.July 4, 2006
Snoopy and I started today's hike with a steep climb up Dana Hill, but the trail was smooth. As we neared the top, we came out of the woods into a field.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Here's a view from the top of Dana Hill
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ As I went down the other side of Dana Hill, I passed the only hikers I would see today. Next came a beautiful flat, smooth section of trail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I would be in and out of the woods all day on this very hot 4th of July. Here's another field.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Snoopy had a little trouble finding his way. I crouched down to his level and took a picture. Now you can see why it was hard for him. Here's his perspective of the trail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I was thankful for this bog bridging through this muddy section
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I was also thankful that there were a lot of streams. I was able to splash cool water on Snoopy to keep him cool. I splashed plenty of cold water on myself as well.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Throughout the day I passed tons of raspberry and blackberry bushes. It looks like I am at least a couple weeks early though and I am not particular fond of "green berries."
I was up and down so many small hills and mountains today (many of which are not named), I am not sure where I was when I took this shot.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I passed several stonewalls today. Most stone walls I've passed on the AT were broken down. This one was in great shape with the stones packed tight together.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Apparently this tree couldn't decide which way to grow.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Most of the trail today was very smooth, but the 2 miles of trail before Thistle Hill were typical AT miles filled with roots, rocks, and ups and down. To make it worse, it was muddy in this area and with it as hot as it was the mosquitos were out in force. I was biten so many times, I think I left this area a pint low. I finally reached this sign for the Thistle Hill Shelter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The trail looked smooth so I decided to take the short tenth of a mile side trail to the shelter.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I had about five miles to go so I headed out. Here's another field to cross.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Below, Snoopy finds his way through another overgrown area of the trail. I was fortunate that today was dry. If you hike this section of trail when it is raining or even after it has rained, you will get soaked.
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The trail goes near some private land, and the owner's ask hikers to stay on the trail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Do you notice what looks like a white rope going through the picture above? I went through several area today that must be maple syrup farms. (assuming they are called farms). Vermont, along with much of northern New England, is known for its maple syrup. Have you seen the back of a Vermont Quarter? I know several people who make there own maple syrup. It is a lot of work. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. I always wondered how farms collected their syrup. Rather than use buckets, they use a network of rubber tubing like in the picture above. The tubing runs down the mountain into some type of large container. Let gravity do the work.
Here's some tall pine trees.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I came to my last clearing and could see way down to I-89. My rendezvous point with Lynn was near that bridge only on Vermont 14
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As I was descending into the valley, I met Lynn coming from the other way. She had had a great day visiting Sugarbush Farm. As we neared White River Bridge, we followed a road for a while. Now here's a white blaze low to the ground.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Here's the bridge. It looks like there will be a very, very, minor trail relo when the new bridge is built.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This bridge is apparently a popular spot on a hot summer day as people were jumping off it into the river. We went down to the river. Snoopy and I went for a swim. It was great to get the grime off. The place was filled with bridge jumpers, swimmers, kayakers, and spectators.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Today was a very important hike for me. I passed 544 miles. I know that sounds like a strange number but it means I have completed one fourth of the Appalachian Trail.
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