Days 83-96: Pawling, NY to Rutland, VT
11 states down
I’m in Vermont now! Since my last post I’ve finished New York and hiked through Connecticut and Massachusetts. Coming from Colorado, I’m still not used to passing from state to state so easily, so every time I reach a border I get super excited.
It was especially exciting to reach Vermont because the start of Vermont also meant the start of the Long Trail, which is a 272-mile trail that runs through Vermont from MA to Canada, and is actually older than the AT. I’ll be honest, the stretch from New York through Massachusetts took it out of me mentally: the terrain was tough and rocky without feeling super fulfilling. But crossing into Vermont I really felt the fire come back to me. I’ve been so excited to get to New England, and finally reaching that point, and stepping into the wilderness made me feel reinvigorated.
Happy birthday tramily!
I’m not the only one who celebrated my birthday on trail—Blackbeard and Welcome also had birthdays in the past 2 weeks. For Blackbeard’s birthday we celebrated with s’mores over our camp stoves (we aren’t the best at making fires…) and for Welcome, Blackbeard packed out a whole (mini)cake. It’s so fun to plan birthday surprises for everyone.
A visit to Boston
When we got to Western Massachusetts, we rented a car and drove into Boston, where we took a zero and a nearo. It was so exciting to bring my trail family to Cambridge, my most recent home. I think of our time in Boston as basically a greatest hits tour of my college dining experiences: we hit Felipe’s, Bagelsaurus (twice—I ate 4 total bagels in 2 days), Spice Thai, and Life Alive.
We also had a visit from Brick! He and his mom drove a total of 9 hours to and from Long Island to come visit us in Boston Common and bring homemade baked goods. It wasn’t so nice to see him again and see that he was happy and satisfied with his decision to finish his thru hike in Pawling.
Plus, Boston was the site of an epic park nap.
Vermont: back to the Wilderness
As I mentioned, a big part of my mental boost I can contribute to the increased wildness and scale of Vermont. This state so far has been absolutely gorgeous: I’ve been walking from pond to pond and mountaintop to mountaintop, from which I can look around and see barely any traces of human civilization. Our first full day in Vermont we camped on the top of Glastenbury mountain, which has a wooded summit but an epic fire tower. I saw sunset and sunrise from the top of that tower, which were some of my absolute favorite views on the trail so far.
Where I am now…the Yellow Deli
For any Boulderite followers, you’ll be particular interested to know that the Yellow Deli, the 24-hour restaurant on Pearl Street run by the 12 tribes (commune? cult?) also has a location in Rutland, complete with a hiker hostel. In the spirit of adventure and the desire to come back home with some stories, I knew I had to stay. It’s been great. Very briefly, because I don’t pretend to know all about their beliefs, the Twelve Tribes are a fundamentalist religious group that embraces hospitality. I think very much in the same vein as my experiences in the south, being here has showed me that it’s possible to accept and appreciate someone’s lifestyle without agreeing with all of their beliefs. While I may not feel entirely comfortable with the group’s more antiquated stance on gender roles, I feel so grateful that they so graciously fed and housed me without asking for anything. Plus, they make a mean smoothie.
Up next…
I’m only 65 miles from New Hampshire. Cardigan Lodge, see you next weekend and get ready White Mountains, I’m coming home.