Day 149 – Familiar Faces All Around

Day 149

Start: Manchester Center, VT

End: Griffith Lake

Miles Hiked: 10.6

Miles on AT: 1668.7

Back on trail! But, first, a few stops. Right before I had gotten into town, my foot got caught on a branch or root. As I tried to complete my forward step, the only thing I heard was “RIIIIP!” There went my shoe. The whole front toe was torn open, meaning it was time to get another pair of shoes.

That was the goal of my first mission of the day. After I checked out of the hotel, I headed straight to the gear store. They didn’t stock Altras, so I had to switch to Topos. They felt pretty good and had a decent amount of cushion. Maybe I would become a convert, who knows?

With my old pair of Altras and second pair of shoes in the bin, my next mission was to eat lunch. I’d heard great things about the Jamaican food truck in town, so that’s where I was headed. If you’re like me, you might be scratching your heads. Good Jamaican food in Vermont?? But, stranger things have happened on trail.

When I got my food, I knew it was going to be good. The plantains were perfectly cooked and the rice and peas looked like it was made at home. And the taste was so good!

While I was chowing down, a woman about my age sat down and we started chatting. Turns out she was from Haiti and had only been in the US for one month. She was escaping the violence, but her mother and father were still back home while her brother went to college abroad. Her story was fascinating. I couldn’t imagine having to make such a drastic change in my life just to keep safe. She was on her way to work and stopped by for a bite before leaving. Our conversation was brief, but the gravity of her situation stuck with me.

After that hearty meal, I made my last stop before trail: the grocery store. I picked up a few last minute resupply items and then headed out to find my way back to the trail head. Lyfts looked expensive and I didn’t really want to wait for a shuttle, so I guess I would try to hitch. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait that long because an older gentleman saw that I was a hiker and asked if I wanted a ride up to the trail. Of course!

I hopped in his van and on the way he told me stories of his time in Alaska and road tripping across the US. I think a lot of times, people want to give rides to hikers because they crave some human interaction that can be hard to get in today’s society. A lot of people just like to have someone to talk to, so I’m happy to lend a listening ear. 

We made it to the trailhead, I said goodbye to my hitch, and I got back into the woods. More miles to make! And today I had to climb. Up Bromley Mountain, that is. The climb was nice and gradual right up until the end, when it got super steep. Just as I was about to reach the top, I saw two familiar faces coming down: Jingles and Mountain Momma!

I had no idea they would be on this section of trail, but they said they were going to try to complete Vermont. I showed them my new shoes and they told me about the trail coming up ahead for me. After saying our goodbyes, I finally made it to the top, and wow, what a sight!

I could see in all directions. The view from the viewing tower was even better! I spent a good chunk of time up there, eating snacks and enjoying the feel of the sunshine on my skin.

But, then, it was time to head on. The rest of the trail was pretty unremarkable. When I got to Griffith Lake, I caught up with the Glitter Gang again (the two writers who were hiking the Long Trail) as well as their friend that was joining them for a few days. After dinner with them, the sun had officially set and it was lights out.

And that’s day 149.

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