East Dorset, VT (USA)

When I got up, I thought it was 0600.  After getting packed and ready to leave, I realized it was only 0520.  With the extra time, I fixed up the house (so I didn't have to come back through).  All morning, I was dreading the drive back home... I was packed and out of Danby by 0615. With the time available to hike before leaving New England, I really only had two candidate sections to choose from - one was two hours south and one was 15 minutes east. After reading about the temps for the last few days, I’m sure you can guess which one I picked... Departed SOBO from USFS-10 at 0630, bound for Baker Peak. This was another marooned section and I couldn’t even do the whole thing - the best chance I had was to reduce the length of another “re-hike” day in the future. I retreaded my way to the Old Job Shelter and then started an almost continuous climb for close to four miles. At the base of this hill, I probable say 10 tents but no hikers (sleeping in?). It was cooler than the previous days, being so early, and I had good leaf cover above. On the outbound leg, I passed 8 NOBO Thru hikers and one LASHer who was looking for a way off the trail after getting sick. I exchanged pleasantries with all but one person (he was in the zone and never even looked up). After the first few, I realized this was the same group I’d seen two days earlier near Stratton Pond. From that point, we joked about my magic teleporter... I turned around on a huge, rocky plateau with great views (and sounds) of East Dorset and Manchester Center. Across the valley, I also saw one of the huge marble quarries for which the area is famous. Heading back down was going smoothly enough that I caught up to the old timer from a few days ago who liked to hike in the heat dressed head to toe (I’ll call him “Bedouin”). It turned out that he was 72 years old and from Florida. I walked with him for a little bit and we started passing day hikers - it got downright crowded! I wanted to go faster than Bedouin so I sped off ahead until I caught up to a other Thru hiker named “Tiger Lily”. She stopped to let me pass and started to ask me questions about the areas to the north, including Killington, and the back and forth continued long enough that I suggested we continue on together. For the next hour, we discussed her AT experiences. She had been in the area when one of the hikers was killed in southern Virginia and it had taken a few months to process. She had a steady group of friends in her bubble and they’d all supported each other. We ended up talking about reasons why people get away from the world and do a Thru hike and she mentioned that she was a mom of four grown kids who was contemplating a divorce. She said she still hadn’t decided after more than 1600 miles. The last few miles had gone really quickly and I reached my car by 1030 after close to 10 miles (for which I could only claim partial credit). Wished Tiger Lily good luck and headed back to Danby - the drive took 15 minutes and I was only at the house for about 30 minutes.  Got on the road for real (1145) and drove south on US-7 until I reached VT-279.  Followed that until reaching the NY border (road changed to NY-7) and drove through Troy.  Got on I-787 and took it to I-87.  Still had the "no toll" deal for I-88 and found myself on that road very quickly.  There was not a lot of traffic, thankfully.  I got a gas fillup and lunch/dinner (sandwiches) at Mirabito in Scherevus, NY (1415).  Encountered some construction (no delay) and made it to I-81 in Binghamton without much trouble.  I did start to hit traffic ("wide load" delays through mountain passes) north of Scranton and then had more slow downs all the way to the I-78 merge.  I reached Harrisburg OK (this was one of my fastest drives on I-83 to PA-581 ever).  I then took US-15 to the south and got another gas fillup at Mountaindale Convenience in Thurmont, MD (1920).  I was able to get my house by about 2015.  I was VERY tired!  I teleworked for over two hours and then went to bed (exhausted) by 2200.  It’s been a great few days - just what I needed at the end of a hot July!  AT Today = 3.50 miles / Grand Total AT = 1430.46 miles

Hanover, NH (USA)

Felt pretty sore this morning but managed to get out of bed at 0600.  I decided to take a day trip over to the Connecticut River because I wanted to explore options for a long term hiking headquarters. It took a little time to get ready but I got on the road (0730).  I filled up my gas tank at Mobil in Rutland (0750) and picked up breakfast at Burger King nearby (0755).  Used US-4 to travel east and enjoyed the low amount of traffic and pretty views. Previously, I’ve been in the area during darkness but this time I got to see Quechee Gorge by daylight for once.  Crossed the Connecticut River into New Hampshire and spent some time exploring Lebanon.  I located a JiffyLube just as they were opening (0900).  Got an oil change and some other services and was done by 0945.  It was relatively sunny, so I returned to the Vermont side of the river and got on I-91.  I headed north until I reached the exit for Norwich and Hanover.  Headed across the river a third time (on the same bridge that the AT uses).  I drove through the Dartmouth campus and saw lots of Thru hikers following the white blazes. Since I’d already hiked that section (in 2014), I continued northeast until I found myself on Trescott Road. That was lucky, since the AT crossed it just east of the Velvet Rocks. Had the parking lot all to myself and took an access trail to get to the trail, starting NOBO at around 1000.  It was already hot (low 80s) and the humidity had kicked in too. It didn’t help that the section crossed several overgrown farmers fields (no tree cover) - I was drenched with sweat within the first hour. The trail guide said the terrain was supposed to be a low grade climb but there were lots more roots, fallen trees, rocks and mud to navigate. Passed 5 day hikers, 3 NOBO Thru hikers and one LASHer. The latter told me she was completing her last section south of Maine (wish I was that close!). The lady asked to borrow bug spray and I obliged.  Turned around at Three Mile Road. It hadn’t been a long section but the backtrack was tough - I powered through more with determination than stamina. Passed 7 more NOBO Thru hikers and talked to one for a little bit just before I reached my car. Also ended up accidentally photo-bombing a couple of young ladies who had just been dropped off by a shuttle - we all had a good laugh. Done at 1315 after almost 8 miles. Pace was good but I’m wiped out! Had planned to hike a short section in Vermont on the way back to Danby but decided not to do it. Storm clouds threatening to the west made the decision anyway... My brain started thinking about a “Maple Creamie" (ice cream I'd seen at stores on US-4 in Vermont), so I decided to head back to the west.  I drove around near Norwich on US-4 and Quechee Main Street , where discovered "back way" to the town of West Hartford (VT).  I located trailheads near the White River and then took Pomfret Road back towards Woodstock, checking out the various locations where the AT crossed that road (and Stage Road).  It sprinkled off/on and I wasn't really in the mood for more hiking.  Eventually, I stopped at Long Trail Brewing Company (Bridgewater Corners, VT) to try a flight of samples.  I ended up talking to an artist named Daniel who was helping someone build a house out of hay bales nearby (through Workaway.info).  Ate dinner there too - it was good to relax.  At 1720, I got back  in my car and drove west on US-4.  It had clearly rained (steam off the hot road) while I was in the tasting room...  In Rutland, I went shopping at Walmart and got some coffee for Elizabeth's house (finished at 1830).  I kept thinking about getting the Maple Creamie but wasn't really hungry enough for one.  Instead, I drove back to Danby and ended up reading my book.  I had intended to do some "advance telework" but was too tired.  Went to bed at around 2200 - it was very hot and I knew that wouldn't help me get a lot of sleep.  Oh well...  AT Today = 3.84 miles / G.T. AT = 1426.96 miles

Arlington, VT (USA)

I woke up at around 0430 and spent some time reading in bed.  Weather tomorrow wasn’t looking good so I decided to take care of a challenging “marooned” section that required good weather. Got ready and drove to Manchester Center (US-7 and VT-7A), where I got breakfast at McDonalds (0655).  I then drove to the Arlington exit on US-7 to find the hiking area.  Fortunately, I recalled the back roads (South, Kansas, Kelley Strand) needed to find the trailhead on Stratton-Arlington Road.  I was parked at the Stratton Pond Trail lot by 0745. I had to walk around 3/4 of a mile to get to the AT Trailhead (to climb Stratton Mountain again) but the lower temps (high 60s) and packed gravel made the time pass quickly. Started NOBO and made good time to the top. Somehow, though, I’d gotten it in my head that the first segment (“Re-Climb”) was a mile shorter than it actually was - that made for a frustrating half hour... Passed lots of day hikers and possibly one SOBO Thru hiker (did I see him yesterday?) and had the wits scared out of me when one day hiker suddenly tried to pass me when I was intently plodding up the continuously steep grade. There weren’t any clouds and I hoped for a good view. However, the only way to see the sights (Whites in NH, ADK in NY, Greylock in MA) from the summit was to climb the fire tower. I’d done that last time, so when I found a small crowd of hikers waiting to go up, I blew off the delay and headed down the other side of the mountain (Segment 2 = “New Trail”). Immediately, I found myself in a little river (disguised as a trail). The rocks and roots were treacherous and I really had to take my time. The temps had reached the lower 80s by then and I was already sweating a lot. It felt really nice when I realized that the mountain was blocking the sun - the trail in the tunnel of trees actually got dark! During the downhill to Stratton Pond, I only saw a few hikers (all seemed to be out just for the day or weekend).  I passed some trail runners during the descent and also passed a loud gaggle of kids on side trail.  Otherwise, I was alone.  When I reached the pond itself, though, I encountered huge numbers of Thru hikers. A group of 6-7 guys were swimming in various stages of undress - with no women around, there were no holds barred. I hiked north to finish the new part, with my planned turn around at the Winhall River bridge. I did pass two more SOBO Thru hikers (I’m certain they were the ones I’d seen the previous day). I was annoyed that the trail was downhill almost all the way and didn’t enjoy the backtrack climb. I also found that famous Vermud again - ughh! Still, I kept plodding away and made it back to the lake eventually... Along the way, I probably passed 15 NOBO Thru hikers - only talked to one, though. He was an older gentleman who was wearing long sleeves and long pants - he looked hot to me but claimed he was “comfortable like the Bedouin”. OK... Back at the swimming hole, I found about 10 hikers and only two were men. No one was swimming. Shifted to the third segment, “Side Trail” at the junction of the AT and Stratton Pond Trail. I had no idea what the terrain was on this Blue Blaze cutoff and was getting really tired and sore. It was a pleasant surprise, then, when the nearly four mile section turned out to be pretty flat. It definitely beat climbing Stratton again to reach my car! Passed only two lady day hikers the rest of the hike - man oh man was their perfume strong and it lingered for the next 20 minutes as I walked! Of course, it beats Thru hiker stank...  Heard thunder in the distance (near the mountain) as I approached my car but it didn't rain on me.  Finished my hike by 1430 after 15.5 miles. Felt pretty good but was fully drenched from head to toe.  In my car again, talked to Mollie on the phone about her internship schedule in August.  Then I drove down the mountain and looked for a gas station - used neutral all the way to the pavement because the gauge was so low and barely made it!  In Arlington, I found a Stewart's Shop (1520).  After that, I explored VT-7A south of Manchester (it was a fancy neighborhood).  Wrote my blog posts in the McDonalds parking lot in Manchester Center).  Didn't end of eating dinner.  Drove back to Danby, arriving at around 1645.  Spent the evening cleaning up, reading, and doing some telework (playing catch up), heading to bed at 2230.  Today's "little five mile section" is a perfect cautionary tale of what happens when I leave a short part of trail for “later” - I had to hike more miles to get to and from it than I got credit for in my tracker! I also had to climb a mountain again to get to the inaccessible back side. You can tell I REALLY want to finish the whole AT...  A bit disappointed that all this hiking (30 miles in two days) has only yielded 9.6 miles of new trail. That’ll “L’arn me” to orphan those sections!  Crossing fingers for better weather than forecast tomorrow... AT Today = 5.00 miles / G.T. AT = 1423.12 miles

Peru, VT (USA)

I slept from 0500 until around 1000.  It was very hot, so I didn't sleep well but got up when my body felt ready.  I tried to do some telework but was concerned about how hot it was getting and didn't want to miss a chance to hike.  I packed up quickly and drove south to Manchester Center.  By 1100, I had my backpack ready and was raring to go! I decided to tackle two shorter sections that were located along VT-11 between Peru and Manchester Center. It was only a ten mile drive to the zone but I lost my bearings on where the first trailhead was. Without cell signal, it was all up to the engrams... Fortunately, I recognized a landmark and soon found the AT parking lot on Mad Tom Notch (gravel) road. Left my car at 1145, headed SOBO towards Bromley Mountain. This section was only 2.5 miles but my muscles and joints weren’t in their Spring form so my initial pace was slow. Three SOBO Thru hikers caught up to me and blew by when I stepped out of the way - no chit chat. The section stayed under the canopy and there was a light breeze through the trees. The temps were high 70s, climbing to mid 80s - I normally avoid hiking after 1100 during the Summer but today was OK. During my climb to the summit of the highest peak in the Bromley Resort, I encountered about 10 NOBO Thru hikers and a grandfather walking with his son. Didn’t see any animals or major views - until I reached a spectacular “bald” with a 360 view. I’d last been at the peak five years ago - at that point, I’d only hiked a little over a hundred miles of AT. This time, many of the distant peaks had meaning because I’ve since climbed them. Turned around and headed back to my car. Dodged rocks, roots, fallen trees and mud. The latter obstacle wasn’t as bad as previous years (so I won’t call the place Vermud this time). Arrived at the parking lot at 1400 after around six miles, feeling limber and ready for more miles! Talked to some locals about the closed road to Griffith Lake - we all wanted to use it to get closer to Peru Peak but there must have been a washout. Repositioned to Rootville Road, where the gravel road to Prospect Rock gave me a chance to rescue an “orphaned” section I’d landlocked five years ago. It was much hotter but, again, the blue blazers access trail and the AT section (2.1 miles) were mostly covered by trees. The outbound leg climb was much steeper, though, and I took my time getting to the ridge. I noticed a lot of day hikers had started up before me and had given up because the nearly two mile road didn’t have scenery. Fortunately, I hiked the same trail last year and just plodded ahead until I made it to the white blazes. From there, the trail was mostly deserted - I only saw two hikers during the next two hours (and no wildlife). There was one big (annoying) descent before I reached my turnaround point (Spruce Peak Shelter) but I was pleasantly surprised that I got back to the top quickly. When I reached the gravel again, it was all downhill and I got to my car (after about eight miles) by 1745. After almost two months away from the AT, I managed to hike almost 14 miles on a hot day - seemed like a success...  Drove back to Manchester Center and stopped at McDonalds for dinner (1800).  There was no air conditioning but I stayed there, blogging, until around 1900.  It was almost dark when I drove back to Danby.  Had planned to telework again but was exhausted.  Instead, I read for a few hours and then went to bed (2130), exhausted.  More AT tomorrow! AT Today = 4.60 miles / Grand Total AT = 1418.12 miles

Scranton, PA (USA)

As I’ve chipped away at the AT mileage, the complexity of the logistics has increased - it’s getting really hard to stomach two seven to eight hour drives over a two day weekend. After skipping a few hiking weekends recently, I was very pleased when my company and clients approved four days away from the sizzling city. My friend, Elizabeth, who has encouraged and supported my trekking in the Green Mountain State over the last few years, added the last piece of the puzzle: a place to stay!  So I set up the plan with and was excited for the hiking trip when I woke up this morning.  I packed for my trip as I was leaving for work.  Got a gas fillup at Shell (near house) at 0550 and drove to Branch Avenue so I could take the Green Line.  I worked a normal day in DC and was planning to leave the DMV after rush hour traffic.  However, Greta called me at around 1645 and asked if I had time for a drink.  I told her I did and she picked me up at my office at 1730.  We drove to the District Wharf and (after having a lot of difficulty), got a parking spot in the garage.  We bought dinner from vendors along the pier (she had lobster and I had a hot dog from The Anthem Shop at 1810) and ate while sitting on the edge of the water.  Since it was so busy, we never ended up getting the drink.  Instead, she drove me to Branch Avenue (dropping me off at around 1930).  Leaving the Metro parking lot, I used I-495 to get to I-695 and then got on I-83.  Used I-81 all the way to Scranton.  After 2100, there was construction almost every hour of the drive (ughhh).  However, I really only got stopped for a long time (30+ minutes) near the I-84 split.  As a result of that delay, I was still driving later than I'd originally planned.  At 1145, I tried to get a room in Milford but there was no vacancy.  I saw lots more signs like that and started to despair at finding a place to stay.  When I got gas at Speedway in Montgomery (NY), it was already after midnight (0120).  I continued to the Bridge Crossing at Newburgh and then got on the Taconic Parkway.  I wasn't sure what to do because it had gotten so late and the closest hotels I knew well were near Pittsfield.  So I kept driving, thinking of my options for sleeping along the side of the road.  There wasn't a lot of traffic but there were LOTS of deer to avoid.  Used NY-23 to get into Massachusetts (had thought about sleeping at a rest area on the way but decided against it).  I got on US-7 near Great Barrington.  It was so late - still, I saw people out on the street and a few crazy drivers.  Otherwise I had the road to myself.  Continued driving throughout the night... When my map application said I was only two hours away, I decided to just finish the drive.  The last hour was very difficult, since I'd been awake for almost 24 hours.  I dodged a LOT more deer but made it safely to Danby.  Got inside the house and went straight to bed at 0500.

Mason Neck, VA (USA)

[drove to Mason Neck and walked along the bike path there (to get my steps) - had hoped to go kayaking but it was too hot]

Alexandria, VA (USA)

[drove to Huntley Meadows and walked along the bike path there (to get my steps)]

Mason Neck, VA (USA)

[drove to Mason Neck and walked along the bike path there (to get my steps) - had wanted to go kayaking but decided that it was too hot when I finished walking]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - at 1700, walked to Penn Quarter and met Bill W for happy hour at Hill Country - stayed until around 1945 and then took Metro to Branch Avenue - then home]

Woodbridge, VA (USA)

[work - left city after 1700 - drove from Branch Avenue to Woodbridge - met Kelly and John for a drink at Not Your Average Joe's - at 1900, went to REI to attend "Planning Your Hike on the AT" (it was basic enough that I probably could have taught the class) - finished by 2045 and drove home]

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 16

We got up very early and left Nellis by 0615.  Traffic wasn’t too bad and we made it to the car rental return facility (after getting gas) a little before 0700.  We dropped off the rental car and then had to get on the shuttle bus to get to the airport but this went quickly.  At the terminal, we checked on the weight of our bag (not a bad job packing!) and then Mollie got TSA Pre-Check.  We took the tram to D Gates and then found a good seat at the gate (0730).  We had about two hours until boarding time and were able to relax a bit.  I got Mollie a sandwich from Starbucks (0740) which she said was “the best sandwich I ever had” and I picked up a huge burrito from Baja Fresh (0750).  Mollie called her mother and played Pokémon at the airport.  While were waiting, Mollie figured out the way for us to use our Apple Wallet to board the airplane and we both set up our electronic boarding passes (they worked like a charm).  After we were on the airplane (0930), the pilot said we were delayed weather in Houston.  We pushed back on time but then had to wait on the tarmac for about an hour.  The end result was that we got free DirectTV.  During the flight, we got to see some of the places we’d visited during our trip (NV, AZ).  We talked a lot about how great our vacation had been (almost 5000 miles of driving, 31 NPS Passport stamps, 50 license plates, 16 days of excitement and fun, horseback ride).  Mollie told me she’d had a great time and, when I pointed out it was our last mandated Summer Vacation, she reminded me that I’d said I would take her on an Alaskan Cruise after she graduated from High School (I told her I’d keep my word).  After the delay for the first leg, I was a little worried we’d miss our second one.  However, we arrived in Houston (around 1600) to find that the next flight was delayed too, meaning that our bag made the transfer OK.  There was just enough time (just over an hour) during our layover for Mollie to buy herself some food; I spent a lot of time texting with Brenna to coordinate our pickup.  We boarded another packed flight (around 1715) and discovered we got DirectTV again.  On the last flight, we enjoyed movies and TV shows and looked at scenery out our windows.  We arrived at Reagan National only about 20 minutes later than our scheduled time (2115).  Brenna was waiting for us but it took lots of coordination to connect with her because the “cell phone waiting lot” was closed for construction.  It was also very hot and humid and Brenna was uncomfortable (no AC in "Bessie").  Brenna took Mollie and me back to my apartment (we arrived by about 2230) and then stayed for a little while so Mollie could give her souvenirs she bought.  Mollie and I went to bed soon afterwards - very tired but jazzed up after our amazing trip!

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 15

I was awake very early (0600) and ate breakfast without Mollie.  In the hotel restaurant, I met a retired airline pilot (and rental car return driver) and had a great conversation.  After eating, I got gas in St. George (0745).  Meanwhile, Mollie slept late (0900) and almost missed breakfast.  After she returned from the restaurant, she told me she didn't want to rush.  We didn’t end up leaving the hotel until 1020.  We drove west on I-15 until we reached Arizona (cool canyon views) and then made it to Nevada.  Mollie called her mother to talk (Nicky ended up quizzing her on how we could possibly have gone to so many parks, saying "did you even get out of the car?").  I hadn’t planned on a route for the day but when I saw a sign for Lake Mead, Mollie said she wanted to head in that direction.  We ended up using the “scenic route” and found ourselves on the north end of the National Recreation area.  During that phase, Mollie told me about an experience she had that morning when she went to breakfast alone ("I ended up being trapped, talking to a woman who hated Mormons").  NV-169 took us to North Shore Drive to officially enter the park (no one was working at the entrance gate; it was SO HOT.  After driving through non-descript terrain for over an hour (after passing Echo Bay), Mollie spotted a herd of Bighorn sheep in the rocks on the side of the road.  I got out the binoculars and she spent over 20 minutes looking at the animals.  We were going to leave but then we saw a herd crossing the road and another herd joining them on the other side.  Mollie was very excited to have this wildlife encounter (“it is the cherry on top of the trip!”.  We drove a little farther and stopped at the Visitor Center in Boulder City.  Mollie got some more NPS Passport stamps and reported her Bighorn sighting.  We learned about other parks in the Las Vegas area and Mollie finished buying souvenirs for her mother, sisters and Steve's kids (1230).  Before deciding what to do next, we ate lunch (snacks) in the car.  We had a choice to visit a cool looking resort on the east edge of Henderson but Mollie wanted to drive towards the Hoover Dam.  The place had changed tremendously since our last family visit (2006) and we had to go through a big security line.  Once through, we found even more traffic.  I was ready to turn around but made sure Mollie got to see a view of the dam and bridge before we did that.  After escaping the crowds, we got on I-11 and headed northwest.  Following instructions from the Lake Mead park staff, we found the Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs (north side of Las Vegas) and discovered that they gave veterans free entry.  The park was really just a small historical site but it bordered on a huge National Monument full of fossil beds.  Initially, we walked around in the grassy park (to figure out if there was anything interesting to do).  It was almost 110 degrees outside but we discovered that it felt much better in the shade.  The biggest treat (Mollie was very excited) was that the park had lots of pheasants and geese.  We enjoyed hanging out with the birds and then drove a short distance to locate the fossil bed on NM property.  Mollie ending up staying in the car but I walked around the open field until I couldn’t stand the heat.  Mollie directed us to a post office in North Las Vegas and we sent off some post cards to Mollie’s friends.  It was only a little farther drive (to the east) before we arrived at Nellis Air Force Base.  We checked into the Air Force Inn (1545) and discovered that we had a very long walk to our room (following directions from the hotel staff).  As a result, we had to move the car and use a back entrance to make carrying the bags easier.  The added benefit was that Mollie saw some of the cool fighter jets that were flying nearby.  In the room, we consolidated bags for our trip home.  At around 1630, we tagged up with my friend, Bob, and then drove back to Las Vegas to meet him and his mom at the Venetian Resort.  I had trouble finding the parking garage but, after several mistakes, we ended up parking in the same exact area of the building as Bob (it made for a funny reunion).  We walked inside the hotel and located St. Mark’s square.  Once again, I noticed that things had changed a lot since my last visit.  We sat down for dinner at Canaletto (an Italian restaurant) just after 1700.  It was fun to visit with Bob and his mom.  We told stories of our trip (and Bob told us about his travels since he moved away from Alexandria).  Mollie exchanged Pokémon info with Bob.  We were done eating by about 1815 and then walked around in the hotel, watching gondoliers and looking inside the casino and several fancy stores.  Mollie bought souvenirs for Erin at Walgreens in Las Vegas (1825).  We were both feeling tired, so we drove back to the Air Force Inn and did some more packing in the room.  Mollie tried to make Independence Day plans with Sabrina (unsuccessful) and we watched some TV.  We both went to bed early 2200.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 14

We were up by 0545.  The night before, I’d thought about getting breakfast in Hatch but it was clear that would delay us.  Mollie was excited to get going immediately because I’d promised her a horse riding adventure at Zion National Park.  The drive was over an hour, so we left the hotel at around 0630 and drove south on US-89 until we reached UT-9.  We ate our breakfast (snacks) in the car.  The early departure allowed us to pass through the eastern entrance to Zion with almost no other people nearby.  As had happened to us several times on the trip, the gate was unmanned when we got there (around 0730).  We continued through the park until we reached Springdale and parked in the huge parking lot at the Visitor Center at 0800.  I’d researched the process prior to our arrival and knew that a shuttle bus was usually required to enter the park.  The park was very popular but I thought I’d built in enough time (almost an hour) to ensure we’d get to the stables in time.  However, by the time we located the shuttle bus stop, it turned out to already be populated by a huge crowd of people.  Although the line was moving fast (a bus came by about every ten minutes, and it was a double shuttle), we quickly realized that we were not going to make it to the corral before the 0830 check in time.  I asked Mollie to call the reservation office to let them know that we might be late, and, to our surprise, they said they would give us a parking pass (i.e., not have to wait in the shuttle bus line).  We ran back to our car and sped onto the shuttle-only road that would take us to the corral.  We made it to the stables at Emerald Pools trailhead by 0825 and Mollie was very relieved.  They had us pay and sign liability waivers, and then we had to wait until 0845 to be assigned a horse.  In the meantime, we prepped for the hike by hydrating, applying sunscreen and bug spray, and sitting around.  I had a “funny” experience with impatient people from Virginia waiting to use the bathroom (there was only one key and I had it, much to their chagrin).  The time to mount up came quickly, and before we knew it, we were on our horses (selected by the ranch manager).  Mollie was assigned a nice buckskin named Snowy River and I was instructed to follow behind her on a bay named Stomper.  We set off at around 0900, and, being at the back of the group, we were quickly bombarded by the large clouds of dust that the horses in front of us were kicking up.  We got to ride through an actual river and we later got a great picture of smiling Mollie from that moment.  The beginning of the ride was pretty easy, with the trail boss (“Talon”) telling us about the stunning mountains nearby (Court of the Patriarchs) and us getting acclimated to climbing up a gradual incline on our steeds.  We were mostly under tree cover and we got to see the shuttle bus road and the tunnel through the mountains on UT-9 (from VERY high up).  It was thus a little surprising and disconcerting when a crazy hiker (who was headed in the other direction) appeared on the trail at a curved section with no visibility to the rest of the riders.  The horses in front of us had apparently just let him pass and kept going, but a mule ridden by a man two riders in front of Mollie got spooked.  The mule actually edged off the trail (which was very close to a large drop-off) and then decided to stop altogether.  It took a LOT of coaxing to get him going again.  I tried to call ahead to the trail boss but he didn’t hear me.  As a result of the delay, we were forced to make our horses run in order to catch up with the rest of the group.  Shortly after this, the whole group stopped so the horses could have a breather and the guide could adjust our stirrups.  I tried to explain to the trail  boss what had happened earlier (the mule's rider was from Germany and he wasn't able to explain everything entirely and place the blame where it belonged, with the hiker).  While we were waiting to get started again, the second trail guide, Savannah, showed up with another group of riders (they had been late).  She was able to help us keep our horses and mules in line, and we rode for another hour or so without any problems.  We reached a corral where we could put the horses while we took a break for some water and a bathroom.  Mollie and I made small talk with Talon, about “Unbranded”, a documentary we’d watched about four friends who rode mustangs from Mexico to Canada.  Talon thought they were reckless, and even pointed out some mistakes they made.  Mollie enjoyed having a chance to talk to and pet some of the horses in the corral, (most of whom were more than happy to receive some scratches).  After our break, we headed back toward the main corral via a different route.  We got to run the horses once again and spent more time in the sun (away from the trees).  Talon and Savannah talked more about the park and some of the pioneers who’d traveled through it over the years.  The ride down from the high point to the river actually seemed to go much more quickly (more running?).  When we finished (after three whole hours), it was much hotter (90s); Mollie was sad to have to leave but she remarked that this was the longest trail ride either of us had ever been on and “our butts are suffering”.  I saw the photo of Mollie and bought it from the nice vendor lady.  We also thanked the lady working in the reservation office for helping us get into the park with the pass.  Mollie was on Cloud Nine, she’d had so much fun.  As we were getting ready to go, I ended up striking up a conversation with the two German tourists (they had been the riders directly in front of Mollie).  They were visiting the US for their honeymoon and they asked me to give them ideas about places they should visit.  We also talked about places I’d been in Germany (some of which, they didn’t know about).  Since we were told we could leave our car in the parking lot as long as we wanted, we walked across the street to the Zion Lodge.  Much of it was closed (for cleaning or an event) but we found a place called the Castledome Café, where we got lunch (sandwiches) at 1230.  After our vacation in the middle of nowhere, the crowds of people were kind of nightmarish.  I remarked to Mollie that all of the crying children (tired, hot hungry) resembled Disneyworld.  She replied that we should quickly finish gobbling down our “over-priced sandwiches” and get out of that part of the park.  We drove back down the hill to the Visitor Center where we’d started our morning.  Mollie went to get her NPS passport stamp and some souvenirs.  By about 1400, we continued out of the park to the west on UT-9.  I told Mollie that I wanted to see the other (“stand alone”) section of Zion and she obliged me.  We had to drive through what Mollie called the “Jackson Hole-esque town” of Springdale.  Parking cost a fortune, there was tons of traffic and everything generally looked “Bougie” (Mollie slang for “aspiring to be a higher class than it is”).  After changing to UT-17, we reached I-15 and drove north.  It didn’t take us long to reach the satellite unit, Kolob Canyon.  We were pleased to find that it was much less crowded (we probably only saw about 20 cars on the whole road).  We stopped briefly at the Visitor Center and then drove up the road (lots of re-paving work was going on).  This was the part of Zion that I’d visited as a kid in the 1970s and 1980s.  Mollie was glad to take more pictures of the amazing views of the area.  The road was only five miles long and this meant that we were back in the parking lot of the area's Visitor Center very quickly (about 1545).  As Mollie was filling up her water bottle at the pump (water straight out of the ground), she met a hippie-looking guy who was walking over to fill up his 10 liter jug.  She didn't really pay him any mind and came back to the car and commented about him.  It was only at that moment that I realized that his van had Delaware plates.  Mollie got really excited because this was a state we’d never seen in more than three years of playing the “State License Place Game”.  I struck up a conversation with the driver and we told him that we’d actually found all 50 states (for the first time ever) because of his car.  Mollie actually jumped around in the parking lot and let our some whoops.  Both of us were riding a high at that point, and decided to drive south on I-15 to St. George to find a hotel.  On the way, we discussed Mollie's trip to Mississippi, travel during the coming year and driver’s license test/practice.  We checked into the Day’s Inn at 1620; and we rested in our room for a little while.  At 1805, we drove a short distance to eat dinner (steak-burgers) at Freddy’s Frozen Custard (one of our favorite places to visit, although we didn’t get any custard this time).  We returned to our room to rest some more. Mollie commented that she was feeling very exhausted after all of our traveling and adventuring over the last few weeks and I had to agree.  She wrote a very enthusiastic Facebook/Blog post (some of the text is in this narrative) and wrote some more postcards (after I convinced her that it would make her relatives and friends happy).  We went to bed at about 2230.