Day 40 - Friday, July 22

Linda

Our early start didn't materialize as planned, but we still had a long day. Last night it actually got chilly, and was still that way when we woke up. The sky was bluer than I'd seen it in a long time, with huge billowing fluffy clouds. We started out at 7:40 and breezed along the 5.5 miles to Mountain Meadows. The difference the rain made was remarkable. A clear sky and a refreshingly cool breeze does wonders for hiking. Mountain Meadows is a beautiful place and the people who run it were very genial. Wish we could have stayed there, but it wasn't to be. We had some coffee, read magazines and relaxed in their game room playing Pong for an hour or so. Ronald called the Vermont Winchells, and talked with the husband who acted like he didn't know much of anything about us getting together, or even who we were. The whole situation seems very strange. Oh, well, I guess it wasn't our destiny to sleep in a bed tonight.

We left there and headed up toward Mt. Killington. We stopped at Sherburne Pass for lunch and got a drink at a lodge along the road. The trail up the mountain is 5.5 miles long, but the climb is relatively easy - just rocky and rooty. There's a very nice hiker's cabin about half way up, but a whole scout troop was staying there, so we happy to continue on. There was another cabin, Cooper Shelter almost at the top. We left our packs at the cabin and took the side trail up to the summit of Mt. Killington where there a huge ski area. We walked by the restaurant and the gondola lift. The view from Killington was tremendous. It was so clear we could see all the way back to Cube and Smarts. Glad we took the side trip. Splurged on a real orange at the snack bar - it was about the only thing we could afford - then made our way back down to the shelter to retrieve our packs.

The last 4 miles to the Governor Clements Shelter were a nightmare. All downhill over a million roots. We hadn't run across (or tripped over) roots that bad since Maine. My feet were dead by 6:30 when we finally arrived at the shelter. There were 4 people in a VW bus there cooking dinner, but they left after a bit and even gave us some bread and cheese before departing. We promptly made two delicious toasted cheese sandwiches to top off our rice dinner. What a treat! Simple pleasures, as they say, are the best. The shelter was another simple pleasure, constructed of stone with a huge fireplace on one wall, double decker bunks and a lot of floor space.

I was even more intrigued by "The Lt. Governor Jarvis Snodgrass Memorial Gazebo." A necessary room, par excellence, with a Keats poem on solitude prominently displayed on the door. Somewhere along the way, between the heat, the humidity, the questionable water and the food, something didn't agree with me and I've been stricken with a miserable case of diarrhea. As a result, I am rapidly becoming an outhouse aficionado. I hope this doesn't last long. I would much rather admire the aesthetics of these fine structures with less of a sense of urgency.

We kept a fire going throughout the evening, which made the shelter quite cozy. The temperature had dropped, giving us at least a temporary break from the searing temperatures. The sleeping bags will actually feel good tonight. We came 17.9 miles today which brings us a total of 484.9 into our trek.

Ron

The cold front moved in sometime last night and reduced the temperature by at least twenty degrees. It was a bit cool but the sky was crystal clear. There was not a single bit of haze. After the last few days of heat it is a welcome change.

We got started late around 7:30 and made real good time. We completed the 5.5 miles to Mountain. Meadows in two hours. The lodge was beautiful, making us wish we had made it there the night before. However, the conditions along the trail made us glad we didn't make the attempt. There were numerous trees broken in half by bolts of lightening. Better them than us, I guess. We lingered around Mountain Meadows about an hour while I tried to get in touch with my Vermont relatives. Unfortunately I had little success. The guy I spoke with didn't even know who we were. Well, I guess it's just as well, since we are so far behind anyway.

From Mountain Meadows we headed for Sherburne Pass. We stopped at the Long Trail Lodge in the pass and picked up a couple of soft drinks for lunch. I had a hassle with the people there about getting my deposit back on our drink cans. They wanted us to go into town to get our 10 cent deposit (yeah right). Eventually they came through and gave me my dime.

We left the pass and started up the slow and easy ascent up Pico and Killington Mountains. We got to Cooper Lodge just below the summit of Killington around 3:30. Leaving our packs in the lodge, we hiked the .2 mile to the top. There was an expensive snack bar and restaurant in the lodge so we didn't get much. We debated trying calling my relatives again. I decided not to, since we were so far behind. I'll drop them a note at the next Post Office. We left the top and dragged our way down the last 4 miles to Gov. Clement Lean-to. It is a nice stone lean-to with a built in fireplace.

There were four people here when we arrived. They had driven here in an VW van. We didn't mind too much since they weren't staying, and they gave us some food. Made some grilled cheese sandwiches out of the bread and cheese they gave us, to top off our supper. I hope tomorrow is as cool as today.

(8.5 Miles - 467 Total)