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