobos are interesting to talk to because they have been on the trail for considerably less time but have hiked the sections we haven't.  While the ones we've met have been very nice, we kind of avoid talking about upcoming terrain with them.  I like to remember some good advice I once heard: "Nothing is as bad or as good as other hikers make it out to be."

Lunch break at a pond

Can you spot the trail magic? Soda & Coors in the stream. Beau partook in the former, Mackenzie in neither.

We were happy to stop by the outfitter in town.  I had to buy a new shirt after mine was lost. I had secured it to the back of my pack to dry after washing it in a stream.  After a few miles I checked and it was gone. Woops. Being limited to one hiking shirt stinks (pun!).  We also had packages to pick up. Both of us have new shoes for the last 530 miles, the third pair for each of us.  We are also picking up our cold weather gear again.  For the summer months, we ditched our heavier sleeping bags for fleece liners and blankets.  These have been perfect for the past several weeks, but it's starting to get cold at night again and we are glad to have our warm sleeping bags again.  It's still warm during the day... I wouldn't mind the temps going down a tad more because I hate my clothes smelling so bad from all the sweat!

We are so excited for the last quarter of the trail. This section is known for being the most challenging but also the most beautiful. Can't wait!