Author Archives: atsioneva

It’s been a weird couple of days. But right now I am sitting in a McDonald’s in Chicopee, MA, waiting for sister, brother-in-law and father to arrive. So I will update this blog; it deserves updating.

Yesterday was only a seven mile day, from a shelter into Rutland. I did not sleep in thougb; I was so restless, I was up and gone by 7:30.

Bear Mountain was the first obstacle… This is the third Bear Mountain I have climbed, btw. NY, CT, VT. Some originality, please! Anyway, this is one of those mountains that went on forever, and, in fact, because it had no clear summit with a view, the only reason I knew I had passed the top was when the path began descending!

After Bear Mountain, though, it was pretty easy, though I still had to be careful on the climb down to Clarendon Gorge – layers upon layers of pine needles made the steep slope incredibly slippery. The hiking poles were invaluable here! Along the way, there was a great view of Rutland Airport from on high. Oh, and somewhere along the way, while cleaning sweat off the glasses, I lost one of the nose-cushions that hold the glasses firmly on your nose, so I had to switch to my backup pair – the raw metal would have rubbed my nose raw. I need to get them fixed.

The Mill River is what cut the gorge, and it had many swimming holes, though I did not take advantage – yet. When I reached that point, I was only .1 miles from the parking lot, but one final obstacle – the swinging suspension bridge above the gorge. It gave me a very bad case of vertigo, but I got across! Go me!

At the parking lot, I contacted a former hiker who did shuttles to the hiker hostel in Rutland for just $3, which is an incredibly cheap price for a shuttle! Grateful to be sitting on solid ground until his arrival 15 min later.

Okay, how do I describe the hostel? It was… It had a truly unique vibe. There was a hiker lounge, a broad deck, a deli downstairs, separate men’s and women’s bunkrooms, and it’s run by a cult. But I was assured by reputable hostel owners before that if I did not open the door by bringing up religion, nothing would be said, and that proved to be the case. They were extremely hospitable, offering a complimentary cold glass of tea the minute I walked in. It was very good, too! Stays were paid for by willing donation, or work for stay – they have an organic farm that hikers will often do a day’s labor on as a zero day and break from routine, in lieu of money. That was not an option for me, though it was an intriguing idea. Their deli had some great food, too, and a complimentary breakfast was offered at 7:30 – eggs, rice?, excellent homemade pumpernickel toast, homemade carrot cake, fruit, and coffee. I ate way too much for a day I was not hiking in, but the food was good! Even the rice. 🙂

It was so tempting to go back to sleep after that big a breakfast,but I had things to do. By 10:30, I was at the car rental place, filling out forms for a car way bigger than I needed, but it was the smallest they had. Then I headed south, and it felt all wrong from the beginning. I hadn’t driven in almost 3 months, I was passing towns I had hiked past or through, and it just felt wrong. Too fast, too easy. Eventually that feeling wore off, but really…

About 15 miles from my destination, I could see a storm getting ready to break, and I was about 3 hours early, so I pulled over at a Barnes and Noble bookstore, had some hot soup, and hung around for an hour or so, while the storm raged outside. Eventually, after getting lost a few times (no GPS), I made it to the motel where I will crash tonight. Once everyone arrives – looking forward to seei,g them so much!

The next couple days are going to be very confusing. Tomorrow I will be in Amherst, attending my brother’s retirement from the AF ceremony; Saturday I return to Rutland and turn in the rental car, then the plan is to hike about 18 miles over Saturday and Sunday, either to Killington or the next Rutland road crossing. If Killington, I will take a bus back to Rutland; if not, I will catch a shuttle back to Rutland, rent a car again on Monday. I plan to head north, nearly to the Canadian border, to visit my little sister Meg and stay a few days. Truthfully, a week off the trail before I hit the hardest states (NH and Maine), is something I sorely need. Pun intended. It will give my feet a respite, and renew my strength and will to keep going! The last few days have just felt like going through the motions, no real enthusiasm.

I pause.

Oh, I was lazy, knowing I was only doing 10 miles today. (Yes, I know, “only” 10 miles… But truthfully, that has become a short day, somehow.) I did not hit the trail until 9 am.

The first five miles draaaaagged. I don’t have much to say about them. They just dragged. Very nondescript, dusty, buggy miles. It started turning around once I hit Rock Island Pond, at the 5 mile mark.

I had plenty of time, it was only noon, and the bugs relented enough that I actually ate lunch at the shelter, then lay back and had a nice nap on the shaded platform. It’s been turning hot; I guess that happens in summer.

The food and nap gave me plenty of energy for the last 5 miles; also, fortunately, it got away from the “dirt path and dusty pines” motif, and presented me with some rock scrambling, and a steep, careful descent over rocks. The adrenaline boost helped very much.

Unwisely though, once I arrived at the shelter, I decided not to pitch the tent. The mosquitos loved it – me, not so much. I eventually spread a bandana over my head so I could sleep without being bitten, but even the bandana couldn’t block out noise… A group of giggly girl scouts arrived around 8:30, and though they tented behind the shelter, the concept of being quiet when others are trying to sleep apparently was foreign to them. We were already in sleeping bags and settled in when they arrived.

I hiked on.

You guessed it – no reception! So I am updating, belatedly.

When last we had left our heroine, she was chopping veggies… We time back in about 5 am the next morning, where she realizes she really doesn’t have to get up until 6:30 at the earliest… and rolled over and went back to sleep.

6:30 am though, I was up and downstairs, arranging all the omelet ingredients in a neat row on the counter, and getting coffee going. I made myself scrambled eggs though, and followed it up with a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios; the hostel owner came in while I was eating the cereal, and was both complimentary of my efforts, and puzzled that I was eating cereal, until I explained it was my second course. The omelet station was a huge hit, and there was enough left over for other hikers who would be coming in.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and I was on the trail again by 8:30. The first climb of the day was up Bromley Mt. Steep, but not difficult, and I had plenty of energy from breakfast. The last quarter mile was up a ski run, all grassy meadow and flowers; I did not see any skiiers, oddly enough. Once up top, it felt like I had stumbled onto the set for “Sound of Music”; I stood on an elevated chunk of rock, and took a 360° video, slowly turning. Mountains on every side. It was breathtaking.

Then it was down, down, down, to Mad Tom Notch. I don’t know what made Tom mad, but I’m sorry, bro! Maybe it was the insects,  because once I crossed the road and started climbing again, they sure we’re making ME mad! The black flies, in particular, were particularly annoying – they seem to prefer hot, dusty, sunbaked pine forest, and there sure are a lot of those in VT.

The next mountain was Styles Peak. Just as fun, but the view was not as great. I came across Georgia thru-hikers Splits and Eats having lunch, we leapfrogged each other a couple times that day. Then came Peru Peak; very meh, I was getting tired of up and down, but I was still making great time. I hit the shelter 10 miles out at 4 pm.

“Too early to stop yet”, thought I, but I rested a few minutes, and a LT hiker gave me some Snickers. Score! But I was restless, there were too many bugs, and I moved on for another 4.7 miles, to Lost Pond Shelter.

Along the way, I went over Baker Mountain. Now, the guidebook blandly describes it as ” 0.1 miles to the summit of Baker Mountain”. What it really was, though, was an unexpected and very enjoyable rock scramble up tilting slabs of white and glittering rock, usually between a 30 and 45° angle. The boots had plenty of traction on the rough stone; often I didn’t bother with the poles, just walked the rock quickly. It was a total blast; and when I turned my head left, I was staring across at another mountain rising just beyond my left shoulder, huge and covered with trees, with a perfect blue sky at the 10 o’clock position. If I could have taken a picture, I would have, it was gorgeous! Once I reached the top and went a little ways, there was a sign pointing down a bad weather bypass trail. Understandable – trying to climb DOWN in wet conditions would have been extremely dangerous.

Fortunately, the shelter I was aiming for was not as buggy, but I set up my tent anyway, after a quick, no-cook meal – it was getting late. In honor of the holiday, I shared some chocolate with Roamin’ Noodles, who were also camped close by. Then… I went to sleep! It was a long day!

I hiked on.

Perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better day. I woke up at 5 AM as usual, with the intention of hiking my 15 miles today. By 5:30, I was making pancakes – this hostel allows and even encourages hikers to make their own breakfasts and provides the raw materials. It was only Bisquick pancakes, but I spiced it up with cinnamon and nutmeg, since I had no fruit – the people who did were not awake yet! It felt very VERY good to be cooking again, even so. Like a slice of life that I had sorely been missing, without even realizing it.

Somewhere over breakfast (someone else made the eggs), I realized just how tired I was. Not from lack of sleep; my whole body just felt exhausted. I checked the blog, and came to the conclusion that taking a full zero day was a wise decision – my last one was June 15, and I’ve been increasing my mileage steadily since. So, since there was room at the hostel tonight, that is exactly what I did. I went back up to the room and slept some more, read some, generally relaxed until about 11 am.

Then I went into Manchester Center, which is a pretty town, full of shops, and framed by the Green Mountains. I did some shopping – mostly at the outfitters (VT AT patch, some maple syrup in a squeezable pouch, a plastic lightweight cup, and out of the hiker box, some Sawyer brand collapsible water containers.). I also visited a vinegar and oil shop, and practically swooned over the maple balsamic vinegar they sell there, I have their information so I can order some later. A lot more windowshopping, it was well worth it. Price Chopper was the final stop; my agenda was ingredients for Western omelets tomorrow – an onion, red and green pepper, Canadian bacon, and cheese.

There are only three others staying here tonight, all of them guys. One is Chinese, one rides a motorcycle in addition to hiking, and one is zeroing here tomorrow. Sadly, to my chagrin, none of them know how to play Texas Hold’Em, and they are off watching Forrest Gump anyway. But today was nice for making me feel like Betsy Hagen again, and not thru-hiker Ziptie. I watched part of the Bourne Ultimatum DVD, I relaxed, then I chopped up the veggies and refrigerated them; whenever we each get up tomorrow, the ingredients are there and ready for omelets. It was so refreshingly NORMAL.

Tomorrow I will hit the trail again; and I do plan to do 15 miles. I’m trying to time things so that I am in Rutland, 32 miles north, on Thursday – I will rent a car that day and do some driving, then go visit my sister up in Westfield, VT. Ironically, the problem is that I have too much time to get to Rutland, not too little. I’ll work it out – some bigger mountains to climb, so maybe it will work itself out, if I have to decrease the mileage each day. I should be back on the trail by Monday at the latest, though. New Hampshire is looming on the horizon.

I have gone about 630 miles now, with 538 to go until Katahdin… I’m getting there! It’s taking a while, but I am getting there! 🙂

I hike on. For real.

My next maildrop will be at the post office in Hanover, NH, zip code 03755. C/O Elisabeth Hagen as usual…

Thanks!

I am ashamed. I call myself a hiker, but I cannot even finish a single pint of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. I think I got halfway… I am getting ahead of myself.

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day for hiking, and since I had only 10 miles to go and a reservation at a hostel, I took my time. The storms last night dropped the temp to a comfortable level, and there was a constant cool breeze to keep the bugs down. I wore my warmer pants and my rain jacket.

I really did take my time today; there was a lot of mud on the trail, often standing water, and picking my way around was a bit of a challenge. Wet rocks are okay to step on. Wet roots, never. Too slippery and treacherous! I didn’t fall today though.

About the 7.5 mile mark, I stopped at Spruce Peak Shelter, which was an unexpectedly unique shelter; it was completely enclosed, with a sliding door, instead of having one open side, and inside was a functioning wood stove, and a table, in addition to the bunks. It also had a nice porch, with sun streaming down, and I pulled off my boots and socks, lay on the porch in the sun, and had a great hour long rest. It did my feet a lot of good; the remaining 2.8 miles were much much easier and my feet tingled for at least an hour.

So I made it to the trailhead parking lot about 4.5 miles out of Manchester Center; and asking around secured me a ride into town. I pigged out at McDonald’s, but I was HUNGRY! Then picked up a few good items at Price Chopper, but really, I only need enough to get me to Rutland in 3 days hiking, so I don’t need to carry a lot.

And now, I am resting on the bed assigned me at the hostel. A free pint of Ben & Jerry’s was included, but like I said, I could not finish it, alas. The kitchen downstairs is stocked with basic materials for breakfast, and it is make your own breakfast, so tomorrow I will make pancakes for everyone, before being shuttled back to the trail at 8 am.

Tomorrow I will try for 15 miles, but two 3000+ mountains lie between me and Lost Pond Shelter -Bromley and Peru; I will see how I feel and what time it is when I reach Peru Peak Shelter, 10 miles out. I have some flexibility with shelters, mercifully.

It’s getting very late. I must sleep.

I hike on!

Moving into month #3! Somewhere along the trail, I passed the 600 mile mark; more than halfway done the northern section now. I anticipate greater mileage days in the southern section; it being easier, it should go a lot faster!

But July 1 was all about getting up, over, and down Stratton Mountain. The elevations are increasing; Stratton is the highest mountain in southern Vermont, at 3940 feet. It was a 15 mile day; the first 8 were just to get to the mountain from the shelter I stayed at. A fair amount of up and down, but I still felt pretty energized when I hit the Stratton road, beyond which the mountain climb began. From the map topology, it looked like a long, steady, but not steep climb, with a steeper descent.

It was immensely frustrating! At first it was easy, the trail got harder, but the really annoying part? You would see light through the trees, and think, “Ah, I am approaching the top.” And the the trail would veer off in some completely other direction, and keep climbing… It did this at least eight times! And then there was the man who assured me the top was ‘just around the corner’. Uh, huh… He must have meant a corner some 1.5 miles away, because that is how much more there was to climb!

Finally, the top. The only way to get a view was to climb another fire tower. I passed on that. I did stop to read the plaque – Stratton Mountain is where the person most responsible for making the AT a reality first thought of the idea. That part was pretty cool… But is was 3:45, and clouding over; bad storms were forecast, and it was still 3.2 miles down to the shelter. I couldn’t linger.

Truth to tell, I practically ran down the mountain. On the way, I passed a couple that had decided to stealth camp along the trail, and I considered it myself, but I really wanted to be in a shelter that night. Continuing on, I was hearing distant thunder, which spurred me on – I made 3.2 miles in about 1 hr 45 minutes, which is very fast compared to my usual speed.

No more than 10 minutes after I reached the shelter, two things happened – the clouds really let loose, and someone’s phone went off with a tornado warning. Well, we never saw the tornado, but it stormed and downpoured an insane amount of water over at least the next three hours, possibly more; it was still acting out when I went to sleep. I was concerned about the tenting couple, but they turned out okay; they were concerned about ME, whether I’d reached the shelter in time or not. I turned out okay, too.

Oh, yes, there was a group at the shelter with a dog. There have been many dogs hiking the AT, I have no problem with that, as long as they are well-behaved, and most are. This one was not. The good night’s sleep I hoped to have was often interrupted by the dog barking. It was quite frustrating!

I have a lot of mosquito bites. I just thought I would mention that. Also, Vermud is an apt name, given trail conditions.

I hiked on.

Today was a 12.3 mile day – I admit I was also trying to stay ahead of the Boy Scout troop (it didn’t work). The first 8 miles were very easy and went by quickly; but the last 4.3 miles…

… The last 4.3 miles, I swear, every fly and gnat in Vermont were auditioning for a part in a horror movie, and wherever I was, was where they were holding stage tests! I had meant to stop at a shelter at the 8 mile mark, relax and have lunch, and then push on the last part. Well, the privy was literally buzzing, and the Goddard Shelter itself was not much better! So many insects, I gave up on the idea. I was close to the top of Glastonbury Mountain, which had a fire tower with a reportedly great view, so I thought I could climb up there and have lunch THERE. No luck. Just as buggy, and I was not thrilled at the idea of climbing the tower, which was all grating and stairs. No, thanks. I just kept going, and so did the swarms of insects. It was a warm day with no wind. They loved it. I didn’t!

Fortunately, the Kid Gore Shelter, which was my goal for the night, was not nearly as buggy, and had a great view; I planned to stay in the shelter, instead of tenting, because tent spots were very limited. There was a very bold chipmunk that was very interested in the fact myself and a LT NOBO were cooking dinner; it kept popping out to watch, and we caught it on the picnic table later – fortunately after we were done cooking. My ideas of how the evening was going to go completely went out the window when that troop of Boy Scouts arrived… despite us having warned them the night before that there was very limited tenting. *shakes head* In any case, I was not going to fight for my right to sleep with a bunch of hormonal teenage Boy Scouts, so I relinquished my spot in the shelter and went seeking a tent spot. I managed to barely squeeze my tent into a small space barely big enough, and slept all right. At least it eliminated any bug issue. 🙂 But I don’t think I did the plants any good.

I hiked on.

John and Rebecca, particularly Rebecca!, completely spoiled me during my regrettably brief visit!

On this particular morning, I meant to wake up at 5 am, and say goodbye to John before he left for work. Well, I did wake at 5 am – I always do… but the bed simply refused to let go of me. I so completely exhausted myself fighting to get free of the pillow that I fell back asleep and did not wake again until 7:30 am. When I came upstairs, what greeted me, but a stack of blueberry pancakes, sausage, bacon, and free range eggs from their own chickens. And COFFEE. Oi, if I had stayed longer, I would have gained back all the weight I lost… and I would still be in food nirvana!

The first half of the day was sightseeing and resupply; purchase of food, a visit to an outfitter, a nice interlude at a distillery with tasting samples. I had no luck finding replacement insoles, but I did get some other things I needed. Also, there was a BIG CHAIR. It was a really BIG CHAIR. Either that, or I drank a little bottle labelled “Drink Me”. You decide!

Rebecca had to be in New York that evening, so sadly, the half day drew to a close, and she dropped me off at the trailhead about 2 PM. I hiked two miles to the next shelter, still feeling full – it was not until about 7 pm that I felt up to eating the steak sandwich she packed for me. 🙂 Since I was so early there, I was able to secure THE prime tent spot – completely level and cushiony with leaves, just behind the shelter. This turned out to be a mixed blessing though later, when a troop of Boy Scouts arrived and filled in the space between my tent and the shelter with their tents. Suddenly I was running a gauntlet of tents just to reach the privy!

Since the Long Trail and the AT are running together for 105 miles, there are now LT northbounders and southbounders, as well as the AT ones, and more Canadians in the mix; makes things more interesting when comparing notes! That night, there were 2 NOBO LT hikers, 2 SOBO LT hikers, 1 SOBO AT hiker, and one flipflopping AT hiker (me). Plus the Boy Scouts. Fortunately, they settled down pretty quickly.

I hiked on.

I have been looking at the Verizon coverage map for Vermont, and it is very spotty. New Hampshire looks somewhat better. But if I can’t post on any given day… or series of days… you can just expect extra long entries when I can post again!

I hike on!