And so it goes...

Hello All and welcome to the next edition of follow that that thru-hiker. So I am finally able to post some pictures. Sorry there are not that many people, I haven't seen too many people recently but I have high hopes for the remainder of the trail. A pair of very much need to be retired trail running shoes (1000 miles on these puppies). Yes, I do have new ones finally. Baby fawn that somehow thought I was its mother, welcome to Massachussetts sign (actually, now I am in Vermont but the sign wasn't that readable), canoe at the awesome Upper Goose Pond Cabin with AT logo, memorial at Mt. Greylock, another brilliant trillium (I love these flowers!), and my stuff after a very soggy day of the trail. Okay, I have had a few of those, who doesn't love soggy feet for three days???

5/29/07 23.3. mile slackpack from MA 2 back to Dalton, MA. Who am I to pass a slackpacking opportunity? Tom graciously offered me a chance to slackpack and another night to stay at his house so I jumped right on that. Pilgrim was able to give me a ride to MA 2 after dropping Tau off and then I walked back into Dalton. It was a gorgeous day outside. I had quite the climb (my first significant one in awhile) over Mt. Greylock. It was a spectacular view and I really enjoyed it. I was trying to get to Dalton in time for my maildrop so I made some killer time after summiting Greylock. Passed through Chesire and met Red Dog when I was almost back to Dalton. What a cool section hiker! Also passed Li coming out of town. Didn't think I would see him again as he was flying. He decided to take a few days off so I should be seeing him the next day when I got back on the trail - good news! Made it to the post office in time but alas, no mail drop. Guess I am a little too far ahead of schedule. One of those things you have to roll with. I ended up doing some laundry and then resupplying at a gas station - my number one choice for resupplying! Tom was kind enough to accompany me to dinner and I enjoyed a nice organic pale ale at the local place. In to bed early so as to get back on the trail in the AM.

5/30/07 20 miles to Melville Nauheim Shelter. Went and had a nice breakfast at the local hangout with Tom and his weekly breakfast club. It was really nice to sit back and listen to the gossip of the men of the town. They didn't seem to mind me much. Tom gave me a ride back to North Adams and away I went. Another beautiful day in paradise. I got into camp pretty early today after passing into Vermont. Not much stopping as the bugs get a bit ferocious (sp?) anytime you are not walking. But nonetheless, I was excited to be in Vermont, my twelfth state. I was going to hike a bit further but I am trying to get in the slowing down routine. Besides, I had some letter writing to catch up on. I am glad I stopped because Li ended up showing up and decided to camp with me so we could hike together tomorrow. It's so good to have some company as it has been awhile.

5/31/07 27.9 miles to Stratton Pond Shelter. So I know I said I was trying to slow down but I did these miles by like 5:30 pm. Isn't that crazy? Had a great day hiking with Li today. He is hoping to do the Continental Divide Trail after finishing this one this year. That's right, he is not only hiking 2100 miles on the AT but also 2700 on the CDT in the same damn year. And you think I'm crazy. He can do it thought, cool guy. It was very enjoyable to hike with someone for a change. Generally I enjoy hiking by myself and hanging out with folks at night but every now and again, it is quite the treat to have a buddy and it makes the day go by super quick. He tried to convince me to go another 7 or 8 miles with him but I figured 28 was just fine for me. Kind of wish I did though because I didn't get much sleep as I could have sworn that there was moose walking around outside the shelter. Moose you say, yes, there has been all kinds of moose droppings and hoof prints on the trail so they are definitely around. This is where you see all of my stuff drying out because I got into a bit of a thunderstorm about an hour before reaching camp. Nothing like lightening to make you want to get down from Stratton Mountain. Turned out to be a very pleasant evening and I really enjoyed the serenity of Stratton Pond. I was really hoping for the loons to be there but not quite yet.

6/1/07 10.6 miles to VT 11/30 and Manchester Center, VT. Got up bright and early, excited to be heading into town to resupply and to catch up with Tau. Made great time in very sloshy trail conditions and was able to get a ride pretty easily into town. These Vermonters are good people! Decided to hit a popular breakfast spot before the outfitter and was I glad! Had blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup and a couple I had been talking to about the trail paid for my breakfast. I love trail magic! They must have felt sorry for my damp appearance at the more upscale breakfast place :). Hit the Mountain Goat outfitter and picked up my mail drops along with some much needed 100% Deet bug spray. The guys there were really helpful and even said I could bring my shoe back later when it was dry to patch up a small hole. Headed over to Sutton's Place, the place to stay in town for hikers. Met Frank, the owner, and he graciously welcomed me in. A room wasn't ready yet but I was able to shower so I could run and do my errands. I was even able to take care of this chicken pox vaccine I needed in order to register for classes for the fall that has been a nuisance since Virginia! Very pleased about that. When I got back, I caught up with Tau who was so excited because her friends and dog were about to arrive from Maine for a visit. I decided to head over and treat myself to the Mexican restaurant. Little did I know that would not be the wisest choice later!

6/2/07 and 6/3/07 I was planning on doing a 17 mile slack today but my plans were altered around midnight. You see, I somehow got violently ill during the night. I don't know if it was the food or just the flu but I puked for like 10 hours straight. No fun at all. Ended up calling the doctor the next morning and having to get a shot for nausea and an IV because I was becoming dehydrated. Still not feeling well upon returning so it looks like no hiking tomorrow either. Tau really took care of me even with her friends there. Her friends were great too. I was very thankful they were there to keep an eye on me. They ended up heading out on Sunday but got me set up before leaving. I pretty much just laid in bed Sat and Sun trying to recuperate. I can tell I do not like being sick but especially when away from home. Frank was kind enough to keep an eye on me after Tau left and even brought me Jello.

6/4/07 10.1 miles to Peru Peak Shelter. So apparantly, I am not the brightest crayon in the box. I somehow thought puking and not eating for two days and then hiking would be a great idea. Not so much. I was feeling a little bit better Monday morning but really I should have waited at least another day. Got back on the trail and realized a few things. A) It was raining and I was soaked in no time B) I had no energy - not eating really has that affect on you C) The trails were insanely wet and muddy and steep in some parts. My concentration wasn't all that great and I did not have an enjoyable experience. I somehow got over Bromley and then a few other peaks, coming into Peru Peak Shetler. Decided to call it a day around 12:30. I called into my bag and slept most of the day. I tried to eat dinner but it came back up. These were not good signs. I was thankful that the Grinch and his daughter were there to talk to but I probably wasn't much for conversation. I thought surely tomorrow things would improve.

6/5/07 7.7 miles to Danby-Landgrove Rd. So things did not improve in the morning. Well at least it wasn't really raining. The trail was insanely wet and again my shoes were drenched. Just kind of ambled along the trail. Ran into some hikers at BigBranch Shelter. They were all pretty friendly but I was not feeling well. I tried to eat some crackers but the outlook was not good. I made the decision to find a ride at the next road to the nearest town and see what was up. So I got to the next road, happened to be a forest road and not much traffic. Luckily I was able to get a ride with Duncan and he felt so sorry for me, he drove me all th way to Rutland where I knew there was a hostel for recuperating. I am so glad I did. I found my way to Back Home Again Cafe and they made me feel so welcome. I knew I made the right decision when I puked as soo as I got there and I was so glad it was not on the trail. Layed in bed all afternoon and they brought some drinks designed to make me feel better and kept checking on me. At some point, I also got Pedialyte and crackers and by the end of the day, I felt a smidge better. I was having some pretty crazy thoughts at this point. Maybe even quitting. My strength was gone and had lost like 8 pounds in a few days and that is quite a lot for my not so large frame these days.

6/6/07 Zero day today and surprinsingly, I felt a bit more human. Decided to try a liquid diet today and see where it got me. Volunteered in the kitchen at the cafe for work for stay and got to know some amazing people. This community lives and works together and have this great family. They were very interesting to talk to. Had one of their famous smoothies and it stayed down - woohoo!! Made the decision this morning to take a few days of the trail and visit my friend Jeremy in Philadelphia. I called him and it worked out great with his schedule so tomorrow I will going in the opposite direction of Katahdin for a few days. That will be weird but I think I need it. When I came back from the library, to my surpsise, Holly and Amanda had shown up. These are two section hikers that I met awhile back in New Jersey. I was so excited to see them. We caught up on what had been going on and it really bolstered my spirits. We all headed to the cafe again and I ate some soup and bread. I am so thrilled to be eating anything at all and it was amazing. After that we even went to a movie. Ah to be normal if only for an evening.

6/7/07 So today I made my way from Rutland, VT all the way to Philadelphia. I am already glad I came. I guess I needed a vacation. Being sick and not being around too many hikers recently has really taken its toll on me. I am ready for a weekend of just chillin with a good friend and regaining my strength so I can finish this adventure. I am also hoping that Hobbit or Salamander or both might catch up while I am here because I would really enjoy hiking with those guys again. So I am going to enjoy my weekend and get back on the trail on Sunday or Monday - refreshed, reenenergized and refocused on my goal - Katahdin. I was so focused on just getting there I was not really enjoying myself all that much the past week. Katahdin will always be there and I have all summer to get there. What's the rush?

Thanks for listening guys, especially all my friends and family that have listened to me through several phone calls over the past few days. Your unwavering support has already helped renew me. Hopefully by my next post, I will be back on the trail and in the great state of New Hampshire, going through one of the most beautiful regions in the world.

Love,

Kentucky Blue