It's been a while

Barn with the original sign at the entrance to Little Lyford Pond Camps

It's been nearly a month since I last posted. We've been traveling since August 19 and some of the places we've stayed have had no internet access. At other spots we've been so busy I haven't had a chance to post.

Right now we're at Ferry Beach, a UU camp on the coast of Maine. Dick is a vacationer and I'm taking a course on Aging and Saging. Mostly we're discussing the inevitability of death and how to prepare for it. It sounds depressing, but it's actually been very interesting. There are about 20 of us in the discussion group and the leader, a retired UU minister, is very well informed and skilled at group facilitation. The course is scheduled for the mornings and the afternoons are free to spend at the beach or relax on the porch. I've been doing a lot of knitting both during the discussions and in the afternoons. I haven't finished any projects but I've made a lot of progress on some baby sweaters. I'll be posting photos in the next day or so.

Last week we were at Little Lyford Pond Camps, a relatively new AMC property about 15 miles north of Greenville, ME, in the 100 mile wilderness near the Appalachian Trail. It's a former fishing and hunting camp deep in on logging company property.

Our cabin, Red Quill, was one of the newest on the property. We were told it had been a falling down shed that was carefully rehabbed by the AMC carpenter. It was furnished with two beds, a table and chairs, a small sink with cold water, propane lamps for reading and a wood stove that proved very useful when the temperature dropped precipitously over night.

Breakfast and dinner were served family style in the dining room. After breakfast each day the staff set out a buffet of lunch fixings which we used to prepare trail lunches. Each day Dick and I went on a hike and then spent the afternoon reading and relaxing in the sunshine or on the screened porch near the camp library. Although we did not use them, the camp provides canoes on all of the nearby ponds. Guests can hike or mountain bike to a pond and then take a canoe trip.


The first few days of our travels were spent at Poko-Moonshine Camp in the Adirondacks of New York State. We had a mini reunion there. Chuck, Sara, their four children and Jackie joined us. Counselors provided activities for the children and there was plenty for the adults to do as well. Chuck and Molly climbed four mountains to earn Poko patches. Carl, Becca and Katie rode horses. Dick and Molly took a mountain bike ride. There were also opportunities for swimming, boating, archery and arts and crafts. I'm hoping a family reunion at Poko will be a yearly event and that next year Chris and Becky will join us with the twins. Joshua, Raquel and Twigg would be most welcome as well.

Arcata Marsh

This morning we awoke to light drizzle. After a good breakfast we set off on our bikes (with Linny and Perry in the trailer being towed by their mother) to the Arcata Marsh. The city uses treated waste water in over 300 acres of created wetlands to provide a habitat for wildlife, particularly migrating birds. The property used to be a landfill. There are walking and bicycle paths and an interpretive center.


By the time we had completed the two mile bike ride the drizzle had stopped. While the sun never fully broke through the clouds, it became bright enough for sun glasses and warm enough to walk in shirt sleeves. Perry and Linny walked quite a way along the gravel paths and were quite interested in the various birds we saw. When they finally tired their parents hoisted them into back packs.



We made a stop at the interpretive center where there were kid friendly activities and much needed rest rooms.

There were wild blackberries and a wide variety of wild flowers along the trails. Here are some of my first flower closeups:

Queen Anne's Lace

Bull Thistle

Bull Thistle

Everlasting Pea

Everlasting Pea

There were lots of wild blackberries. You can see from the green ones pictured here that taking a walk in the Arcata Marsh in a week or two will be a delicious adventure.

Here are some that were already ripe and quite tasty.

Last Day on the AT

Sisters at the Wintturi Shelter

Enjoying Lunch at the Shelter

I had asked my nephew Matthew to do an AT section with me while I was in Vermont. He was free the last day of the conference. My sister and brother-in-law asked to join us. I decided the section from Green Gate Road to Vermont 12 would work well because the guide book stated there was a 400 foot elevation gain if one walked from south to north. The elevation diagram on the map showed a climb at the very beginning of the hike and then a long, gradual walk down to Route 12. The section is near Woodstock, VT, not that far from Matt's home in NH.

We met in downtown Woodstock, shuttled the cars and walked up an old woods road to access the AT. It was a bit of a climb up to the trail and the insects were out in force so we stopped to catch our breath and apply insect repellent. Soon we were at the ridge line and saw the first blaze. We continued to climb, passed a lookout rock that didn't have much of a view and then started down toward the Wintturi Shelter, about .2 mile off the trail. It was time for lunch and we spent about a half hour eating and relaxing.

According to the guidebook, the shelter was built in 1994 to replace an older structure with the same name. It is named for longtime trail maintainer Mauri Wintturi and is maintained by the Green Mountain Club. It has wooden sheathing and a metal roof and would be a dry spot to spend the night. The notes on the wall are distances to spots on the trail both north and south. Every shelter has a notebook where hikers make comments or leave messages for those who might be a day or two behind them. I always like to make a note myself to commemorate the fact that I stopped there.

Leaving the shelter we expected a 3.8 mile gradual downhill walk to Vermont Route 12. At least that's what the guidebook said. Much of the walk was downhill, but near the end there were three sizable "bumps" which required uphill pushes just when we were getting tired. We were rewarded by some good views of Mt. Ascutney at the top of one of them, but Virginia in particular, felt betrayed by the guide book. And she had every right to feel that way.

We did finish and were fortunate that it did not rain on us. Here we are entering the parking lot at the end of the trail.

Virginia and Tom crossing the bridge to the parking lot

In front of the signpost in the parking lot at Route 12

Total mileage for the day: 6.1, 5.4 AT miles.

Various

I had intended to blog regularly while here in Vermont at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy meeting but when I unpacked I discovered I had forgotten the cord for downloading photos from the camera to the computer. What a bummer. As a result, I haven't been very motivated to take pictures.

It's been a good meeting, at Castleton State College in Castleton, Vermont. It's a pleasant enough campus although there is a lot of construction going on. The most annoying aspect of this is the constant beeping of the back-up alarms on the various pieces of machinery. Work starts at around 7 AM and today, at least, is still going on at 5:10 PM. It's been great to see old friends, particularly the women from Maryland who hiked with me when I was completing Pennsylvania, West Virginia and parts of Virginia. I ran into a man who hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc with us all those many years ago and the sister of a Whiting neighbor who lives in Wisconsin. I only see her at these biennial events.

I had registered for a different trail segmant every day except Monday. Saturday, on a hike designated moderate, with a steep uphill climb at the outset, I developed symptoms of heat stroke about a mile in. There was a doctor in the group who stayed with me, helping to cool me down, while the group continued on without us. Ultimately we returned to our cars and drove back to the campus. That was a disappointment. The next day, on another section with a similar elevation gain, the leader went more slowly and I was able to complete the hike. The weather was a bit cooler and less humid, but I wasn't moving along as quickly as I did last year. I think it's a result of my not keeping up with an exercise regimen.

Monday was the biennial meeting. Afterward I went biking on the Delaware and Hudson rail trail with a group. We biked down to Poultney, had some ice cream and biked back.

There has been quite a bit of rain in Vermont this summer and the trails are very muddy. I decided not to hike again because of my lack of stamina (didn't want to be holding other hikers up) and because I was tired of the mud. I've been taking a power walk each day on the rail trail and then spending time knitting and listening to books on my Ipod. I finished The White Tiger by Avarind Adiga and Made in the USA by Billie Letts.

I've got about ten inches done on the body of the Laughing Carrots sweater and I'm about ready to do the waffle trim before I start the carrot pattern and I was drawn back to the pink charity sweater for some reason. I've finished the cuff on one sleeve, almost completed the garter stitch edging on the body and am also working on the second sleeve (both at the same time--don't ask--it's knitting ADD). I don't have too much to finish on the Carlos growling dog sweater and the sleeves need finishing on the Oriental Lily dress. Carlos and Oriental Lily need to be finished before I go to Cali on July 31. I just can't seem to focus on one project at a time but I do ultimately get everything done.

No photos to post because of the missing cord. I'll get some up when I get home.

Tomorrow I'm meeting my sister, brother-in-law and nephew to hike a section of the AT over near Woodstock. Going south to north, which is my preferred direction, it's only 400 feet of elevation gain. Since I did 1500 on Sunday, albeit near the back of the pack, I should be able to manage. I'm really looking forward to seeing them.

Then it's time to head home.

Trail Magic

When Matt and I were hiking on Saturday we made a stop at the Thistle Hill Shelter. We had already had lunch at the Cloudland Shelter but there was no shelter book there and I always like to read and sign the book.
The Thistle Hill Shelter did not appear on my map but that may be because my map is from 1995! I tried to buy a new guidebook and map set in Hanover but the book store was out and wasn't planning to reorder because a new edition is in the works.
But, about trail magic. There were three people at the shelter when we arrived (a fourth, a southbounder arrived soon after we did). One hiker, a northbounder, was staying for a few days because he injured his toe. The other two, Pippi and Hamburgler, were just finishing up lunch. They told Matt and me that they were planning a 23 mile day because they wanted to get to Hanover. They still had about 14 miles to go which seemed like a lot to do before dark. We discussed the various services available in Hanover. They were hoping to find something indoors because rain was forecast again (it had rained heavily the previous day). Matt offered the use of his guest room if they couldn't find an indoor place elsewhere. They were grateful and said they would consider it.
Matt and I set off for West Hartford about five miles further north. We knew that Pippi and Hamburgler would be passing us because they were through hikers and much stronger than I am. Indeed they did come by not too long after we left the shelter. And, it did rain, rather heavily. There are a lot of open meadows on the trail in this section--between Route 12 and Route 14 in eastern Vermont--so we were not protected by the tree canopy. When we arrived in West Hartford we found Hamburgler and Pippi in the general store enjoying hot sandwiches. Matt and I bought ice cream and sat down to wait for DH to pick us up.
DH came along in about ten minutes and got an ice cream himself. I could see that Pippi and Hamburgler were thinking hard about the nine additional hiking miles to Hanover. We suggested they drive in with us, find a spot indoors, and then meet us again in the morning so we could drive them back to West Hartford. They thought for a few minutes and agreed that would be a plan.
We dropped them off in Hanover and they set off for a fraternity house that is known to put up four through hikers every night. Matt reminded them that they could crash at his place if the fraternity was full.
DH and I went back to the campground where our tent had dried out enough for us to sleep in it. Matt jumped on his bike and rode home.
This morning we decided we should have breakfast at Lou's in downtown Hanover. It's the place where all the through hikers go to get a big meal when they arrive in town. We had a great breakfast and spent some time reading the NY Times. Just as we left the restaurant my cell phone rang. It was Pippi. They did sleep at the fraternity house and were just about ready to go back to the trail. We took them to the Hanover Outfitter where they left their packs and drove them back to West Hartford leaving them at the general store.
We spent the morning doing errands and went back into Hanover for a late lunch. There on the street were Pippi and Hamburgler. They had finished the nine miles and were picking up their packs and supplies to continue on to Katahdin.
What a great couple! And, what a pleasure to be able to deliver some trail magic. Through hikers really appreciate it whether it's cookies left in a cooler by the side of the trail, a drive into town, a chance to sleep for free in someone's home. All of these things are a treat for hikers who only have their packs and their feet.
Pippi and Hamburgler assured us they would pay our kindness forward and I know they will. And, it gave me great pleasure to provide some trail magic myself.

Cloudland Shelter, Appalachian Trail, Vermont

Cloudland Shelter
Originally uploaded by rallaronson

My nephew, Matt, and I have been section hiking on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. It's a beautiful area and we've been fortunate to have DH to drive us to the trail heads and pick us up at the other end. The weather has been warm and muggy with intermittent showers. Under the tree canopy the rain has not been much of a problem, but back at the campground our tent was absolutely swamped one night, forcing us to sleep in the car. We now have everything fairly dried out and we'll be moving on tomorrow. Camping is great, but camping in the rain loses its charm pretty quickly.